York Historic
Vehicle Group

Celebrating our
transport heritage

Shetland Classic Car Show And Tours 2008

A Shetland and Orkney holiday with Peter Midgley and Brian Bentley driving a 1957 Albion Clydesdale and Gordon Fisher and Jim Beresford in a 1969 Foden S36.  The trip took place between 4th - 17th June 2008.

PREPARATIONS

Much washing, polishing, sheeting and roping took place the week prior to leaving. Gordon and I made room behind the tailboard to store such things as tools, oils, water and three jerry cans of diesel.  Being experienced lorry men we made sure everything was securely fastened down so that we didn't spill anything - wrong!! - but more on that later.  We needed the side box for our own cases, etc. Gordon's case was a lorry load on its own; never mind all my bits and pieces.

We were now ready for the adventure we had looked forward to for so long.

DAY ONE - WEDNESDAV 4TH JUNE

Peter and Brian left Pool near Otley at 7.40am via Skipton, etc, to Penrith and on to the M6 to Carlisle then on to the B7076 and B7078, which is the old A74.  We left at the crack of dawn (10.00am) from Sutton-on-Forest in fine weather making our way via Easingwold and Thirsk to the A1 and Scotch Corner, thence on to the A66 to Penrith. 

Gordon and I bemoaned the fact that part of the pleasure of this road had been eroded with the building of much dual carriageway.  We both enjoyed the old road in the early 60s when we were driving for NMU (1953) Ltd, travelling to Rowntree's factory at Egremont - one of our favourite runs.  However, reality said we did Penrith in 2hr 10 mins - 20 minutes quicker than I’d ever done previously in the old Foden. From here we took the same route as Peter, and caught up with him at a lay-by just before Abington. During watering proceedings I noticed a horrible mess on my sheet, tailboard, spare wheel and carrier, caused by diesel.  You guessed it, a jerry can had tipped over - call ourselves lorry men!

So, smelling of diesel, we went off to Abington services to clean up and replenish lost energy with coffee and cakes, then carried on the A73 to Lanark and on to Callander via Stirling for our night’s halt at the Ballachallan Fish Restaurant B&B.  Our hosts, Kirsty and Nigel Matheson, gave us a warm welcome and fed us well with plenty of conversation as well (tall stories and bull***t abounded). Sir Walter Scott, the writer, had stayed here many times in his younger years and we found it to be very pleasant stay. We had covered 262 miles so far.

DAY TWO - THURSDAY 5TH JUNE

We took a leisurely breakfast (full English - no messing about here), collected our belongings, paid the owners with thanks for a pleasant evening and departed around 9.30am and went back to Doune where we picked up the A9 for Perth.  We went through Perth town centre on to the A94 for Coupar Angus - Glamis and Forfar, where we joined the A90 for Aberdeen.  Following Peter in quite nice weather, aiming for Stracathro services (about 40 miles from Aberdeen) to fill up with diesel, to meet up with others doing the same thing as us.  Among the old vehicles heading for the Shetland ferry, were Jimmy Pead of Fleet in deepest Lincolnshire with the Hedgers, Robinson’s, a US army REO and John McGlade from Somersham in a Thornycroft Nippy Star.

We didn't rush because we knew you couldn't get in to the ferry terminal before 3.00pm, having done the run twice before.  We did arrive 2 minutes early, but within twenty minutes we had booked in and were on the ferry (so much for the Lagonda Club, who were still parked outside the terminal).  However, it gave us chance to go on deck and watch the rest embarking on board the M.V. Haitsland for our fourteen hour crossing to Lerwick.  Much talking, eating and sleep came next.
We had only covered 88 miles today.

DAY THREE - FRIDAY 6^TH JUNE:

We had breakfast at 6.00am before going down to the vehicle deck, which I cleared very quickly when I fired up the old Gardner, disembarking by 7.10am only to fall in to the clutches of Colin Nicholson (Volvo F7) and John Garrick (Thames Trader) who did their best to sort out an unruly bunch of lorry drivers in to some sort of order for the days tour.

Fine rain and overcast skies did not deter us as we all set off from Morrison's Dock, Lerwick, for the oil terminal at Sullom Voe. Colin had arranged for one of their special fire tenders to come to the park just before the entrance to the terminal - what a superb piece of equipment this was, which we were told cost about £500,000.  Still I would say it's needed when you have a thousand acre site of oil tanks to look after (the other tender was on duty).

Click thumbnail images (below) to enlarge

From here it was off past Skatsta Airport (mainly used to supply the oil rigs), on our way over to the Eshaness Lighthouse situated on the west coast of the north mainland.  But first we called at the Eshaness village hall for lunch of homemade soup, rolls and cakes made and served by the villagers themselves - wonderful!  Many thanks to them all.

Now it’s on to the lighthouse over single track roads in convoy formation to see this very rocky and deep shoreline. We tried to see this in 2006 but were thwarted by veteran cars and BBC filming otters for their wildlife series with Simon King on BBC2.  However, after seeing it this time we were off again back towards Lerwick, once more at a steady pace.  Peter and I turned off for Whiteness, where we were staying for five nights at the Westings Inn, not far from where John Garrick lived.  The rest went on to their own pre-arranged accommodation.

Tour 73 miles.

Click thumbnail images (below) to enlarge