Z4-forum weekender: Skye, 14/15 May 2011

[a11y]

Cracking weekend folks, thanks to everyone who came along and made it what it was

Was utterly fubar'd by the time we got home last night so my photos won't appear until later tonight/early tomorrow depending on my fabulous internet connection speed at home :roll:. I didn't think the weather was too bad given the forecast! Great roads, great scenery and great company - both new and old. Good driving from everyone with just a few marginal overtakes, even Mrs a11y approved of my driving for the duration (no seat gripping although that could be the new seats making the difference...
Bring on Islay

 

[jaxZ4]

Both Jacqui and I had another excellent weekend - -weather was better than expected - and brought the major benefit of no midges.

Thanks a lot to Ally & Jo for the organising and especially Jo for braving the rain to catch some Skye bridge shots - dedication or what !

Driving highlights included the Saturday v.fast top down final stretch to Malaig and of course the Sunday twistys to Spean Bridge - it's a wonderful bit of road - almost tailor made for zeds - especially the left hand bends - (do we all have a favoured "hand" bend ?) My first time driving the zed with the Vredesteins in the wet and I'm happy to report they were excellent once warmed up.

Excellent of Bradders and the Guiseleys to make the long effort - not forgetting RichardG who had further to go than most. Stunning scenery and a somewhat surreal Skye ferry filled with 9 zeds, 11 minis, and a few classics including a very nice maroon Bentley - oh and a half decent Cayman S I suppose.

Cheers to Nosa and Simon for some free beers and lime wedgy - I owe you one - and remember there's more than one phantom snorer - I'll be camping at the far end of the Islay site to get a decent night's sleep. Pics to follow.

 

[PawnSacrifice]

Looks like another great meet guys

Bring on Islay

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys and gals - I had a great time.

I also had a wonderful night's sleep in my hotel bed.

 

[Bradders75]

Thanks again to everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and was well rewarded for the long journey there and back from Lincolnshire. Ally admitted that you Scots take the scenery for granted but having returned home to a flat and featureless landscape, you really don't know how lucky you are! It was a pleasure to meet some new forum members, I honestly don't think I could have met a more welcoming and friendly bunch of folk. If any English forum members are still undecided if a meet this far North is worth the effort, I can confirm it most definitely is. Some of the roads and backdrops will take your breath away - I eventually got bored of saying 'Wow' to myself all the time!


Highlights

The top down blast to Malaig at some rather naughty figures
Going off on my own on Saturday evening to explore the north of Skye on virtually empty roads
Photographing my Zed down on a deserted beach at Staffin
The run from Castle Eilean to Spean Bridge with the 'renegade' group of 6!
No midges! Poor Nosa's devious plan for embarrassing pictures failed!
Discovering Stovies!
Nosa's wheels and Ally's loving devotion to photographing them...!
Guiseley and myself playing on the most dangerous air hockey table known to man. How decapitation was avoided remains a mystery.


Lowlights

The worlds hottest Chili Con Carne at the Sligachan hotel - how the hell Jack finished it is beyond me
Snoring women (seeing as all of the blokes were apparently innocent)
Waking up 'feeling cold' at 3am to find my pillow and mattress saturated because I can't put up and use a tent properly
The weather on Sunday
Guiseley's smug looks whenever the Roadsters had to pull over during a down pour to put the hood up


Stats:

Mileage: 1045
MPG: 35.3 (from a 3.0 - impressive 'eh?!)
Hours slept at the camp site on Sat night: 2
Number of phantom male snorers: 0
Dodgy overtakes: 1
Flashed headlights from frustrated campervan drivers: 2
Airhockey: Bradders75 5-4 Guiseley (goals, not bruises)


My pics are all a bit basic having been taken on a rubbish camera phone but they're up on my Facebook page if anyone fancies a look:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.223718500978047.72239.100000196955104&l=008db31824

 

[Guiseley]

Right that's us in too - 915 miles in all (although that did include a few tourist stops on the way up and down). Loading photos as I type, but here's the first one - the result of me & a11y taking a backroads route to Mallaig !

Thanks all for a great run , and if anyone's not done the road to the isles (and thereabouts) on a day with little traffic, then I suggest you find time to do it when a11y runs this again in 2012

Until next time. Tony & Ruth

p.s. Cracking driving from the mrs on Sunday - might have trouble wrestling the keys from her at the next meet.

 

[Anonymous]

A couple more.

Ruth (Mrs Guiseley)

Those infamous wheels of Nosa's

That damned castle again!

