Tartan Florio

Written by: Dean M

A quick glance through most social diaries of 2020 will, for obvious reasons, reveal little more than an awful lot of blank pages. Therefore, as we finally begin to get back to some semblance of normal life, this first tour of 2021 was keenly anticipated by every one of the SCD members present. The Sunday evening was spent at The Gleddoch where we all met up with our travelling companions for the following week, making new acquaintances and renewing those with whom we had met before at previous events.

MONDAY On the Monday morning, Jonty’s opening driver briefing ended with a solemn request for everyone to drive calmly and sensibly in the rain as we headed further north to clear the busier roads. Everyone present nodded whilst murmuring their agreement, and such responsible calmness prevailed for at least a quarter of a mile until the cars reached the first dual carriageway, after which about four million quid’s worth of supercars began to inexorably stretch their legs whenever the opportunity allowed, as our weeklong adventure began. The first day was spent progressing further northwards towards Inverness, dodging in and out of Scottish rain showers, but the more miles we covered, as promised, the clearer the roads became. At the end of a full day spent driving, we were all happy to discover that our base for the next three nights is as beautiful and charming as anyone could have hoped for. We had exclusive access to The Achnagairn Estate, and it really does offer everything we could have wanted for over the following three nights, particularly so for the whisky lovers in the group who were treated to a tasting session courtesy of tour sponsors, The Glenturret.

TUESDAY After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we were all eager to get back behind the wheel, and what a varied selection of unique roads lay in store for us. Some classic A and B roads, some fast sweeping sections but also a lot of single-track roads. The scenery never failed to inspire as it changed from classic Scottish lochs to moorlands to the glens. So inspirational in fact, that whilst at the lunch stop at Sango Sands Oasis, the SCD boys curiously decided that the overcast and windy 12-degree weather was actually the perfect backdrop with which to recreate the beach section of the opening title sequence to The Monkees!

Also, I think my ego has just about recovered after the rollercoaster ride back from the Sango Sands Oasis. After getting camper-van’d away from Jonty’s group, Dominic (675LT) and I proceeded to recover the lost ground with such aplomb that I remember thinking that only Sebastien Loeb would have the skill and speed required to catch us. That is, until I looked in my rear view mirror and realised that only Sebastien Loeb and, of course, Riad and Jake casually driving a yellow hatchback would have the skill and speed necessary to catch us! The return drive to Achnagairn was across similar roads to those driven that morning, albeit there appeared to be even more camper vans who obstinately refused to pull to one side and allow the growing traffic jam behind them to move on, however, any stress built up from these mobile chicanes was alleviated by a whisky masterclass curated once again by The Glenturret. Tuesday evening was a particularly special one as we were treated to a gala dinner (accompanied with yet more whisky pairings) in the impressive ballroom, but any thoughts of well-meaning abstinence were soon put to one side shortly after the traditional Celtic folk music trio began to play.

WEDNESDAY A later start to the day and we headed off to Dunrobin Castle, driving in some glorious sunshine. After a coffee break at the castle, we headed onwards on the wide, sweeping roads to Kylesku and everyone enjoyed what must be some of the most wonderful driving roads in the British Isles. With little traffic, good visibility and fantastic scenery, these roads in the Highlands are perfect to really experience the true thrill of driving, and for many of us, this was the absolute driving highlight of the week. We could have driven these very same roads all day, every day and I seriously doubt whether anyone amongst us would have complained. When we were all together at the destination, it was soon time for Riad to choreograph the signature photo with all the cars lined up on the Kylesku Bridge. This didn’t take too long, and we were all eager to get back on the road once again and drive yet more similarly wonderful roads back to Achnagairn. The longer evening light allowed us to enjoy a cosy and relaxed barbecue in the picturesque grounds with a drink or two whilst sharing a hearty serving of comfort food amongst friends.

THURSDAY After three wonderful evenings, it was sadly time for us to leave Achnagairn and continue to our final overnight stop at Pitlochry. Jonty once more led us onto another selection of wonderful open mountain roads, high up in the Cairngorms. These roads were again relatively clear and flowed wonderfully through the mountains, allowing us to safely enjoy the performance and sound of the supercars. The lunch stop today was somewhere altogether more regal than previous venues. Driving through the pine forests of Balmoral, our destination was none other than the Queen’s favourite summer holiday retreat. The SCD guys marshalled us for another photo opportunity outside the castle, and the fleet of cars looked simply fantastic in the sunshine.

After lunch, we finally got to drive another much-anticipated stretch of tarmac — the Old Military Road from Balmoral Castle to Pitlochry. Once more, the roads lived up to our expectations and we streamed down the mountainside with the engines making as much glorious noise as possible on our way to the magnificent Fonab Castle Hotel at Pitlochry. Here we enjoyed a final night together and took the opportunity to tell each other stories from the tour.

FRIDAY The two groups of supercars left for one last time and drove through the countryside and villages to the north of Perth in more glorious morning sunshine. A little detour certainly didn’t detract from the pleasure as we made the most of this last driving opportunity together to our final destination at The Glenturret distillery, tucked away in a picturesque valley which the Barvick Burn runs through. Whilst there, many took advantage of the distillery guided tour whilst some said their goodbyes and instead began the journey back to normality and home.

If anything, my love for the Aston has only grown after listening to the chorus of McLaren and Lambo owners complaining of bottoming out and catching their splitters, whilst the Vantage was seemingly designed to properly exploit and entertain on those roads.

My first Tartan Florio tour was an unforgettable week of driving the most amazing roads whilst also meeting some great new friends. Combining both of these two elements together is what made the shared journey so special, and no one knows better than the SCD team how to create the perfect week.