Someone told me once that if you don't like the weather in Scotland, simply wait 5 minutes. It seemed that way on this years La Carrera which started at the time honoured Gretna Green Services in brilliant sunshine, to run into thickening cloud and rain. And rain, and ever more rain as we headed into deepest Argyll. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Thirty three crews entered the 2007 La Carrera, co promoted with Club Triumph. Tom Dromgooles' MGA blew up the day before resulting in a swift change to the MGF, and Nairn Brown changed his Healey 100 to the Sunbeam Alpine after fuel poured out from the Healey's inlet manifold.

Jim McGuiness had again put a great route together, travelling over some of Scotland's finest roads, taking in the historic motorsporting sites of the Rest and be Thankful and Kenknock.

Following our drivers briefing, this year outside under sun filled skies, we headed off along the Solway coast, led by Barry Thompson's Renault Dauphine, last seen on the Argyll Run in March. We kept close to the coastal route until turning inland at Dalbeattie to Castle Douglas and up the side of Loch Ken, past Parton, where James Clerk Maxwell is buried, to New Galloway.  

We then headed down the Queen's Way through the New Galloway Forest Park, which runs from New Galloway to Newton Stewart (A712), passing Murray's monument, a monument to Alexander Murray, a shepherd's son, who was born at Dunkitterick Cottage in 1775. In 1812 he was appointed professor of Oriental Languages at Edinburgh University. Weaving our way down the road we met the three MG Midgets of Lachowicz, La Duce, and Saunders, the latter sporting the Sebring modifications.

We pulled up at the Crown Hotel in Newton Stewart in time to meet a few others who had stopped for refreshments and lunch. Probably the busiest lunchtime the hotel has seen in years!

Off again with crew fully refuelled on our way to Girvan. The superb sweeping bends of the A714 from Pinwherry to Girvan was a delight for the sporting cars. Only one bend nearly caught us, and a few others, out as it seemed to go on forever!

From Girvan we hugged the coast, past Turnberry and Culzean Castle, and up, or was that down, the Electric Brae (known locally as Croy Brae) to the outskirts of Ayr.

The route headed round Kilmarnock and across the Erskine Bridge, now free of tolls, toward Loch Lomond. Over the Glenfruin Road to Garelochhead where the rain started. The road up the lochside is narrow and slow traffic meant we could not keep up speed to stop the rain getting in! Made it to Arrochar for tea.

An evening on the Rest and be Thankful was enjoyed by around eight competitors, despite the steady drizzle. We were the second group on the Rest that day. In the morning it was host to 60 vintage Rolls Royce cars, celebrating the Silver Ghost's built between 1907 and 1926 centenary. The group were on a 17-day, 2,000-mile journey that had stops in such picturesque and appropriate locales as John O'Groats and Dundas Castle in Edinburgh. The entourage included the car that carried out the Silver Ghost's actual endurance test in 1907, an event that solidified the reputation of the Silver Ghost as the "world's finest car," according to the company. Some of the Silver Ghosts travelled from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and India.

We woke on Sunday to heavy and steady rain, for the restart at the Rest and be Thankful. Setting off over the B828/839 to see Loch Fyne and Dunderave Castle, the Castle of Doom of Neil Munro's novel. Dunderave stands on a silver rock now unhappily sandwiched between the main road round Loch Fyne and the loch itself. It was built as an L-shaped tower house (with a prominent round tower at the angle of the L) by Iain, Chief of the MacNaughton's, in 1596.

We followed the route round the north end of Loch Fyne on the A83, through Inverary and down the west side of the Loch to Lochgilphead.. Following the Crinan Canal to Cairbaan and Bellanoch would have been more pleasant if the storm warning forecast had not been quite so correct! Not quite like the photo of the Bellanoch Basin here.

The route continued up the westerly side of Loch Awe, to Taynuilt then past Cruachan Power Station. Nicknamed The Hollow Mountain, the site is unique in that the station is concealed within the hollowed-out rock of Ben Cruachan, 3,694 ft (1126 m), the mountain overlooking the visitor centre. The only visible features are the dam, 1,300 ft (390 m) up the mountain and 1,000 ft (316 m) wide, and the offices/visitor centre. It was also the setting for several films, including the James Bond film The World is not Enough.

With the convertibles taking on water and steaming up we continued through Dalmally and through Glen Orchy to arrive at Crianlarich and Killin for the run up to Kenknock. The hillclimb had us under the clouds at the bottom and almost above them at the top, most strange. Routing through Bridge of Balgie and down to Kenmore for the run over to Amulree with the rain continuing to challenge not only the convertibles!

We were now on the north routing to the finish, which took us by Aberfeldy, Tummel Bridge to join the A9 up to Dalwhinnie, Kingussie and the old road by Ruthven Barracks to Coylumbridge and a well earned shower, this time of the hot variety.

Martin Randle collected the most enthusiastic driver award, while Barry Thompson with the Dauphine, and Irene Jones Fiat 850 Spider won the Spirit of the Event. Gillian Helm won the most suffering co-driver award after sitting beside Mike with his "Hey Jimmy" hat on the whole way! The most appreciated car was the Frogeye Sprite of Graham and Elizabeth Cargill.

We seem to have wet events alternatively with superb dry ones. If all keeps to plan the 2008 event should be a scorcher..... First weekend in June. Pop it in the diary now.