Friday 17th May 2002 - Stranraer to Rhu to Oban

At last the day has come when we go off on our first tour in our se7en. As the alarm clock goes off at 5.30am we look out to see the rain starting to fall….let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come. By the time we are ready to leave it's only a light drizzle so we opt to leave the hood in the boot where it belongs. So off we go to meet Johnty and Liz at the Belfast ferry terminal to catch the HSS to Stranraer. We arrive early and pull in to wait for jj employing the umbrella to keep us dry as another shower begins. We check in and arrange to be put on the lower deck to avoid any nasty ramp / sump contact.

The ferry crossing is uneventful but everyone is looking forward to getting on the road. We also met up with Tim Abraham who has unfortunately had to leave his newly built Caterham at home due to gearbox problems which we had frantically tried to sort out over the past couple of days. Tim would be getting the train up to Kilmarnock where he would pick up Vinnie`s old car, a pre-lit Westfield which Johnty`s son has purchased and would eventually be coming back to Northern Ireland with us.

Once off the boat we headed up the A77 towards Ayr. After pulling into a petrol station in a frantic search for super green Johnty takes the lead and we are glad to follow behind. However we managed to loose Johnty in the back streets of Ayr so we were on our own for the leg to Kilmarnock. Of course we weren't prepared for this so we drove around until we found the road to Kilmarnock and off we went…..next problem where is the station in Kilmarnock. Thankfully Johnty was on the look out and as soon as he spotted us he guided us in via phone and frantic arm waving.

It was here we experienced our first dose of Scottish hospitality. Even though we were parked in the station forecourt, the station manager brought us all a nice cup of tea. All we had to do now was wait on a group of se7ens coming through before setting off for Rhu. Eventually they got here…Geoff and Louise in their Caterham SV, Chris Kent in the pre-lit Westie, Vinnie in his Lotus Twincam Caterham,
Allan Taylor in his K series Caterham….oh and Roy Booth in his yellow Caterham who arrived laying two nice tracks of Yokohama's finest up the tarmac in front of the station….pointing the right direction as well ;-). I'm sure there were others as well but I can't remember now.

So after a chat we set off for Rhu now quite a bit behind schedule. We're all following Johnty but the maze that is the Glasgow motorway system catches us out and we end up in the city centre caught in traffic. To make matters worse the pre-lit Westie runs out of petrol. So after a while we regroup and eventually make it to the Royal Yacht club about 3.15. We are welcomed by about 20 other se7ens lined up on the front lawn, a wonderful sight.

The Haggis Hunt officially starts here, we've got our Haggis Hunt stickers, cockpit name tags and road book so we are all prepared to have some fun. And that's exactly what the first stretch of the route was. We were in the middle of a group…..following Vinnie along what can only be described as a roller coaster style road. I remember thinking if all the roads were to be like this I would be absolutely knackered by the end of the weekend….there was no break between corners, jumps and dips. Then the road opened up as we rise towards Rest and Be Thankful. We pull in for a quick stop and listen to the fantastic sound of JB7`s bike engined se7en powering up the hill. We took the next section at a sensible pace although at some point we apparently flew past the local superintendent. Needless to say he wasn't happy and had some of his traffic police pull a group of se7ens in for a friendly chat ;-) luckily we weren't one of them although we did pass those who were.

After a long but fun day's driving we arrived at the Alexandria Hotel in Oban…..time to put names to faces and get to know everyone.

Saturday 18th May 2002 - Oban to Kyle of Lochalsh

Well we awoke to dry weather although the skies were threatening. We set off on our own intending to take a leisurely pace due to the threat of unwanted attention from the local plod. Scotland really does have some fantastic roads……with no-one to use them except bunches of nutters like ourselves wreaking havoc every weekend. We passed Roy and the boys as they are stopped for petrol so we press on expecting them to be back on our tail shortly. Sure enough as we get onto the wide open roads across the mountains we can see headlights in our mirrors. Then would you believe it a traffic jam in the Highlands….well an accident. We park up in the hope that it is not one of our group involved. It turns out to be a motorcyclist who has collided with a car. The traffic by this point is backing up the hill to the corner at the top. I was expecting a stream of se7ens to blast round at any moment so I ran to the top of the hill to warn them of the impending roadblock. Sod's law swings into action and as soon as I get to the top of the hill the air ambulance takes off and the traffic starts moving. So now I'm sprinting back to the se7en as loads of tourists, coaches, pensioners are passing it by. By the time I get going I'm at the back of the queue so the next section is going to be slow. Eventually we arrive at Eilean Donnan Castle…..first as it turns out….after a few calls to see if everyone has been and gone.
We line the cars up for a photo shoot and grab a bite of lunch. As we are leaving a coach load of Japanese tourists jump out and start photographing the cars…..I bet they weren't expecting to see 25 se7ens on their tour of the highlands. A short drive after lunch and we arrive at our second stop of the tour, Kyle of Lochalsh.

In the afternoon we head off to Skye to meet up with a classic car club in the area. Unfortunately they all got lost so we had to return for dinner before they got back. On the trip back it absolutely poured down….I really must fit some wipers on the inside of my windscreen. We had to stop for petrol so we got left behind although we weren't the only ones. The drive back was a case of tip toeing through the water and trying to keep the car on the road while the local sheep community tried to get us off it. Driving along we notice a group of sheep standing at the side of the road, no traffic coming the other way so we prepare to drive around when suddenly a car appears…..on with the anchors and we managed to pull up just short of Dolly….she never even blinked. We arrive back at the hotel damp and tired.

