NC 500

[benofbrum]

Just completed the North Coast 500 around Scotland in the Excelsior. The car ran faultlessly for the 2007 miles over 11 days, averaging 49.5 mpg and the oil level going from a shade under full to 3mm above the low mark. During the trip the car's total mileage went over 90,000.
The first day was wet all day on the slog up from Birmingham to Dumfries. I got wet loading the car up so it was shades of Saddleworth Moor for a few miles (In joke for those who went on the 40th anniversary factory visit) before the demister was able to cope. The weather slowly improved, but the roads quickly improved, so that within 30 miles of leaving Dumfries I was starting to get a bit carried away on one well surfaced bendy, hilly minor road and had to remind myself how The Italian Job finished.
Apart from the day going up to Dumfries and coming home from Moffat, probably half of the mileage was on single track roads with passing places. While at the end of September / early October there was little traffic, now and again you would meet a loaded timber haulage wagon or even a service bus, on these roads. There is a lot of emptiness in the highlands. On one stretch of single track road I met 3 vehicles in 16 miles.
Very enjoyable, but it is a pity it is so far from Birmingham.
Full report to follow in the magazine.