GRAND TOUR OF THE SCOTTISH COAST NC500. PART 8.

By Anthony Osborne

Friday 23rd To North Queensferry.

Having checked out of the Spayside Hotel, already full of a generous Scottish breakfast, we were loading up the cars when we noticed we had an addition to the convoy. Eric Dalton had joined us again, having last met us at the museum in Glasgow. It was great to see him again, and his Rover 200 VdP in the car park.
In convoy we set off for our trip over the Cairngorms to Falkirk via Balmoral and the Royal Lochnager Distillery outlet there.
Due to roadworks closing one of the roads we were to drive down there was a slight diversion that added some 21 miles to the route! We arrived at a car park opposite Crathie Church, the church that the Royal Family use when at the Castle. The attraction for the brief visit to the car park was the facilities that were provided, which almost all of us visited for a comfort break (is that too much information?). A short drive and we were at the distillery outlet. We were amazed at the number of whiskeys that were available there, and the cost of some of the rarer ones (I would have had to take out a mortgage to buy many of them!).  ​

A few of the flowers outside the entrance to Balmoral Castle.

We had passed the entrance to Balmoral Castle on the way and, being the week of the Queen’s funeral, there was a large sea of flowers left by mourners outside the gate.
For the onward journey Pat wanted to go through Ballatar so we separated from the convoy who headed into the Cairngorms. However, as we resumed our route through the mountains we drove past the convoy that had visited a lay-by, presumably to put the kettle on. We waited a mile or so further on in another lay-by for the convoy to set off and re-joined them for the rest of the journey.

Betty, the Granada and Henry can be seen in the lay-by whilst brewing up.

​Once again the scenery was fantastic, even if it was spoiled by the ski lifts that crossed the area (we hope that they have good snow in the winter to attract visitors to the area).

Ski lifts in the Cairngorms looking out of place without the snow!

Once again the scenery was fantastic, even if it was spoiled by the ski lifts that crossed the area (we hope that they have good snow in the winter to attract visitors to the area).

The convoy, now of seven cars, drove on across the magnificent countryside of the Cairngorms.

he onward journey took us from the edge of the Cairngorms, with it’s magnificent mountains and hills, to the low lands and outskirts of Edinburgh and the magnificent piece of Victorian engineering which is the Forth Rail Bridge which was completed and opened on 4th March 1890 (and no, I was not at the official opening, were you Brian?). We gathered at North Queensferry for a photoshoot with the rail bridge in the background. The bridge is considered a symbol of Scotland, even though it was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker (don’t tell Nicola Sturgeon!), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Some of the cars pose in front of the Forth Rail Bridge, opened in 1890.

After a brief photo opportunity, there were double yellow lines round the turning area, the group separated and we then set off to our various accommodations for the night.