ClioSport Saturday and Highlands trip

[Djw John]

Finally getting round to writing this up. This year we decided to go down to CSS and see my wifes cousin and family whilst we were there and then go straight on our holidays after that. It wasn't until we got to Cambridgeshire we realised we probably should've kept going and gone to Europe but hey ho, next time!

So firstly the CSS pics


DSC_0027 by john.holligan, on Flickr


Vee by john.holligan, on Flickr


Vee by john.holligan, on Flickr


Mk4 Cup Racer by john.holligan, on Flickr


Supercharged flower by john.holligan, on Flickr


Sally B by john.holligan, on Flickr


Salmonds new toy by john.holligan, on Flickr


Spitfire Duxford by john.holligan, on Flickr


Spitfire Duxford by john.holligan, on Flickr


Spitfire Duxford by john.holligan, on Flickr


Spitfire Duxford by john.holligan, on Flickr


Spitfire Duxford by john.holligan, on Flickr


Sally B by john.holligan, on Flickr


SR71 Blackbird by john.holligan, on Flickr

 

[Djw John]

After that we came back up the road on the Sunday, stayed at home on the Monday and left on the Tuesday for the next section, the Heilans!

This was on Skye

View from Skye B&B by john.holligan, on Flickr


Parked up for the night by john.holligan, on Flickr


Quiraing by john.holligan, on Flickr


Quiraing by john.holligan, on Flickr


At the Quiraing by john.holligan, on Flickr


3 wheeling by john.holligan, on Flickr


Near the Old Man of Storr- Skye by john.holligan, on Flickr


Portree Valver by john.holligan, on Flickr


Portree by john.holligan, on Flickr


Dunvegan Castle by john.holligan, on Flickr


The road to Talisker by john.holligan, on Flickr


DSC_0153 by john.holligan, on Flickr

Eilean Donan Castle just south of Kyle of Lochalsh


Dunvegan by john.holligan, on Flickr


Dunvegan by john.holligan, on Flickr


Eilean Donan by john.holligan, on Flickr

 

[Djw John]

We stayed in Lochcarron for the second night and headed up to Kylesku, via Applecross, Gairloch, Poolewe and Ullapool

At the start of the Bealach-na-ba by john.holligan, on Flickr


Foggy Pass by john.holligan, on Flickr

No pics at the top as you could barely see your hand in front of your face thanks to being slap bang in the middle of a cloud!


Outside the Inn by john.holligan, on Flickr

If any of you watched Monty Halls Great Escape on the BBC you might recognise here

Beachcomber Cottage by john.holligan, on Flickr


Beachcomber Cottage - Applecross by john.holligan, on Flickr


Beachcomber Cottage by john.holligan, on Flickr

This is Mellon Charles near Ault Bea

Ault Bea by john.holligan, on Flickr


The road to Ullapool by john.holligan, on Flickr


Between Aultbea and Ullapool by john.holligan, on Flickr

North of Ullapool


Who needs the Isle of Mann?! by john.holligan, on Flickr


The road to Kylsku by john.holligan, on Flickr


View from Kylesku by john.holligan, on Flickr


Kylesku Hotel by john.holligan, on Flickr


DSC_0337 by john.holligan, on Flickr


Better leave it in reverse then by john.holligan, on Flickr

The loch was so clear you could see hundreds of these


DSC_0349 by john.holligan, on Flickr


DSC_0352 by john.holligan, on Flickr

(I was quite drunk when I took this pic, its the best of a bad bunch but it was right outside the window of the hotel)

DSC_0375 by john.holligan, on Flickr

 

[badbuzz2]

Great Pics :thumbup:

 

[Djw John]

Kylesku hotel was great and we will defo stay there again. Unfortunately the next day it was sideways rain so I couldnt get the pic of the bridge like I intended to. We were heading along the North Coast that day via Durness, Tongue and staying in Thurso


Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr


KGX - Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr

We had spotted a lot of classic cars back in Ullapool, couple of Bentleys but mostly Bugattis, unfortunately hadn't managed to get any pics but then, as we were in Cocoa Mountain these 2 turned up. The owner of the open top was a lovely guy who moved a LandCruiser out the way for pics and was happy to chat. The owner of the other one was a grumpy ****!


