Gathering of the Clans 2007

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Well, that's the first Gathering of the Clans event over. Hopefully everyone has (or will eventually) arrive home safely. I know that many of you hardy travellers have a guid few miles to do to get home from Glen Clova.

This is only my own personal take on how the weekend went. No doubt further opinions will be posted...:augie :D

First of all, let's get the weather out of the way. It was terrible. Travelling through Glen Clova on Friday at lunchtime, it was fairly obvious that sunshine wasn't going to be on the menu for our weekend. Saturday was even worse and the journey out of the glen today wasn't much better. The weather was the one thing that we couldn't plan for or control.

Here is a view of the Glen Clova Hotel taken from Mein Kamp.

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Mr and Mrs Tartan Terror look as if they might just get their tent up before another downpour...

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There were very few "non attendees" even despite the weather.

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Saturday's Ride Outs were well supported even although it rained almost constantly throughout the day. Unfortunately there was bit of a nightmare on the second group out. A lack of people using the agreed drop off system properely led to a bit of Mystery Tour for some of the group. Everyone made it back to camp safe and sound. Poor Voyager had a wee off as a result of the trecherous roads but thankfully, all that was hurt was his pride and a bit of damage to his steed. I've got to say that Bob (Voyager) did really well in keeping in the spirit of the weekend and it didn't seem to dent his enthusiasm.

Here's the first group stopping to take in the spectacular views down over the Angus Glens and Strathmore valley.

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TBH this part of our run, over Cairn O'Mount was the worst part of the day, condition wise. Definitely not pleasant.

We stopped for lunch in Ballater and then had a stop off at the Royal Lochnagar distillery. That's the first of me noticing that faint bit of blue sky. Must be fault in my camera...

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The Queen then got a a Tossers Guard of Honour outside the gates of Balmoral castle.

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We even managed a wee bit of mild off-roading to visit this ruined stately home.

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Some road flooding (especially on Friday) seemed like one of Fanum's fords runs. Here's G.C. going through a real ford on our way back to the hotel. I expected it to be deeper with all the rain we'd had.

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Over 150 miles and away from base for 6 hours. A quick pint and hot shower have seldom been more welcome.

On Saturday night we had the Whisky Tasting which was done by Gordon (G.C.) who kindly donated the bottles that we sampled and his hour long introduction to malt whisky was really well recieved by the 20 or so folks who paid £7.50 for 3 x "healthy" drams of Bruichladdich, the Glenlivet and Talisker. Informative and a good laugh. Top stuff indeed.

G.C. then finished with the "Dentist's Chair" and several half wits (me included) had whisky and Drambuie simultaniously poured down their gullets. Take a bow Blowzorn. My memory of your record breaking sitting and subsequent demise will have me smiling for a long time to come...

Here's the very attentive student of malt whisky, Blowzorn (grey top with his back to camera) wishing that G.C. will hurry up and get the Dentist's Chair oot...

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We had a raffle on the Friday and an auction of the Saturday, such was the volume of donations we received from companies and good people from the forum. Here is Kev (Whatton) with his raffle prize (kindly donated by Stumpy).

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I was lucky enough to have the winning bid for a rather specialist bottle of whisky.

Both nights at the Clans were simple affairs (like most of the people there) and everyone seemed to mix well, get pissed and have a guid laugh.

Here are a few of the revellers.

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That's it all over for this year's Gathering of the Clans event but I'm certain that there'll be next year's to look forward to now. The weather didn't even manage to spoil things and that's surely speaks volumes of how good the crowd were who made this such a special weekend.

When I started off planning this, I was hoping that I'd cover my outlays and then hopefully make a few bob for the charity that the event was supporting: Rachel House, a hospice for teminally ill kids in Kinross. I'd hoped that we could maybe raise £500 for them.

G.C. and I sat down this morning (along with our long suffering and really helpful wives :thumb2 ) and tallied up what the event had raised between the camping fees, raffle, auction and whisky tasting. The hotel rooms and Bunkhouse fees made no money towards the charity. They only covered the cost to hire them. I've still to auction something which I'll do very soon on the forum but as it stands just now, through everyone involved's fantastic generosity, we've raised just short of £1,500 for Rachel House. Yep...

