An evening talk from Mel Edwards of the Road Safety Deparment, Aberdeenshire Roads, on Wednesday the 15th February at 7.30pm Red Star

Curry Night in Aberdeen

Exact venue will be confirmed shortly but probably either Cinamon on Union Street or Jewel in the Crown on Crown Street. 

The plan is just for a relaxed evening with some good grub, beer and chat. Those who feel the need will of course be welcome to partake in the usual pubs/clubs post meal. 

I need to get an idea of numbers and would like to take a deposit prior to me finally confirming numbers with the restaurant. 

Sooooo....meantime...a show of hands please peeps.

Keith will be hosting another entertaining evening at the Red Star on Wednesday the 21st of March at 7.30pm

Day Run to Nairn

Meet at Kingswells P&R for a 9.30am departure –  with a full tank and an empty bladder. Travel  via Alford, Rhynie, the Cabrach and Dufftown (relief stop!) then on to Nairn via Lossiemouth, Burghead, Kinloss and Forres. Lunch stop at the Parkdean at the Caravan Site in Nairn. Return via the Dava to Grantown, on to Tomintoul (coffee stop at the Old Fire Station) and home via the Lecht. Total distance approx 205 miles.

Long weekend trip to Moffat - Friday to Monday, the Monday being an Aberdeen holiday. The general plan is to leave Aberdeen on Friday at 1200 from the P&R arriving Moffat about 1800. Saturday and Sunday will be tours from Moffat followed by a return to Aberdeen on Monday.

This is a camping and hotel/B&B weekend. Camping at the local Camping and Caravan site is no problem and, if you contact me, I will make the necessary arrangements. Hotels/B&B must be booked by yourself and, if you are going, then book now! Details of past Moffat trips are on the Forum which contains info on some hotels.

Further info on runs from Moffat will follow.

GMC GLENFIDDICH DISTILLERY TOUR

(Sunday Run 20^TH MAY 2012)
The day kicks off at the Kingswells P&R at 9.30... (Full tank required).
Heading on up through Dinnet, and Ballater. Pit Stop at the Coilincreich Inn (few miles outside Ballater) where Tea Coffee and Buttries will be served (11am)... From there we will take the B976 heading towards Tomintoul and on to Dufftown arriving just before 1pm.

Tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery begins at 1pm. For those who have never been before, this is a fantastic chance to see our National Spirit being made up close and personal... and because we will be “Tee Total” on the day, Glenfiddich will Kindly donate a wee take away sample of the 12, 15, and 18 year old Glenfiddich...
Lunch of soup and sandwiches will be served at 2pm (Hopefully in the Robbie Dhu Centre which is Stunning... still working on this one!)
Glenfiddich also have a fabulous shop on site where you can buy anything from a wee souvenir badge, to a Rare Malt whisky, well worth a walk around...

Distillery departure...Between 3 .00/ 3.30pm.
Heading through, Dufftown onto the Cabraich, down through Rhynie, Alford and back to Kingswells.

Pit stop at the coilincreich will be £1.50pp for tea/ coffee/buttries... Distillery Tour is free of charge.

I should be able to get the lunch costs for next week; I have been told that there may be a discount depending on the size of our group.
Please Note: I have provisionally booked with the Distillery and need Confirmed numbers, they have given me 2 weeks to confirm booking... or we lose the slot... please reply before week ending 15^th January...

To Book your spot, Please contact Susie Morrison on Tel: 07770568100 or email (link below)

Payment of lunch and pit stop will be on the day. Full Route will be posted on the GMC site.

Please see link for Garmin Map Garmin Map

Departing Friday returning Sunday,the trip to Applecross is based at the Applecross campsite www.applecross.uk.com/campsite phone 01520 744268 . For non-campers accomodation can be found at the Applecross Inn or nearby B+Bs.

Please book your own accomodation.

