Chasing the Haggis 2009 & More
Healey Journal
& More
After last year I decided to be better prepared for this year's run, so I did a few little maintenance chores to make sure the car was in fine fettle, and to give it a couple of extended runs before the big adventure. So the Healey Club's Spring Run was ideal- a good drive down the motorway, then across country to a nice country Pub in Northern England and a drive back along Hadrian's Wall.
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The car ran fine, but, once again, the exhaust gave me trouble- it hung low, and lower, and lower yet; dragging on the ground and slowing my progress. I decided to call it an early day and head home a bit early. Once back at the house, the exhaust got major attention and that problem was finally fixed..
Chasing the Haggis 2009
What's wrong with these pictures?
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Starting: at the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, the most southerly point in Scotland. |
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Finishing: at Dunnet Head Lighthouse, the most northern point in Scotland. |
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The 2009 Chasin' the Haggis outing was to be a re-run of the very first one. The route was to start at the most southern point in Scotland- on the Mull of Galloway, wind our way through some of the more scenic roads in Scotland to the most northern point at Dunnet Head (No, John O'Groats isn't it) and then finish in Dornock near Inverness.
It was a great route, though I started at the Mull of Galloway in my Rochdale and finished at Dunnet Head in my everyday transport- a van.
We were very fortunate and had excellent weather- it was as if the Highlands and Islands Tourist Board had ordered it especially for us and photographers to persuade people to come and visit...
Photos from the 2009 event:
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Lined up in the parking lot by the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway. |
A wet start- I parked facing into the cold wind and rain, and needed some Ether to get it started. I'll know better next time. | Lunch, first day... |
The first night's hotel- the Crief Hydro. I decided to get an early start the next day, a good thing too, given what was to happen.... |
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| Lowering skies going through the Cairngorms, really very moody and scenic- well worth a return when the weather's good. | Huh? a roadside cairn, with moody low cloud... | While ambling around the cairn I found that it was Helen Archibald's favorite place. I then started to wonder if her ashes were within the cairn, or under the stone, or... |
Parked alongside a highland stream. Doesn't look broken, does it? But here I only had 1st and 4th gears- and a 170 mile trip home... |
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A hump bridge on the single track road, without a full set of gears I was quite happy there wasn't any oncoming traffic to stop for. ; |
The Dundonnell Hotel, with the cars lined up. |
Traveling towards the northwestern corner of Scotland and then across the top. |
Um, err, yes, my van does look a bit of the odd one out, odder even than my Rochdale.... |
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A British warship resting in a Highland sea loch. No shore parties observed.... |
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