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Breakfast in the garden at Clatterin Brig

Ron and Jan Adam head off  in BMW Z3

Duncan Massie and Jenny MacKay in Deux Chevaux

Stu and Leslie Howie in TVR Tuscan

Ian Kane and David Gray Triumph Vitesse

Ian boyles and Linda Semple in Lancia Beta Coupé

Graham Cox with Maurice Millar in Morgan +4

Christoff Kulli E Type would morph back into a C Type later

CPeter Young and Ursula ross in Daimler SP250
Refreshments in Pullman Bus

Looking good in summer sun


Tony Leese extricates himself from mini with Shona at Panmure in Edzell

David and Jean Simon Auto Union 1000

Gibb Doretti at rest in Edzell

Welcome beers at Edzell

Roy Grant vote of thanks
Graeme Gallaoway's Anglia
August Amble - 23 August 2015
Story and pictures - Jim Paterson

We gathered for the August Amble under clearing skies and sunshine at Clatterin Brig, on the Fettercairn to Banchory road early on the Sunday morning.  The weather forecast had the organisers concerned but for once the met office got it right and the wet front approaching from the east had crossed during the night. It had left a few 'roadside lakes' along the country roads we were to travel, but Dave Ross who planned the event made sure the starters were warned at the drivers briefing.

The Clatterin Brig restaurant always do us a great breakfast and soon the crews were tucking into the obligatory bacon roll with lots of hot coffee. Some even took theirs in the garden under the now sunny sky.

Line up as crews dress their cars with rally plates
Most of the 37 entries made it to the start, though one or two succumbed to mechanical failure before reachng us. Mark and Laura Widdup from across the border, experienced an exhaust manifold gasket failure on their Porsche 912. Try as they may it quickly deteriorated to 'tractor' levels of noise, heralding a hasty retreat back to the garage. Stuart Cobb in a late Toyota MR2 got caught out on a wet piece of road on the way over from a still wet west coast and placed the nose neatly in a ditch. A kind AA man got him out and a quick hose down to clean off the muck, tyre pressure check and all was back on track. We would meet up with Stuart at the lunch time halt and I have to say the car looked brilliant, not a scratch or clod of mud to be seen. Stuart looked cool and calm as well.
   
Tom McWhirter was scheduled to arrive in an Aston Martin DB4 but appeared in a Jaguar XK150. I noticed him arranging a six pack of mineral water bottles and asked if that was for the lunch break? No it was for the car, which was overheating a bit on the way down from home in Elgin. I didn't ask if the Jag ran better on still or sparkling, or if lemon flavoured water made the cooling more effective. It was just great to see them and the car.  Christoph Kulli arrived at his garage to find the C Type locked in with a car parked across the door! Quick change to the E Type, but I would see Christoph and Natalie fly past later in the day in the C Type so who towed the naughty parker out of the way?

Duncan Massie and Jenny MacKay were dressing up for the occasion, both with their French berets, in keeping with the Citroen 2CV that they arrived in  to replace the Jaguar XK8 for the event. Are the crew getting into the swing in preparation for the club's Motagnes de France in a months time?  The berets might, but the 2CV will not be climbing the Alps or Pyrenees this year anyway.  

David Ross took control of the starters flag and soon the cars were heading south toward Edzell on the first leg of the route. Ron and Jan Adam led off in their BMW Z3, which will be heading for France with us next month.   Alan Gibb and Drew Scott started in Alan's 1954 Doretti. Alan is a keen and knowledgable fan of the marque and I'm sure knows where every Doretti in the northern hemisphere resides!

Our route headed back through Edzell toward Brechin and the east coast at Montrose. We hugged the north sea coastline down by Lunan, passing spectacular white sandy
beaches, on our way past Inverkeilor, home of Dave Barnett's Classic  AutoSports workshops where I enjoyed a great BBQ only a few weeks ago.

We headed back to the coast to visit fine sounding names as Auchmithie on our way to Arbroath, and Carnoustie. I remember the days when all the Edinburgh to Dundee trains terminated at Carnoustie. Soon we arrived in Dundee and the new Museum of Transport. Dave had arranged for us all to enjoy a break for lunch as well as  a walk round the exhibition halls, which celebrated all types of transport from Dundee's past.

Parked up for lunch at the Dundee Transport Museum
A pleasant surprise was the 'Pullman Coach' single decker, set up as tearoom outside. Serving a great light lunch we refuelled while chatting with fellow crews on the event.

We headed west after lunch keeping close to the north side of the River Tay towards Perth, Not everyone heeded the caution NOT to cross the Tay bridge. Easy mistake but also easy to return quickly.  We kept to the coast road through Invergowrie, Kingoodie, Grange and Errol, to reach Madoes and Glencarse.
Continuiing up and over the Sidlaw Hills heading north, by Pitroddie, and Rait to reach Balbeggie on the far side of the hills in Strathmore, a 10 mile wide strath which separates the Sidlaw Hills from the Grampians. We passed Blairgowrie on our way to Kirriemuir and Glen Isla, pulling in at Peel Farm for an afternoon tea stop, and again catch up with other crews like Lee and Lorna Robinson in their 1959 Triumph TR3A, and Ian Boyles and Linda Semple in a 1980 Lancia Beta Coupé, rust free and looking great in the Alitalia colour scheme. We followed David and Jean Simon in their 1960 Auto Union 1000, sporting the now familiar four ring Audi badge,on the last leg toward the finish at Edzell. The route took us round by Cortachy which gave crews an option to drive up Glen Clova. which we visited on last years June Jaunt, or continue to Memus, Glen Ogil, Fern and finally the Panmure Arms in Edzell.

The crews enjoyed a traditional Scottish High Tea to finish off what was a great drive around some of the finest countryside in Perthshire and Angus, under clear skies and sunshine all the way. club member Roy Grant thanked David Ross and the organisers for a great day, and want to know what David's secret is to guarantee a sunny day for these tours?    


High Tea at the Panmure Arms in Edzell

But the day was not yet over. On the route home to Inverness Dave Spence and Roddie Main in Dave's latest 1969 Mustang powered 5 litre V8 Capri,were congratulating themselves on only using less than half a tank of fuel on the event. Great, they thought, get fuel in Banchory on the way home. But, just heading out of Edzell - big misfire and spit back through the carb - maybe a bit of vaporisation they thought, but got worse and worse - barely made it up the Cairn O' Mount! - then coasted in to Banchory where they fuelled up - noticed that the top of the fuel filler had not been masked when the car was sprayed and of course we had topped up the tank in the morning and bits of paint had half dissolved and flaked off and fallen into the tank so we were getting crud drawn up into the carb. Anyway carried on - at times it would run OK, other times major explosions in the exhaust and spit backs through the carb. The Lecht was great fun - thought we could take a run at it, but got stuck behind a slower car and sputtered our way slowly in second gear to the top. After that not too bad - managed home just after 9pm. Stripped carb. next day - blew out jets - drained tank - tiny little flecks of blue paint in the petrol but enough to block or partially block a jet. Found another problem with carb - so waiting for parts.

I met members Tom Niven and Karen Wilson peering under the bonnet of Tom's 2001 MGF trying to locate an overheating problem.  Waited till it cooled and off they went. I followed but never saw them again, at least until we split at Perth. however the MGF did it again a couple of times before reaching home in Glasgow. Sounded like a dodgy thermostat, so more investigation next week.

Time to feckle the machinery in preparation for Highland Car Club Crofterra Pandemonia  in a couple of weeks time.   


Updated 25 August 2015
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