Friday 25 MAY departure 0900 from Kingswells P+R

Outward route:- Kingswells-Ballater-Tomintoul  (coffee break at Old Firestation)

Grantown on Spey-Carrbridge-Inverness-Dingwall  (Petrol stop and/or provisions at Tescos)

Strathpeffer  (Lunch at Old Victorian Station)

Achnasheen-Kinlochewe-Torridon-Applecross  (via either Low road or High road depending on weather/nerves)

Total miles 194

Saturday run to be confirmed(suggestions/preferences welcome)

Sunday route home  Applecross-Lochcarron-Glenshiel-Fort Agustus  (Break and fuel)

Fort Agustus via B682 to Daviot-A9 to Aviemore  (lunch)

Coylumbridge-Nethybridge-Tomintoul-Corgarff-Mossat-Alford  (break)

Alford-Aberdeen Total 220 miles

Petrol is available in Applecross at self serve pumps.

Anyone wishing to come please let me know and I will try to book ahead for evening meals at either The Applecross Inn or the Potting Shed(much nicer than it sounds!) 

NOTE:-Apparently this is the Blues Rockband weekend so book early to avoid dissapointment.I also have a special code to use which gives free breakfast at the site for party members only.Must be booked before 1st Feb to qualify.Contact me for details of code.

Leaving Banchory car park at 10.00am on Saturday 2^nd of June and heading to Braemar for a coffee stop. From there we head  over to Pitlochry for a fuel stop at the BP filling station and then travel along past Loch Tay, Killin and down to Loch Katrine in the Trossachs  where we stop for something to eat in the Katrine Café. On the loch you will see the steamship the “Sir Walter Scott” which does trips around the Loch. We then head for Balloch which is at the foot of Loch Lomond fuelling up at the BP filing station, then continue up the west side of Loch Lomond to Tarbet where we turn left and take the road to Inveraray and stop for a cup of coffee. We are now only 24 miles from Lochgilphead where we stop for the night. You will have to arrange your own accommodation. The Empire Travel Lodge http://www.empirelodge.co.uk/index.htm gets a good review and is £35.00 per night including Breakfast. I have provisionally booked all 9 rooms for the GMC, which are held for us until the end of February, but you must call and officially book the room yourself.  The evening meal will be in the Argyle Hotel Lochgilphead so please advise me if you are coming so that I may book sufficient tables for us.

On the Sunday we fuel up at the local filling station and head up the coast to Oban for coffee and then on to Fort William for fuel and something to eat at Morrisons.  The route then takes us east by Loch Laggan, Aviemore for fuel or we can stop at Grantown on Spey for fuel and Coffee and then over by Tomintoul in the direction of home.

The idea of the trip is to take time to enjoy the roads and the scenery (sunshine has been ordered) and as each leg of the trip is about 200 miles there should be ample time to stop, take photographs en route and enjoy the scenery. As this trip is in June we will also enjoy the advantage of the longer day.

Routes.

Contact Numbers

The Empire Travel lodge Tel 01546 602381

Union Street, Lochgilphead PA31 8JS 

Please mention you are with the GMC when booking and book early

Please see link for Garmin Map Garmin Map

Two nights Dinner Bed and breakfast at Strathpeffer. £79 plus £5 single supplement. Contact me for more information or to book.

The idea of the Irish trip is to have a nice leasurely weekend taking in some of the sights and scenery of Northern Ireland.

I plan to take a scenic route (as far as possible) to get to the ferry for late afternoon on the Friday. The first overnight stop will be just outside of Belfast shortly after landing.
Saturday and Sunday will be focused on touring some of the sights in Ireland including the Giant’s Causeway and Glenarriff waterfall.
We will take a morning ferry on Monday to take the whole day getting home taking a nice route.

Ferry costs approx £80 tbc

Costs of tourist visits will be posted as soon as the route is established, these are of course optional.

Contact person: Sanchia

tel: 07963836968

Depart Banchory Car Park 9.30am and head to Stonehaven and then down the cost road to Montrose. Turn right for Brechin where we will stop for coffee at the Brechin Castle Garden Centre for Coffee.  We then take the old road the B9134 to Forfar and then the old Perth road A94 to Scone where we will have lunch at the Wheel Inn. Tesco fuel station is about 100 yards towards Perth on the Perth road. After lunch take the A93 to Blairgowrie and then on to Braemar for Coffee and then continue towards Aberdeen and home.

