2010 Caterham 7 SV Build Day 1

Yesterday we started building our new C7 Roadsport. Beautifully painted in Lamborghini Pearl White, it will be fitted with Matte Black cycle wings and finished with a red stripe! We hope to have it finished by early March, so that we can get it registered in time for the new season with a 2010 plate (a "60" plate I think...)

The build is being done in the downstairs window so any passers by can see the progress.

We made good progress, and have mostly finished the front suspension, steering

and brakes. The engine is next - we'll start that next weekend. Watch for more updates on the blog.

The Classic Car Club goes to Skye

For our next club weekend we will be heading over the sea to Skye. This is a return to an island the club last visited in the October 2005, when we enjoyed wonderful autumn sunshine, wide open roads and plenty of traditional island hospitality.

We will once again be staying in one of McKinlay Kidd’s favourite and very Scottish hotels – Eilean Iarmain.

Sheltered by a gently curving bay, this charming whitewashed hotel sits right on the seashore, enjoying expansive views over the Sound of Sleat to the wilderness of Knoydart. This is a Gaelic-speaking community and the bar is a convivial meeting place for the locals, who mix happily with hotel guests, often to the accompaniment of traditional music and Gaelic song in front of the roaring log fire. Twelve bedrooms (six in the Garden House) are decorated with pretty cotton and linen chintzes and there are also suites in the recently restored stables, each enjoying superb views across the water to the lighthouse of Isle Ornsay.

Candlelit meals in the wood-panelled dining room reflect the estate’s culinary riches, with wonderful shellfish and game featuring prominently on the menu. Langoustines are landed at the old stone pier, and oysters come from the hotel's own oyster beds.

Outline itinerary (provisional and subject to change)

Friday

As usual we will plan a lunchtime meeting location, probably in the area north of Fort William. We then will cross to Skye by the community-owned ferry from Glenelg- takes just 6 cars at a time so we will arrange a rota! Then it’s just a short drive further to the hotel.

Dinner tonight will be in the bar, where there will be traditional music and plenty of local ales!

Saturday
After breakfast the day is your own to explore the island – and we will give you plenty of recommendations for lunch options.

At the end of the afternoon we will gather again at the hotel for a tasting of Gaelic Whiskies’ products. This will be followed by dinner, this time in the hotel restaurant.
Afterwards relax in front of the fire in the lounge or head back to the bar, where there will be more live music – this time more contemporary!

Sunday

After breakfast depart for home, with a choice of routes, over the bridge, by ferry from Mallaig or back over by Glenelg.

Price: £210 per person.

This is based on two sharing a superior twin or double room ensuite.

Single occupancy of a double room available for a £40 supplement.
Some suites also available – price on request. These can work well for families.

Price includes two nights’ accommodation including dinner both nights, the ferry from Glenelg to Skye, a full route plan, the whisky tasting, live music in the bar and Robert’s Recommendations on what to see and do in the local area.

How to Book:
Call Robert Kidd on 0141 202 0638 or email robert@mckinlaykidd.co.uk to reserve your place.
Contact Matt to reserve your car.

Classic Car Club Spring 2010 Weekend - 23rd - 25th April

I promised everyone a little more advanced notice of the next weekend away, so here it is. After feedback from the last couple of events, we have decided to revisit one of the favourite locations from a previous trip. This spring McKinlay Kidd will be organising a return to the Isle of Skye, where we last ventured in October 2005. More details will follow in January, but do keep the date free!
Here are a few pictures from that trip - you will note the stunning weather, now there's a challenge!

Classic Car Club Weekend 9/10/11 October.

Classic Car Club Weekend 9/10/11 October.

Well it was another great trip organised by Robert and Heather Kidd. We headed North – almost as far as you can go on the mainland. Cars included the Ferrari, Porsche 911, TVR, Boxster, Healey 6/100 and the Elise.

The route beyond Inverness included stops for lunch at the very busy “Storehouse of Foulis” and then further north on the A836 to Crask Inn. A wonderful place to stop – apparently it is bad luck not to stop – so we had tea & cakes and although one or two had a glass of beer.

Resting inside Crask Inn.

This road is single track with passing places, super views to help along the way, and then you get to the coast with it’s beaches, cliffs and of course the sea.

The hotel we stayed in was The Tongue Inn, in Tongue and provided a warm welcome, clean rooms and good food.

Picture: diners at Tongue Hotel.

The attached pub provided the beer – we drank them dry of “real ale” on the Friday night.

