LEGS around Deeside 17th April

[tut]

N3 is back home, roof off, so raring to go.

Of course I will have to give her the annual wash as you will all be turning up with immaculate cars. To show you how serious I am taking it I will even replace all the yellow gaffa tape with new stuff.

tut

[bingoking]

Mark

Graeme86 and will be meeting at Homebase carpark in Kirkcaldy leaving there at 7:20am and probably tootle over through Falkland to Beinn Inn then up to Broxden services for 8:00 if you want to join us.

I find that if you take the roof off, turn the radio full blast that usually overrides the passenger seat speed inhibitor.

[hedgerley]

Thanks Brian, but we'll probably just scoot up the M90 and meet you at Broxden. With the week I've just had (and I've just got home) I will need an extra 20mins at least in bed Sunday morning

What did you think of my Fife Run video? I need someone to tell me I didn't waste my money

Edited April 15, 2011 by hedgerley

[bingoking]

Sorry I haven't viewed it yet, where is it posted?

[hedgerley]

Looks good full screen but don't run at 720p. It may be my ancient CPU but it tends to be a bit jerky at this resolution. 480 or 360 is perfect

http://youtu.be/D38A6MVt14Q?hd=1

Edited April 15, 2011 by hedgerley

[bingoking]

Mark the quality of the video is excellent, you haven't wasted your money.

[BigErch]

Looks good full screen but don't run at 720p. It may be my ancient CPU but it tends to be a bit jerky at this resolution. 480 or 360 is perfect

Mark, your video looks great. Where did u get the camera?

[Justin182]

Tut, I'll just see everyone at Stracathro (anyone got the postcode?) no idea which one it is...

[hedgerley]

There you go Archie - http://pointofviewcameras.co.uk/contour-gps-hd-camera-uk.html

[bingoking]

Justin

We are meeting at the Stracathro Services, just of the A90 near Brechin

Stracathro Service Area

Brechin, DD9 7PT

01674 840048

[Justin182]

Nice one. Thanks. 9am yeah?

[bingoking]

Yes 9:00am

See you there

[Andrew C]

Fast CARS just as well who made up the timings, clear the roads here we come

Andrew

[bingoking]

Me and Mr Google Maps!

[GordonMasson]

Hi folks

So the weather looks good for tomorrow which is good news

I will be meeting up with you at Milton of Crathes at 10:00.

Just in the off chance you need to get in touch with me my mobile number is 07962 230855.

See you there guys

Sorry , should have said Brian, if its not too late to join in, Linda and i will be doing the Castle Fraser tour and lunch.

Cheers

Gordon

Edited April 16, 2011 by GordonMasson

[tut]

Great day out guys, sorry for the cock up in meeting times at Stracathro, I was an hour out. However we almost made Fettercain before this bunch of Loti appeared in the opposite direction and I thought that it was another Lotus group out on a run.

Unexpected number of cars at the Railway Museum, but it was great to wander around and bring back loads of old memories, as I used to own a few of them. However I am useless at hanging around, even worse at queuing, I want to be out driving on the road, especially on one of the best days weather that we will see, so i took off with Ian and we went up to the Lecht, then back down to Castle Fraser.

Of course all the other classic cars had decided to go there as well, so it was packed and we would have waited an age for lunch, so we took off for Moneymusk only to find that the Grant Arms did not do food, so we went on to Kemnay. Unfortunately we got split up here and ended up at two different pubs, but I am sure that it all worked out and we had a great meal at ours, all agreed the best fish and chips that they had had, a Jumbo consisting of two whales on top of each other.

Another great drive back to Old Deer where there was a roast beef dinner awaiting us, and we are now slumped down with lots of alcohol to watch the F1 recording. Many thanks to Brian for the organisation of the day, and good to meet a number of new faces that are enthusiastic about their Loti.

Tis what it is all about.

tut

[Scotty C]

Sorry i never made it along. I never got home til 5.30am. so thought i better not drive yesterday.

Looked like a lively day for it.

[bingoking]

It was a fantastic day, great weather, lovely roads and great company.

We had 8 cars meeting at Broxden Services, an Evora, 2 x Esprit V8's, EliseSC, S2 Elise Type 72, S1 Exige, 2 x S2 Exige S and all drove up to Stracathro Services where we met up with another Evora. Over the Cairn O' Mount and collected tut travelling in the opposite direction in his Honda powered S1 Elise. A quick handbrake turn and he was back with us at the Cairn O' Mount car park.

We then headed up to Milton of Crathes to meet up with another group of Lotus owners and al to gether we had 15 Lotus cars for the group shot. What we didn't know was that there were another 50 or so classic cars there also as part of the Garioch Vehicle Restoration Society Drive it day.

