Motors and Me

Today started so well. Nice breakfast, nice early start, and nice weather — amazing considering the rain and gales last night. A brief trip back to the Kylerhea ferry and I was ready to start the route from Glenelg to Gruinard Bay. At last, the time had come. :) Coming over the pass to Loch Duich, the view was even more stunning than yesterday. I knew I had little time to stop and stare (had to be back home by Friday and I was still heading North), so I pressed on to Eilean Donan Castle and beyond, to Plockton. Realising that photo opportunities inside the village were few and far between (it’s more picturesque when seen from a distance), I made a hasty exit. Rather too hasty, as it turned out... *CRUNCH* With a sickening deceleration and the sound of shattering plastic, my reversing — and my holiday — came to an abrupt halt. I simply can’t put into words the anguish I felt upon confirmation of my fender bender. In fact, I don’t even want to t...

Following a decent breakfast, the drive north was more frustrating than flowing. Slow traffic, wet roads and a consistent drizzle all conspired to hinder progress. Rannoch Moor was fairly impressive, although once again, the view was spoiled somewhat by the weather. In fact, it wasn’t till past Invergarry that the traffic evaporated and the roads dried up. From there on to Loch Duich, the drive was an absolute delight. The open roads, good surface, and gentle curves allowed a steady pace of 70mph+ to be maintained absolutely safely, if not exactly legally. I even hooked up with a similarly driven Audi (complete with Nordschleife sticker on the rear bumper) for the stretch through Glen Shiel. The company was much appreciated and it almost felt rude not to say goodbye when I turned off toward Glenelg. Nevertheless, a snack stop atop the Mam Ratagan pass soon provided the day’s next smile. An elderly gent parked alongside the MINI asked to look at the car’s interior,...

Today’s been a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s definitely ending on a high. First, there was the morning, where the warmth of my bed did its best to convince me I didn’t need a holiday, just a good lie-in instead. Next, once the devilish duvet had been defeated, there was the dreary, headache-inducing drive up to and beyond Glasgow. Upon reaching Loch Lomond, I was beginning to wonder whether the bed had been the better option. Finally, with the weather closing in — this is Scotland after all — came the scenery. Sadly, most of the stunning views were obscured by cloud, but this just made the approach to Inveraray , my first night’s stop, that much more special. Coming down to sea level, the town’s whitewashed facade stood out like a beacon through the gloom of rain and dead flies. Not quite your traditional picture postcard, but a welcoming sight nonetheless. Nosh: King scallops, salad, chocolate torte & a cappucino at Loch Fyne Oyster Bar...

There have been a few times recently that I’ve avoided blogging about something because I feel guilty. Because I am guilty. A couple of months back, for instance, I was lucky to get away with a clean licence after one particular bout of... spirited driving. On an early Sunday morning blast with friends, I absolutely ragged the MINI round a roundabout near Penrith and straight past a police car. I was doing almost 70mph in 2nd, just changing up to 3rd. Were it not for the fact the convoy I was in had dropped back, I might not have slowed down as much as I did. You see, I hadn’t even noticed the car I passed was a police car. I was told later that the cops had followed for a short while before deciding I wasn’t worth it. The thing is, a police presence shouldn’t be the deciding factor in how fast I go. The road’s speed limit and conditions on the day should be enough to dictate that. Not only that, but how aware can I be of other traffic, if I don’t...

Good grief. It seems there are a lot more racing scholarships about than I'd imagined. Here's another: F1 Scholarship . I don't think I'll bother with this one, mind. Following my trip to Croft, I know my limits and they're not very impressive. Then again, the amount of tyre smoke and dust I kicked up during my sideways moment was probably quite impressive. And pointing at 90° to the direction of travel is probably more than a moment, too — especially when it starts at 85mph. ;)

Whew, what a day! Croft was quite something. Not as fast as I was expecting (approx. 105mph top speed), and lacking the edge that you get in a race situation, but it was still pretty amazing. A few things to take home: It takes very little abuse to make standard-issue MINI brakes feel like sponge It is possible to achieve fuel consumption figures in single digits (egads!) The Jim Clark Esses can be taken flat out, but you need to be smooth If you're not smooth, the result might be that you're travelling sideways at 80mph (gah!) Pick the grass out of that! (Just as I did when I got back to the pits.)