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Summer Saunter - Sunday 14th July
Report by Jim Paterson
Sprite sets lineup at Inverary Castle
Arriving
home after a busy day up at Dave Barnetts BBQ on Saturday 13th I put
the Sprite in the garage and was relaxing looking forward to meeting
Douglas Anderson to chum him in his Triumph Vitesse on the Argyll
Classic and Sporting Car Club's first event, the Summer Saunter
on the Sunday. A late phone call from Douglas was about to change
all that.
While out in the Vitesse on the Saturday the brakes
started pulling violently to one side under hard braking. Douglas
suspected a seized cylinder in the brake caliper, so driving the tour
was not looking a good idea. No problem. I offered to fire up the
Sprite again and meet Douglas at the Deanston Distillery start in
Doune.
Up bright and early to refuel and head up the motorway
to Stirling and Doune, where I met the 31 crews and their cars as they
arrived to sign on, including CCHMSC members Tom Niven and Karen Wilson
in the MGBGT, and Joe and Hazel Norman in Jaguar E Type.
 The cars and crews lined up beside the the River Teith at Doune for the start of the tour. But not before the raffle, raising funds for the Prince and Princess
of Wales Hospice in Glasgow, for which the lucky winners took away a bottle of Deanston Whisky, with strict order not to consume it on route!
The
soft top cars, like the Sprite had the benefit of being bathed in the sunshine, rather
than the rain of last year, for the drive from Deanston and north up
the A84 past Loch Lubnaig where we saw some canoes being launched for a
paddle on the water, to Lochearnhead. From there the road joins and
becomes the A85 alongside the River Dochart to pass Loch Lubhair and
Loch Dochart and the River Fillan to reach Crianlarich. Neil Munn
who had flagged the crews away from Deanston was looming in my
rearview mirror in his big Healey as we passed the lochs. Neil was
giving the groups of Sunday motor bikers a run for their money as the
big Healey is well fettled and certainly does not show its age.
 We
joined the A82 for the drive north to Tyndrum where once again we were
greeted by the gathering of the bikers again at 'The Green Welly' the
obligatory bikers rest. We however gave them a wave as we turned west
back on to the A85 Oban road which hugs the River Lochy before
reaching the River Orchy, which we ran alongside to Dalmally
signaling a left turn south on the A819 to Inverary, the last section
of the saunter. With Loch Awe on our right hand side we had a great run
down to Loch Fyne and Inverary Castle.
 A
great lineup of all the cars in front of the castle, much to the
enjoyment of the other castle visitors, while we sat down to lunch in
the castle's old kitchen. John Buchanan then announced the
'surprise'. A run up the Glen Shira hill climb, not far from the
castle. We all had a run, some more spirited than others before saying
our farewells and heading for home, dropping Douglas back at Doune to pick up the Vitesse and nurse it home.
A
great day out with like minded classic enthusiasts, sporting a wide
range of cars from the three wheeler Grasshopper of Tom Rae, to the big
Bentley of Margaret Betteley, with Jaguars a plenty in XK, E and Mk2
guises.
So
around 450 miles on the Sprite in two days, and not a cough or splutter
anywhere. Hope the weather holds to allow some more miles of happy
classic motoring this summer.
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| Updated 16 July 2013
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Scimitar and Bentley at castle
