Day 10 - Monday 19th June

Largs to Ardelve

253 Miles - Actual 253 ( did someone fiddle it ... )

Start Accomodation: Hayley Hotel - Largs
End Accomodation: Dornie Hotel - Dornie

We will be leaving the Marina Carpark at 9am.

Special Notes

a) PLEASE NOTE THE VILLAGE OF DORNIE (OVERNIGHT STOP) IS JUST AFTER THE EILEAN DONAN CASTLE. DO NOT CROSS THE BRIDGE TO ARDELVE UNLESS YOU WISH TO KEEP THE MILEAGE CORRECT.

The Route

Map
Directions
AutoRoute 2000 Map - software required
All maps are copyright of Microsoft and CANNOT be reproduced without express permission. The images have been cropped for easy of display

Daily Log

From the 'Team Members' to you all...

Total miles today was 253, and a most enjoyable day it was too!

Last night there was a little practice session where the boys from the Around Britain Drive were shown some advanced driving techniques - courtesy of the local fun fair!! And we've even got the photo to prove it! And also attached is a photo of the shoot in front of the local RNLI station that was taken last night.

We set off from Largs with 11 cars in total after the best breakfast of the holiday so far (sorry Colin Lilley it even beat yours but only by a scotch pancake!!).

Phil Mitchell took time out of Eastenders to lead us out of Largs and all the way to Tarbet on a scenic drive, and after the initial drive, Chris Cook took the ferry to Dunoon and had an excellent adventure on his own.

Steve and Liz eventually managed to purchase Digital video tapes en route, even after the shop in Largs said " You what!? Come back next year, we may have heard of them by then!!"

The group stopped at the Rest and be Thankful Hill Climb, only to find that we couldn't do the climb as the road was private....but instead the fearless foursome - Gary, Ian, Chris & Mark and Eileen & Terry, found another road that ran amongst the forest and initially looked like it wasn't used by any other traffic...However, just as the tails were sliding around a particularly sharp hairpin, what should come the other way but a bus!! What are the odds!?!

The pace picked up from Tarbet due to the excellent roads and little traffic, and we even managed to miss the unmarked Traffic Volvo who was explaining to a boy racer, in a Peugeot 205, the error of his ways, and the vehicle check point where a rather large officer in motorcycle leathers was looking bored and waving at the odd car - until the FIVES came by!

We stopped at Cairnbaan, near to Lochgilphead, for lunch...and very nice it was too - highly recommended by Malcolm. Mark started out just sitting in Malcolm's car for five minutes to see how it drove, but five minutes turned into an hour, and he came away muttering such things as needing a turbo, needing larger wheels, and needing water injection....the list goes on and on and on!! Needless to say, Chris didn't let him have another ride with Malcolm!!

At the lunch stop there was a boat in the lock, and even though it had nothing to do with the drive, we thought that we'd photograph it anyway..enjoy the photo!

After lunch there were some more long, fast, curvy roads that were just begging to be driven, but just when we started to have fun, we found lots of Sunday drivers (yes, we know its Monday) and roadworks with severe ramps.

Possibly the funniest moment of the day was when Gary, having recently learnt how to drive properly, was enjoying the roads to their limit, when all of a sudden a bee landed in his car - right in between his legs! And just when he thought that it couldn't get any worse, the bee managed to somehow get up the leg of his shorts!! A scream on the radio of..."There's a bee between me goolies!!" was followed by hysterical laughter by the rest of the convoy. Chris and Mark who were in front of Gary at the time suddenly saw him come to a rapid halt, and sit up in his seat wriggling frantically! The offending insect is currently lying in Gary's footwell...legs in the air!! That'll teach it!! But I bet the bee got more of a shock than Gary!! And would you know it, Gary's blaming the fact that there was no DONUTZ grill on the front of Bart to stop the bee - imagine that!!

And as if that wasn't enough, as we drove around the corner in a village, what should we meet but two rams!! Walking side by side!! As you can see, Gary stopped to chat but he wouldn't tell us the chat up lines that he used!

Still the miles were quickly soaked up and before we knew it we were at Ardelve...and with the quickest ever photoshoot at the castle from the BBC adverts (it was very cold and we were wearing shorts and t-shirts)...we rapidly found the hotel and decamped for the evening.

We thought that we were on to a winner, and the smells coming from the kitchen were to die for...but soon we were bitterly disappointed. As well as half the menu not being available, the half that was available was either lovely or inedible. But the management were very apologetic, and offered the entire team a free drink and pudding!! And surprise, surprise, neither were declined!

And Gary even made a new friend - John the Boat - a local that was drunk before he got to the pub for a drink...who rapidly nicknamed Gary, Gary the Car!! A man of fantastic imagination, as you can no doubt understand! Gary is also known as Gary the Red Dwarf!! (What do you reckon Anthony!)

But perhaps the most memorable part of the day was Chris Cook getting a round in!! We eventually shamed him into it, but it is after all day ten!! And this obviously caused sever shock as immediately after he went to sleep on the chair!! (see photo!)..but then again, being from the North West, the pace has probably been a bit much for him!!

And so day ten ends! Another day, another few hundred miles...and more frivolity!

There'll be more tomorrow, believe you and me!!

The Team!! (Including Gary's "Members")

Pictures what pictures.....

Driving school...