Whisky isle tour, Sept 2011

[jaxZ4]

Heading for a plane in a few hours so here's just a few pics from us:








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[Oakandacorns]

Hello everybody, back down 'Sarf and I had a wonderful time seeing and meeting everyone! It was really good fun, and have some great memories. Thanks to Stevie (Life is Scrap) for organising, Pawnsacrifice for getting me there and everyone for being great company!

I think I got some good shots on Matt's camera. To come. Also marvellous scenery in Scotland and Islay, simply breathtaking. I got some shots of the cars on my phone (battery out so will recharge and get up in the next day). Came home via Edinburgh - had a lovely time, though very short visit. Went up Scott's Tower for some lovely views. Thanks to guys who gave me tips, but too little time to enjoy everything.

Looking forward too seeing everyone on another meet (Scotland or England) or one at a big house.

Jax and Jackie, enjoy holiday
RichardG and MrsRG, hope the rain stops!
Jimmypop: try and stay in the chair!!
Bradders: how many courses did you scoff at the wedding??!

P.s. you guys got some really good photos

[PawnSacrifice]

Fantastic trip, again... well done chaps! Even with the occasionally damp weather didn't spoil things. Love the roads and the scenery and was great to catch up with everyone again... plus meet a few new people too. Shooter, excellent work sir on making it up from Paris... lovely car by the way

Loved the roads again - even the narrow ones or the ones with the minor undulations

Great photos so far, here are a few from myself and (mostly) Oakandacorns who was left in charge of the camera for most of the trip... apart from when she was left in charge of my lovely car

We took quite a few, so will post in batches of 10...















The rare and much sought after AC Spritzer...

[PawnSacrifice]

And I was giving Oakandacorns a hard time for taking up all the space in the boot, seems something else had taken up all the room...








Steve heard that if you fancied some action on Islay you had only to stand in the spot indication that your STD check came back...


He had not long to wait...

[PawnSacrifice]

Ending with my passenger, photographer and co-driver (for 15 bumpy miles )...

[Bradders75]

Meeting up with you guys on Islay was the perfect end to a whirlwind 10 day holiday. Apart from the first night, we did extremely well with the weather so it was an unexpected bonus to have so much top down driving time. Apologies for not being present much at the BBQ but after next to no sleep on the Friday, I fell asleep in the car! Rumours of a Jaffa cake overdose are untrue. Also, more apologies to anyone I didn’t say goodbye to but I had to make a mad dash home from Inveraray to attend a wedding reception. Nearly 400 miles of non-stop driving and I’m pleased to say I made it.

So many things to remember but the highlights for me were:

* Awesome campsite location and facilities. A lovely hot shower and then a full Scottish breaky? Don’t mind if I do.

* The lady at Ardbeg distillery demanding we took a group photo of the cars for her. The grumpy old bloke wheel spinning off in his MPV was a nice touch.

* Guiseley and I finding a game-as-you-like MX5 on the way home via the A814 and military road. If that thing was standard, I’ve got a new found respect for the housewife’s special.

* Malcolm ‘Bumper’ MacBain and the £10 starter.

* Jo getting entertainingly pissed on little more than 3 mouthfuls of white wine spritzer. She’d be a very cheap night out, that’s for sure.

* Driving on roads with grass growing out of the middle of them. They still weren’t anywhere near as bad as those on Mull though!

* Saturday morning ‘seal spotting’ with Malc and Tony in Portnahaven.

* Tony ‘The Shepherd’ Two-Coupes leading the mini convoy and clearing the roads of sheep, cows and God knows what else on our Saturday morning drive. Felt a million miles away from home but I loved it.

* Practically no midges!

* Counting bits of Z4 on the arrow straight undulating road from Bowmore to Port Ellen. However, Ally’s relaxed Sunday driving ensured no damage on the return journey!


Low points

* Cow dodging on potentially quick roads.

* Taking over an hour to put up my tent and ripping it in the process. Better still, it was borrowed off a mate!

* Might have been caught speeding on the M74 on the way home by a Scamera van on a bridge.

* Having to going back to the boring flat lands of Lincolnshire and work on Monday.


I hope that early discussions of maybe booking a couple of chalets or a large house for next years meet could come to fruition. I don’t normally mind camping but I’ve never found it enjoyable in Scotland for some reason?!

Last and not least, many thanks to Nosa for the organising.