 

[Anonymous]

Some more pics from me

The road from Armadale to the campsite / hotel

At the campsite, Ally's Yellow interior, Check out allys head popping up over the tent, he could sense someone was taking a pic of his car.

Interior of my car now covered in Simons Mucas

All nicely lined up at Eilan Donan Castle

Malc and Alzay discuss the finer points of campervans, which was obviously too much for Bradders to bear

Simon took about 20 attempts at getting a rear view shot, this was the best one (bless)

My not so shiney wheels after 400 miles of brake dust

Did any one else notice that woman videoing us at the petrol station on Skye 8) 8)

 

[RichardG]

Did any one else notice that woman videoing us at the petrol station on Skye

Yep certainly did, be interesting to see, other than fact everyone was a walking pace. Nice that we can create that level of interest though.

Here's a couple more.

Nosa

Alzay

Guiseley

JaxZ4

Jimmy (arm pump)pop

Bradder75

MalcZ4

And finally our leader A11y

 

[a11y]

Other things took over tonight so I won't get the photos done til tomorrow/Wed. How does everyone feel about obscuring numberplates? It just seems a lot of work but I'll do it if folk object to theirs being on, post up and say now before I edit them!

 

[Anonymous]

No issue from me
As for your photos, you would be quicker to drive over here and upload them

 

[Guiseley]

Other things took over tonight so I won't get the photos done til tomorrow/Wed. How does everyone feel about obscuring numberplates? It just seems a lot of work but I'll do it if folk object to theirs being on, post up and say now before I edit them!

After hearing Andy's cloning story then I'm still keen on obscuring on an open forum - not bothered on fb or similar where circulation is restricted (p.s. Got some good one's of yours ally :camera

 

[RichardG]

Sometimes do, sometimes don't
Depends on which way the wind is blowing.
Tend to be more causious of other peoples than my own
Your call.
Just get them posted :telloff:

 

[Anonymous]

I did a little bit of videoing myself, this is a very poor attempt but thought i would post it up for a laugh. this is a wee bit of the road just after getting off the ferry
http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae210/Nosa_2010/Z4%20skye%20meet%202011/?action=view&current=DSCF5281.mp4

 

[JimmyPop]

Here are some of my shots. I have more which I'll have a look through later in the week and also managed to get some videos which I've not checked yet. Action shots kindly taken by the other half.

A quick stop in Fort William

Fort William by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

Did someone say Shiny Wheels?™

Fort William by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

On the move

A sight for sore eyes by DocJimmyP, on Flickr


The Road To The Isles by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

This time, they actually allowed us the ferry!

Mallaig Ferry Terminal by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

Not too sure if Nosa was posing or catching flies here....

Skye Ferry by DocJimmyP, on Flickr


In good company on the ferry by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle by DocJimmyP, on Flickr


Eilean Donan Castle by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

Caught in the act.. (L to R: Alzay, Mr & Mrs Guiseley, MalcZ4, Nosa, Bradder75, Simon, jaxz4, Mrs jaxz4, SWMBO, Jo & A11y

Rumbled... by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

And one final shot which sums up the weekend for me.....








Overexcited? by DocJimmyP, on Flickr

Yet again, thanks to everyone for making it such a good trip - was great seeing old faces and new. Only one little issue though - when is the next meet?!?!

 

[Anonymous]

Captions please?

Do you have some nice polish for my wheels?

 

[JimmyPop]

Captions please?

How do I tell her I've forgotten to bring her sleeping bag....

 

[Anonymous]

Tweaked in Photoshop for you Matt.

 

[jaxZ4]

Hi - some pics from us:

This pair were becoming increasingly attractive to some of the boys as Saturday night progressed. . .

Mrs Jax' Sligachan garden for one night

zeds to the front - classics, bentleys, porsche and minis to the rear - a new order

zeds itching for a ferry ride

A minis v zeds friendly faceoff ( a bit like alien v predator) - zeds carefully corraled

early blue sky brekkie at Stirling

no roofs down at a moody Eilean Donan

yes you do have a soft top and you've been kept very tidy but I'm afraid you still can't join the zed forum - that boot rack might be handy mind

team photographer - drawn to anything with yellow

maybe more to follow

 

[Anonymous]

Hi - some pics from us:


yes you do have a soft top and you've been kept very tidy but I'm afraid you still can't join the zed forum - that boot rack might be handy mind

maybe more to follow

Never mind the boot rack - wait till Nosa sees those wheels - he'll be pure green with envy.

p.s. Is that Turquoise or Maldives Blue?