Saturday, a dry start - we went east – some to John O’Groats others stopped in Thurso – a busy town with the usual coffee shops, museum and walks by the river.

Lunch was at the award winning Captains Galley, at Scrabster.

Picture of restaurant. Inside and out.

Famous for it’s fresh seafood and we enjoyed some fantastic food during the afternoon there. Some took a long route back to Tongue – again mainly single track roads.

Saturday night we were entertained by the locals in the hotel bar and we enjoyed an impromptu darts match which stretched late into the night – more because of the poor scoring than the excitement of the game.

Photo: Hotel bar.

Elaine’s looking forward to the next one.

Myke

Momentous News!

Classic Car Club is hugely excited to tell you about it's latest news - we're moving home! After 8 years in Leith, the opportunity has arisen to dramatically improve our garage. So, effective from the 1st October 2009, we will be living at 60 St John's Road, Corstorphine. It's on the main road between the Zoo and the Airport, on the corner of Clermiston Rd and St John's Road. We will mainly be using the entrance on Clermiston Road.

CCC's new home is a genuine 1930's garage, and is some 3 times the size of our old home. It's full of period features, and the top floor is light airy and sunny (when the sun shines....) and is the perfect clubroom. With free wifi, a full-size slate pool table, a pinball machine, a library, a 150 inch projector screen for films and video games, plus coffee making facilities and a fridge for those looking to hang out and bring a beer or 3, we hope this will turn into a destination for members and their guests to enjoy, and bring a new dimension to the already exciting benefits of membership.

Sometime later in the month (or maybe even at the start of November) we'll be holding a party to celebrate the new venue and 8 exciting years of Classic Car Club being north of the border. All members and their partners will be invited - it will be on a saturday evening - and if we lay on a band and some entertainment could you members bring a bottle or two to enjoy?

Classic Car Club Scotland
Autumn 2009 Club touring weekend
9th – 11th October
This October we are planning our furthest flung trip, to explore the far north coast of Sutherland for the first time. It is a wildly beautiful area, and sure to be dramatic come rain or shine.

We will be based in the village of Tongue, around 100 miles north of Inverness– staying at the Tongue Hotel

This traditional hunting lodge has recently been refurbished but remains a simple and welcoming Scottish country hotel surrounded by stunning scenery, including the impressive Ben Loyal. The area, and indeed the hotel, recently appeared on BBC’s “Who do you think you are” featuring actor and comedian David Mitchell in search of his Scottish roots.

Friday
As a group we plan to arrive Friday late afternoon. Tongue is around two hours 30 minutes north of Inverness.
You leave the A9 at Alness, pass Bonar Bridge, to Lairg. From here you wend your way on single track roads, through genuine wilderness scenery!

Note: With a travel time of 6 hours plus from Edinburgh, we know that some members will wish to stop a night on the way north, or indeed on the way back. McKinlay Kidd can assist with ideas and bookings as required – for example a room in an award-winning guest house in Inverness from £110. Or you may even choose to combine it with your own classic car trip to Orkney – again, we can assist with ferry and accommodation arrangements. Please advise Robert of any such requests as soon as possible to guarantee availability.

Once the party is confirmed, a suitable meeting point en route to Tongue will be identified.

This evening dinner will be a two course bar meal in the hotel

Saturday
Today we will explore the coast, perhaps including Durness, a favourite holiday destination for John Lennon, home to the wonderful chocolate-maker Cocoa Mountain, and an area of glorious beaches. (We did investigate the option of a visit to Cape Wrath, but this is impossible due to planned military exercises in the area!)

Other possibilities, weather permitting, include the Victorian tourist attraction of Smoo Cave – the largest and most dramatic coastline cave in Britain, and the eerie valley of Strathnaver, once home to 40 small communities, now a poignant memorial to the Highland clearances.

Return to Tongue, for dinner.

Sunday
Explore area on own before returning to Edinburgh/Glasgow.
We will make a number of route suggestions for the return journey, and can assist with overnight accommodation if required.

Price:
£189 per person, based on two sharing a twin or double room ensuite.

Prices includes 2 nights’ accommodation on a B&B basis, plus evening meals as described and an activity on the Saturday.

Some single rooms will be available, for a supplement of £10.

How to book
Call 0844 804 0020 or email Robert@mckinlaykidd.co.uk to reserve your place.

As space is strictly limited we advise booking as soon as possible!
Contact Matt to book your car.

Autumn weekend 9th -11th October

Full details will follow shortly, but do put these dates in your diary!