Stats : 1505 miles (10 days of driving)
MPG: 34.0 (2003 3.0i SE)

[Guiseley]

* Guiseley and I finding a game-as-you-like MX5 on the way home via the A814 and military road. If that thing was standard, I’ve got a new found respect for the housewife’s special.

Very true, i wasn't hanging around and he was glued on to my bumper until the real horsepower bits - then he caught up again pronto - exchanged a thumbs up with him as we hit the Loch Lomand traffic as we waited for Bradders to catch up

Loving all the photos - maybe we should spam Siftah with them to show him what he missed (poor lad).

[Bradders75]

* Guiseley and I finding a game-as-you-like MX5 on the way home via the A814 and military road. If that thing was standard, I’ve got a new found respect for the housewife’s special.

Very true, i wasn't hanging around and he was glued on to my bumper until the real horsepower bits - then he caught up again pronto - exchanged a thumbs up with him as we hit the Loch Lomand traffic as we waited for Bradders to catch up

You cheeky sh*t! Mr MX5 was happy to overtake several cars on a bend approaching the summit of a hill - I was wincing for the pair of you!

[PawnSacrifice]

Despite a slightly slower pace than usually some really enjoyable driving. As others have said, was pleased to see the people at the distillery being some welcoming / enthusiastic.

Going back to an earlier photo:

The lady informed us, Steve, that she didn't know where the original "OK" came from* but now each time someone paints their house white they go over and put a fresh coat on the wall.
*we suspect it was early text messaging

A11y, thanks for running point on the run back along the lake and then the military road, was great fun

A few final pics from me, from the BB, so quality isn't great.
Great camp site, thanks for sorting that Nosa; friendly staff, decent showers and great fish and chips...


A very long bumpy road back from the distillery tour - Josephine at the wheel

(driving down the middle as per my instructions (insistence) as it's the smoothest place to be!)

Quick stop for a coffee.


Inverrary. Gives a good idea of how stunning this country really is.


My final fuel stop on the way home, the weather had turned for the worse but made for a nice moody photo.


Stats:
1219.2 miles (chap at work did less on his family holiday to France)
167.32 litres / 36.81 gallons of petrol
33.13 MPG (36.2 OBC reading)
50.2 MPH average

For the record... Guiseley, was good to have a coupe along ... for the duration, cj_eds Although, very good of you to join us for as long as you did.

Shooter and glewpot, was good to meet you guys, sorry I was strategising how to pack to also get the roof down

Already looking forward to next year

PS. Edinburgh was great. Thanks for the tip, Steve, but missed the fireworks as we were having supper. Drove back down the A702, great stretch of road.

[MalcZ4]

The Vital Spark was made famous in a TV series about a Clyde Steamer, based on a book by Neil Munroe.
There were three series, first shown in 1959 with Duncan McCrae playing the part of Captain Para Handy, then in 1965 Roddy McMillan played the part and finally in 1994 Gregor Fisher gave his interpretation of Para Handy.
There are two replicas of the Vital Spark, the one you saw in Inveraray and the other in Crinan.
Watch an extract from an episode here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78szK2rBFeM

[Nosa]

Would that also be known as a "Puffer" Malc??

[shambolic]

Pawnsacrifice wash yer mouth out ita a Loch not a Lake I stay right next to it on the A82 so a wee early Sunday or Saturday morning drive takes me to Balloch then up over the Hall Road to Arrochar then back home. Certainly clears the head and let's the car stretch it's legs after wifes 20 mph drive to Glasgow town centre every day

[RichardG]

Well the monsson that was threatened over the weekend has finally hit and rather than try and put up our small compact tent during it we decided to call it quits and press on home after stopping for Stovies in Dunkled along with a promise to return to area for a few days in the spring.
I'll get some piccies sorted from the Hundreds MrsG took over the weekend and check to see if I managed to video anything worth posting from the very hastily placed camera on the rear view mirror.

As an aside there were a few comments from others also looking for small compact practical tents, popped into Tiso in Inverness and they are selling it at £130 this unfortunately does not include the carpet nor does it appear at this price on the website.

But as a taster
Jimmypop asking that immortal question Does My Bum look Big In This?

[JimmyPop]

Thanks for putting me out my misery RIchard - been waiting on this!

[MalcZ4]

Would that also be known as a "Puffer" Malc??

Exacty

Do you think our French friends would know what a "puffer" is?