Approx 175 miles.

Route Maps.

Strontian Camping/B&B/Hotel Weekend - Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th August

Suggested outward route: Leave Kingswell P&R 9.30am on the Friday. Travel via Grantown (refreshments & fuel),
Aviemore, Lagganside, Fort William (refreshments & fuel), Corran Ferry to Strontian. Approx 170 miles.
If time allows, route from Fort William could go via Lochailort and Salen. (Adds about 35 miles).

Saturday options include Mull via Kilchoan-Tobermory Ferry and Fishnish-Lochaline Ferry (or vice versa);
Syke (Mallaig-Armadale Ferry) and tour Sleat/Strathaird peninsulas;
Ardnamurchan Point (the most westerly point on the UK mainland) and peninsula - lots of narrow, twisty roads!!.

Suggested return route: Corran Ferry, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, Crieff, Dunkeld, Blairgowrie, Edzell,
Fettercairn, Banchory and home. Approx 200 miles.

See Garmin file attached for suggested outward and return routes.

Accomodation:
Strontian Hotel (Tel: 01967 402 029. James or Michelle). Bed and breakfast rates:
Double Room suite (1 room) £58.50 per person per night
Double Room (2 rooms) £40.50 per person per night
Twin Room (3 rooms) £33.75 per person per night
All rooms en suite
Bookings for a third night at a slightly lower rate and include a free bottle of wine!!
http://www.thestrontianhotel.co.uk/

Camping:
Strontian (Glenview) Campsite – Lynn & Tim Coldwell (Tel: 01967 402 080)
The campsite is presently being upgraded.
Cost - approx £6 per person per night.
Plans are to have a 4 person timber tent available for about £25 per night.
Campsite is about a 5 minute walk (half a kilometre) from the hotel.

James at the hotel suggested some B&Bs but these are not so convenient being a bit further away.
The closest (about a kilometre from the hotel, on the main road) is the
Otterburn - Mike & Cheryl Firth (Tel: 01967 402 138)
Others are up the glen at the back of the village:
Craigrowan (about a kilometre from the hotel) – Liz & Peter Ford (Tel: 01967 402 253)
Craig na Shee (about two kilometres from the hotel) – Richard Laybourne (Tel: 01967 402 457)
Heatherbank (about three kilometres from the hotel  - Pippa Sharp (Tel: 01967 402 201)

Make your booking enquiries directly with the Hotel/B&B/Campsite but mention the GMC if booking with the hotel.
All hotel rooms are reserved until 13th February so book before then to avoid disappointment!!

Please see link for Garmin Map
Garmin Map

Please let me know if you make any booking for the weekend.

Cheers

Fraser

Two nights Dinner Bed and breakfast at Dornoch. £79 plus £5 single supplement. Contact me for more information or to book.

Morefield is full now. 

I can get rooms elsewhere so email me if you want to come.

Please book with me rather than the Morefield so that I don't double book the rooms, thanks.

One night trip to Ullapool staying at the Morefield Motel

www.morefieldmotel.co.uk Tel: 01854 612161

The Morefield is situated a few minutes walk from Ullapool harbour. The rooms are a chalet style and on previous visits they have been quite comfortable. Parking is right outside the rooms and tucked round the back so quite safe. They have 4 doubles and 6 twin rooms which have all been provisionally booked. The restaurant has won many awards and we have the option of a set menu or the usual menu which I will try to get a copy of. There may be entertainment or alternatively we can go to the pub in Ullapool which usually has a disco and is a 10/15mins walk away.

Deposits of £10 per person should be paid as soon as possible but must be paid by 1st March. Rooms are £36 per person and we may get a further 10% discount. So max balance of £26 will be due before we go. Further accommodation is available if needed.

They have been kind enough to wave the singles supplement so there is no extra cost, that said, to make room for as many of us as possible if you are able to twin up with a pal let me know when you book. Thanks

Contact person: Sanchia

tel: 07963836968

Email: sanchiamay@me.com