After The Strathdee Railway Preservation Society we all headed on to Castle Fraser where we had expected to have lunch but the tea room/restaurant was very small and despite having tables empty and reserved for over 1 hour they decided they were too busy to serve us.

So back in the cars to find a pub in Kemnay. The Laird's Throat was most welcoming and just before 2:00pm we asked if they were still open for meals and could they accomodate 13 of us. Nae problem!! Fed and watered the southern contingent with Gordon Masson in tow for part of the way, headed towards Braemar for a blast down the Glenshee road stopping at The Glenshee Ski Centre for more photo's.

Who let the Boy's out?

Wings and more wings

Hegerley gets to the bottom of an annoying rattle.

Then on to Blairgowrie where 5 thirsty Loti had a well deserved pit stop for fuel.

Thanks to everyone that made the early start to meet up at Perth for 8:00am.

A fantastic day out.

[Al]

Well just finished my editing and file size reductions and came back in to post and Brian has beaten me to it by a few minutes. Needless to say all the photos are fairly similar so just a few other now posting for posterity sake. I did 280 miles in the day and most of them on some awesome roads as nowhere did we go the obvious or shortest route. (Well most of us didn't anyway!) Brilliant day out playing with the assorted other toys out on the lovely fairly deserted roads. The inevitable MX-5's, TT's and even a Gallardo and a 360. Hundreds of big bikes trying to take their heads off on our wing mirrors. A selection of Honda Goldwing trikes and lots more. Brilliant day.

A mobile road block on the A90 N of Dundee

The first meeting at Stracathro Services

Another couple at Milton of Crathes

Castle Frazer in the lovely weather

One of the obstacles en route at the junction of the A939 (this is on the A road!) and the B 976 (NW of Ballater)

Coming down the B976 towards Crathie and Balmoral Castle down at the bottom

The happy gang cooling off with an ice cream at Braemar. This we decided was the Ace Cafe of the Grampian region on a hot Sunday judging by the cars and pikes all parked up.

Also one last one from the Glenshee car park for our Southern cousins from Englandshire. Note the snow still on the hills in background even although it was in the 20's C for 2nd weekend in a row!

Brilliant day. Nuf said.

[bingoking]

I like the mobile road block photo on the A90, I wondered why you were holding back

That hump back bridge on the A939 is right next to Gairnshiel Lodge, BigErch's place. He came out to see what all the commotion was when we were deciding which route to take to Braemar.

I gave him a toot as we powered off.

A few years ago when I was out for a drive I came across a Black Elise that had obviously taken the bridge at speed as it had a broken front clam

A great day despite the hiccups.

[BigErch]

That hump back bridge on the A939 is right next to Gairnshiel Lodge, BigErch's place. He came out to see what all the commotion was when we were deciding which route to take to Braemar.

I thought you guys were gonna come in for a cup of tea/coffee or something stronger! Nice to see you all on the bridge though.

A few years ago when I was out for a drive I came across a Black Elise that had obviously taken the bridge at speed as it had a broken front clam

Not sure if it's the same elise I saw but it was a couple of years back and it went back over the bridge to do a "fast" run. I remember he was picking up bits of his front skirt which had shattered into a few bits!

Anyway, we had a great day. Weather was perfect and so was the company. Crathes Steam Trains have asked me to send them some photos of the Loti in front of their gates for an advert they are doing. If you think you've got a good one please post it or send it to me.

cheers Arch

[tut]

Whose was the blue S1 Exige, as he was not there for the rest of the day?

tut

[SandyS1]

The blue Exige belongs to me, sorry I had to leave early on my first event. It was great to meet all of you and hopefully I will manage the whole day next time.

[bingoking]

Archie, Sorry we didn't stop for Coffee, we stopped to debate which route to take as the single track road was maybe not a good road for the Esprit's, but as we had lost them anyway we decided to take the single track road.

You are welcome to download any of my photographs from my Flickr pages, I have some more of the cars in front of the trains that I will upload tonight.

[hedgerley]

Archie, Sorry we didn't stop for Coffee, we stopped to debate which route to take as the single track road was maybe not a good road for the Esprit's, but as we had lost them anyway we decided to take the single track road.

Too true. I recall struggling to keep up with the rest of you last time we did that run so took the low road. I had Andrew in tow and he followed me.

And thanks for reminding me how big my bald spot has become Brian. That was the number plate mounting thingy coming loose - the plate was squint. Fixed now.

It was a great day out, one of the best. A great antidote to a tough week in London. The company was excellent - Jane thoroughly enjoyed it as well, helped by several other "+1s" so she could natter about haberdashery, embroidery, kittens and the like (with apologies to The Fast Show - http://youtu.be/39qdhbkTko4)

It seemed everything came together with a few bonus bits as well. Just need some better decision making on lunch next time.