After a quick shower and some dinner the night's entertainment begins with jb7 and Rob on guitar and the girls in full song…..well I think it could be vaguely described as that anyway. Few people escaped jb7`s rather adult vocals but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Oh and we can't forget Richard's amazing party tricks….watch out for him on the next one! I went to bed, leaving Jo joining into yet another song.

Sunday 19th May 2002 - Kyle of Lochalsh to Kenmore

We start off the day in formation with the breakfast tables laid out in a `7`, obviously there was more
Fun after I went to bed the night before. After a good night's sleep we were looking forward to getting back on the road again. The weather is looking more promising today.

We set off behind jb7 but managed to loose him on a single track road as we got stuck behind some pensioner out for a Sunday morning jaunt. I really enjoyed the first section of the route which was quite twisty. Once it opened up onto the long straights we eased back and enjoyed the scenery. I think we passed everyone somewhere on the A9 where they had stopped for a coffee break. We stopped at Grantown-on-Spey for a quick fuel stop and met a local guy in his Tiger. The next section of road was fantastic and we pulled in to a lay-by where another tourer had stopped (Nick Green I think). We admired the scenery until it was interrupted by a fly past courtesy of the Wing Commander and his squadron. We joined the back of the convoy for the run into Pitlochry. Coming up over the ski sites was spectacular, still some snow on the peaks and you could really feel the temperature change as well.
Stopped for lunch and by the time we got going again it was starting to rain. It was quite heavy as we set off up the A9 on the scenic route to Kenmore. Jb7 passed us so we tried to hang onto him in the hope that he knew the route and the roads. The track over Rannoch was great fun even in the wet. I was trying to keep jb7 in sight to see where he was braking. I had been on this road before but it was about 4 years previous and my memory of it was a bit vague. One of the reasons I love the se7en is its ability when it comes to overtaking. Jb7 showed its not just down to the power but also the size. Following him down a single track road behind one of the local pensioners taking it much too slow even in the rain we are hoping that they will pull into one of the lay-bys or passing places. Jb7 obviously got fed up waiting so at the next passing place he used the lay-by to get passed. It was a tight squeeze but it worked. Not one to be left behind I decided to get by at the next one…..and did. I'm sure we were being cursed at as we past but who cares!

We arrive at the Kenmore Hotel, wet yet again but having thoroughly enjoyed the days driving. After a shower and a rest it's off for our last dinner of the tour. Yet again fantastic food and company. Of course we all thank jb7 for organising it and Johnty volunteers nise7ens to organise a tour of Ireland next year to give jb7 a rest. Everyone's looking forward to it already.

Monday 20th May 2002 - Kenmore to Rhu to Stranraer

Well this is the last day and surprise surprise it's raining. We decided to go back to the Yacht club assuming that most of the others would as well, however many of the group elected to head for home, understandable as many were travelling down to London. We set off behind Adam Parsons and Tim Abraham although we part company to stop for some fuel….a move which would prove to save our bacon later in the day. Having taken on a full tank of fuel we were now stuck behind slow moving traffic, a learner driver who had obviously not yet discovered the accelerator pedal…..20mph on twisty roads and every time we got a chance to get by there was a lorry coming the other way. We bide our time and eventually get to the turn off for the run through the Trossach`s. It was around about here that Andy Isherwood caught up with us. I was trying to keep the pace up but my rear tyres were not doing what I wanted them to and Andy was obviously much quicker in the wet so I waved him past and watched him disappear. The road would have been fantastic in the dry! As we were approaching Helensburgh we received a call on the mobile from Tim informing us that the vehicle inspectorate were out doing some spot checks, checking tyres, lights and emissions. About the same time we arrive at a roundabout to find GT7 in the transit having just done a U-turn after his spot check to try and warn the rest of us. Luckily we got the message in time and found an alternative route back to the Yacht club. That extra five minutes for the fuel stop had saved us today. My zetec minus catalytic converter would have struggled to come up to the emissions standards although I'm sure we could have waffled our way out of it if they weren't too clued up on se7ens, which I'm sure they weren't. In the end we were one of only a few to return to the yacht club where we had a break and some lunch.

Apparently our ferry back to Northern Ireland may be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. We decide to push on to Stranraer in the hope that the ferry will be running again by the time we get there. We followed Adam and Tim to Kilmarnock where Tim was getting the train down to the boat. The run from Kilmarnock to Stranraer was atrocious. As soon as we hit the coast the wind was having a noticeable effect on the handling…..aerodynamic the se7en is not. Jo is asleep in the passenger seat despite the zetec`s roar. She's also getting slightly wet as she's leaning up against the door and allowing the spray from the tyres inside the car. Into the bargain the roads are crawling with police hoping to catch some bikers on their way back from the North West 200. On arrival at Stranraer we are told the next ferry will leave at 12.30am……an 8 hour wait. It is with some reluctance that we decide to put the hood up to provide some shelter from the wind. However we are then told we are being transferred to a conventional P&O ferry scheduled to leave just after 8.00pm.
We meet up with Tim on the boat and relax after a fantastic weekend.

We finally arrived home at 11.30pm…….can't wait until the next one…..oh that's right we might be organising it…..let's hope NI in 2003 is as good as Scotland in 2002.

Thanks to Jonathan and Helen for making our first tour one to remember. Both Jo and myself thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that the tours have Jo`s approval you can expect to see the Birkin on many tours in the future.