Best of luck Dianne! Good to see you getting girded up

I stay in a wee village called Kirkhill D, 8 miles north of Inverness, we can arrange something if you want when we all meet.

Let's do that

How exciting!!

(As it happens: I've just driven the A9 end to end in the last couple of days, and I passed (what I assume was) the Toyota MR2 owners club, going South at Helmsdale.
10 of them, of all generations (cars as well), heading South.)

Oi, stop wearing it out, my suspension's not needing any more testing!

(You'r not kidding, Ed!)

Any chance yet of a final route plan for the trip with a best guess meet up time at the accommodation stops/ eating places? Wondering what time to get to Poolewe for example?

Ooh, give us lads a chance to pass round the brain cell Dianne

Ha ha, Ed. It's always a bit of a planning exercise for me to get us and the car down South as Mainland Scotland is called here.
Didn't mean to give you brain ache (much ).

I haven't yet got it, someone else still has the cell....

I feel a planning-evening coming on, Ed...?

(Just after I've got this back bumper back on!)

Yahoo!!! I love imgpop!!



Although, a cursory glance at RAC routeplanner reveals (from the Orkney ferry destinations)-

Aberdeen to Poolewe as 4hrs 2mins and 177 miles

Or

Scrabster to Poolewe as 3hrs 33mins and 165 miles

Did the service & MOT go alright, Dianne?


Was the plan, that we meet Jimboy at Beauly for lunch, and then continue with the mission to Poolewe in the afternoon? Are we looking at an initial meet up at Inverness before this then?

How many are central area that could meet for the route to Inverness?

We have an initial convoy, as I see it, of

Lego
DG
Rosso
Barney
Edinburgh

We can sweep up jimbob13 en route (10.00ish) and possibly mattB late morning depending on his shifts.

To make Beauly area by lunch and pick up jimboy we'd need to set off by 0900 at the latest I think to allow for a coffee stop. Meet up at the usual place this side of FRB 0930?

jimboy can you recommend somewhere scenic for lunch where we can all park and enjoy good grub/service?

It's around 1hr 45 mins to Poolewe so we could easily be there for the late afternoon to stretch legs, check in, hae a pint etc

I will be up there already and so will be joining you at Inverness...

So you'll have placed strategic cameras en route

Yes, they are already in position- they are yellow and in pairs over the road...

Arf....


Don't forget to paint hatching on the corners

Don't need to- you'll see what I mean...

Just have a wee look at the route. From us in Motherwell google estimates 5hr42 to Beauly... might be able to shave a little off that but its a Thursday so roads will be busy and would have to accommodate for time between stops.

That's stopping at the forth bridge
Aberdeen to catch MattB
Kirkhill for jimbob13
and Beauly for jimboy

route

It would be about 2:30 before we reach Kirkhill for jimbob13. That's if we set off from the bridge at 9:30.

How does that sound?

Ah, you've factored in "nursery" pick-ups

That route is quite a dogleg and if we've got 4 days of driving I think it should be kept to a minimum to not get saddle-sore!

I was thinking along the lines of jimbob13 and mattB driving westwards to intercept us, esp. as mattB is not yet certain. Or go as far as Forfar to meet them both then cut back westerly to continue up the A9.

What do you think?

certainly i'd rather be on the west side going up. So whats your route from leaving the bridge?

From FRB to Perth then onto the A9.

I'd rather get this part of the journey done efficiently to make more time oop north.

I just need to know time arrival in Beauly & numbers, so I can book a table for the scoff...

And on that note... I've just called the Plockton Inn to register my credit card. Are we dining there in the evening? Table reservation is included for guests but would be helpful for them if we can advise a more specific mealtime prior to arrival. I guess it would benefit us too if we're going to discuss Marko's blistering pace over a fish supper!

2 for us Jimboy

If MattB coming from Aberdeen we could probably catch him at Carrbridge

Barney were not staying at the Plockton inn but if it was okay could we reserve two seats? we are booked for a b&b just 3 miles down the road from Plockton but we are booked for Poolewe and Glenfinnan.

Put me down for 1 Jimboy. Rachel Riley isn't returning my calls.
Hey Brian. Would be nice if we can all eat together. It's another one of those details we all need to agree on sooner rather than later. I'd be happy to book additional tables.

Aye it would be good if we could all eat together, even if our first meal at Beauly wasn't that substantial ..saving ourselves for the night time courses....

Sorry Jim, wasn't attempting to detract from lunch in Beauly - which I'm also looking forward to btw. Just thinking about the end of day group reflection, especially as alcohol is likely to be involved!

Thanks Barney its great your going to make it... will you be there for he 4 days?