Saturday 13th April. Irish Invasion. Suggestions for a route?

[Sportspack Mark]

Hi Guys

Ok Stena Line are doing a deal for us Mini/MINI owners on Saturday 13th April. A car & 2 people for £50 return.


Enjoy a Mini adventure to Scotland on Saturday 13th April 2013.

Join up with loads of other mini aficionados on a Mini adventure day trip to Scotland. For just £50 return, 2 of you can head off from Belfast to Cairnryan to enjoy a day out in your pride and joy. You’ll leave Belfast onboard Stena Superfast at 07:30 and arrive in Scotland just over 2 hours later before heading off – you could arrange a meet with other mini-owners or just zoom off to wherever you please. Your return sailing back to Belfast leaves Cairnryan at 19:30 so you’ll have loads of time to have fun.

So we would be arriving in Cairnryan at 9.45am and have to be checked in at 18.45 the same day.

Would any of you be up for a) suggesting a route b) joining us for the day?

I dont know how many new MINI's there are going but at the minute theres about 6 that I know of.


Itinerary
Belfast Check-in:
06:45

Belfast Depart:
07:30

Cairnryan Arrive:
09:45

Cairnryan Check-in:
18:45

Cairnryan Depart:
19:30

Belfast Arrive:
21:52

Cheers for any help!! It would be great to meet up with you guys!

Mark:thumbs up:

[Sportspack Mark]

sweet! sometimes a bit of a random run is the best! :D

I'll get a look online and see whats about.

[Craig]

I might be about, just need to check the diary ;)

Rob might know the roads down that way :)

[Duncan Stewart]

Heard about this through the mini clan but bit far to go in my classic, but in the new Mini - sounds like fun :smilewinkgrin:

[Sportspack Mark]

Yea there are classics going, but they can dilly dally about. Im not really mentioning that the new MINIs are going because we like a somewhat quicker pace of proceedings :)

And my dealer is going, he is mad keen for all runs and is planning on taking their Paceman :)

[MINIme:)]

slow is the new fast - did nobody tell you?!!

Would love to meet :smilewinkgrin: if i can - get your sister along for an ice blue appreciation corner!!

seriously broke me dear, but might manage a wee bit / part run / or even just lunch ;)

Mibbae aye from me.


can I dilly dally with the classics? I don't do fast unless it's motorway :motoring:

[Sportspack Mark]

Driving Miss Daisy :p

- - - Updated - - -

I'm gonna have a look at a few routes today. I dont know about numbers yet either!

[Stewart]

Surly a zip around the boarders would be your best bet.

[Sportspack Mark]

youre close enough Stewart, any good ideas?

[Stewart]

Not my part of the Woods and its been a good few years since I last toured about in a car down there I’m afraid. There is the Road round that Galloway Forrest. I’m sure there is even a proper signposted driving route through it.

Glentrool Visitor Centre will have parking as its one of the main Mountain bike places over here. I see it has been getting work done over the last three months but hopes to be open in April. What the Newton Stewart road is like now that runs beside it I don’t know.

http://goo.gl/maps/xwkCB

There is always the good old fashioned Ayrshire Cost for fish and chips, plenty of parking at the front a Prestwick or further up to Largs.
http://goo.gl/maps/pLGZG


Pity you could not have linked up with the NMS Highland Tour this year at the start of May but its a proper Highland West Coast run with a few over night stops. Stays in plockton and Tougue as we would have loved a few more cars and company. Its always good fun. Plus we head over to Applecross and it's one of those roads you need to do once in your life ;) if not more..

[Sportspack Mark]

thanks for the info. its just a daytrip really over. its a set date by Stena :)

[weefossy]

Mark, we did a run back in 2005 from The Mull of Galloway to Dunkeld. I will look out the notes for you, as soon as I can. It was a 2 day event, but you could do a bit of the most southern part. The roads arround the Galloway Forest were great.

[MINIme:)]

Driving Miss Daisy :p

yip :smilewinkgrin: sing louder, drive slower

[weefossy]

Mark, apologies for the delay in coming back to you. You have probably planned your route by now but if not here are a few comments. I would probably stick to the "Rhinn of Galloway" as there are a lot of empty roads around there. We started our run at the Mull of Galloway, down at the big lighthouse and that is worth seeing imho. I can remember Duncan, Helen, Neil and Lorna were on that run and I think Elfman was there as well. We took the B7041, A716, to Sandhead and then the B7084 towards Dunragit. Then the A75 to Newton Stewart and then the A702 to Clatteringshaws Loch. From there we headed northwards, which is the wrong direction for you.
From Cairnryan you could take the A77 to Stranraer and then do a north loop of the "Rhinn" via the A218 and the B738 to Portpatrick and then do a southern loop via Garrochtrie to the Mull and then back up the A716, B7084, A75 and A77 to Cairnryan. I reckon that would be 80 to 100 miles and with lunch and a lot of picture stops, that might be about enough driving for the day. We are finding on NMS runs that peps are preferring shorter quicker blasts, with less miles and more time to chat, look at cars and enjoy the scenery. You could extend another loop taking in Milton, Stairhaven or Glenluce and New Luce, but I haven't been up that track via Craig Fell so I can't comment. If you need to go further, you could go South East to the Machars and Wigtown?
Hope info is of some use.
Weefossy.
ps found a couple of pictures.

Lighthouse at the Mull
4095


View somewhere on the A716
40964097

[Sportspack Mark]

thanks for the info :D

[Sportspack Mark]

Definately going to consider the above. I know the classic clubs are all meeting for a run but it could be at a more sedate pace. we shall see!