Bugatti in Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr


Bugatti in Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr


Bugatti in Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr


Bugatti in Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr


Bugatti in Durness by john.holligan, on Flickr

It was great to see them out in the open and being used properly, much better than being sat in a museum imo.

Then we went onto Smoo Cave


Smoo Cave by john.holligan, on Flickr


The North Road by john.holligan, on Flickr

And then the battery died, cos I'm an arse and had forgotten to charge it, properly annoying as the scenery was great and the weather cleared up! Gave it a quick charge at Thurso and had a cheap dinner out- chippy in the car!


Thurso by john.holligan, on Flickr


Busy little Port by john.holligan, on Flickr


Chippy and the Sea by john.holligan, on Flickr


Looking out to Orkney by john.holligan, on Flickr


View from Thurso B&B by john.holligan, on Flickr

We watched the Orkney ferry come in and you could see Orkney very clearly, we'll head there at some point

 

[Djw John]

The next day we were heading to Inverness via Dunnet Head, John O'Groats, Wick, Lairg for the Falls of Shin and Tain. Turns out the Falls of Shin visitor centre had gone on fire and as we needed lunch and the loo we didn't even get out of the car!

Dunnet Head by john.holligan, on Flickr


Dunnet Head by john.holligan, on Flickr


Dunnet Head by john.holligan, on Flickr


John O'Groats by john.holligan, on Flickr

Dunnet Head pisses all over JOG, which in all honesty is a hole!

The next day we woke in a very nice B&B in Inverness and knew that one of my brothers was in the region having hired a boat to go from Inverness to Fort William and back. We were having dinner with him and his mates that night but we decided to fire down to Fort Augustus to meet up with them in the morning. I can barely walk on a boat and they were all properly hungover but it was still a laugh. My bro is the one not wearing Dannys gay Pirate hat


Fort Augustus by john.holligan, on Flickr

Then we went on to Plodda Falls where the walkway stops at the top of the falls. And I **** myself everytime!


Plodda Falls by john.holligan, on Flickr


Plodda Falls by john.holligan, on Flickr


Plodda Falls by john.holligan, on Flickr


Plodda Falls by john.holligan, on Flickr

The falls were the smallest we had seen them, but it had been very dry for weeks. Probably the last time we go to them in KGX though, the road just is too much for it!

This is pretty normal for the smaller Highland roads, great fun


Tomich Road by john.holligan, on Flickr

After 2 nights in Inverness we headed to Aberdeen and stayed in a nice but slightly strange guest house,


Aberdeen by john.holligan, on Flickr


Aberdeen by john.holligan, on Flickr

and visited Cruden Bay


Cruden Bay by john.holligan, on Flickr

 

[Djw John]

Cruden Bay by john.holligan, on Flickr


Cruden Bay by john.holligan, on Flickr

I took the wrong tablet that morning so my hayfever was mental and then I fell asleep- tool! However, my wife had been doing a fair bit of the driving anyway so it wasnt much of a drama.

When we got home the car was minging!


Home by john.holligan, on Flickr


Home by john.holligan, on Flickr


Home by john.holligan, on Flickr

In the end we covered 2499 miles and were knackered! But now we know where we want to go back for longer and where we won't bother going back to!

Well done if you got this far!

Cheers
John

 

[Djw John]

Great Pics :thumbup:

Cheers mate, you were quick off the mark

 

[r&skxa]

Great pics!
We had the same opinion of CSS, we spent most of the time in the museum. It was the first time we went and the last. I didn't expect it be just a massive car park and nothing else

 

[smoggy mark]

nice shot mate!

 

[Djw John]

Cheers lads.

Ill to back to CSS, venue dependant. I think the displaying of cars needs to be tweaked a bit but I must admit I need expected to find the planes so interesting!

 

[nutnutwelshman]

Love the pic's from Scotland just Stunning

 

[Mike]

Stunning shots dude.

Glad you know where to go on holiday that is decent too

Scotland really is a drivers' heaven! (maybe not so much in high summer with all the caravans)

 

[The Fonze]

Brilliant pics and write up mate, enjoyed looking through that. Went up to skye myself when i had an r26 some fantastic roads round there.

 

[Djw John]

Thanks very much lads

Mike, in all honesty Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding region is a really nice place, one of the few I'd consider living in if I had to move to England (God forbid )