£1,500

Brilliant :bow :bow :bow

I'd like to say a big thanks to June Coventry and her staff at the hotel. I think you'll agree that they did us all proud. I would imagine that a few of you might well return there...

I'd also like to say thanks to all the guys who assisted me in planning and recceing Ride Outs and also batting phone calls from a novice event organiser who needed some help or encouragement. Gents, I thank you one and all :clap

Special thanks to G.C. for being the best sound board you could wish for and for keeping my stress levels manageable with his advice and assistance. He was also top banana as Auction Man. Cheers, Gordon. :beerjug:

Biggest thanks go to all of the Tossers who braved the elements and turned up with their hard earned cash and made the Gathering of the Clans just a wee bit special.



Ronno
 
£1500.00 :thumb2 MAGNIFICENT!! Well done to you and the other organisers Ronno, and to all the participants. Save me a slot for next year :beerjug:

JDH
 
Looked great despite the weather, only sorry I couldn't make it this year.:clap
 
£1500 !!!! :thumb2 That's brilliant Ronno.....well done to you and the others who worked hard to make such a success! See you all at the next one ? !!!!
 
As you said you can't help the weather, still looked like a good gathering though.
 
Just home to Belfast wot a weekend well done to Ronno:hug and Co:bow :bow :bow :clap :clap :clap :kissy2 See you all next year and can someone book the rain again it just wouldn't be the same with out it:augie
 
Wow

I could see the auction was going well - you even got me to dip my hand in the wallet and disturb the moths, but £1500 is staggeringly good. Well done one and all!
 
Fantastic weekend and great to meet you all at last. Both myself and Mrs TT looking forward to the next one.

Spare room is now an indoor camping ground/drying room!!
 
Well done Ronnie and G.C....:thumb2

£1500.00..... Great result, help along nicely by G.C.s "hard of hearing" auctioning skills....:D

Just to prove that the sma' run got to their destination.....;)

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Sunny up here this morning btw......:augie

Room 'Three' again please for next year, there will be a next year?....:thumb
 
Recipe

Take 5 doz (final count Ronno?) or so diverse characters with a love of bikes and particularly the GS.

Install in comfortable facility in stunning scenery.

Add copious amounts of fine Scottish Water

Stuff with excellent food.

Pickle (most of them) with fine alcoholic beverages.

Leave for 36 hours.

Send finished product to charity, i.e. cheque for £1500.


That looks like good recipe to me:beerjug: If it could be amended so that folk could see the stunning scenery all the better. Roll on next year:bounce1
 
Take 5 doz (final count Ronno?) or so diverse characters with a love of bikes and particularly the GS.

Install in comfortable facility in stunning scenery.

Add copious amounts of fine Scottish Water

Stuff with excellent food.

Pickle (most of them) with fine alcoholic beverages.

Leave for 36 hours.

Send finished product to charity, i.e. cheque for £1500.


That looks like good recipe to me:beerjug: If it could be amended so that folk could see the stunning scenery all the better. Roll on next year:bounce1

Guid ane :thumb2
 
Many thanks for organising a great weekend, i think both the Raffle and the Auction were the best i've attended that I can remember, short, sweet, fun and to the point:thumb

The location was fantastic with excellent interesting roads, the round trip of 1950miles was well worth it:thumb

See ya next year

Shep
 
The location was fantastic with excellent interesting roads, the round trip of 1950miles was well worth it:thumb



Shep

Wimp - Beat yer. 2020 miles door to door :D

Good "do" Ronno, and ably helped by GC and others i expect. That drying room was a godsend ;) :thumb

here's to the next one:clap
 
Wimp - Beat yer. 2020 miles door to door :D

Good "do" Ronno, and ably helped by GC and others i expect. That drying room was a godsend ;) :thumb

here's to the next one:clap

I reckon it was the smaller diameter rear wheel that made the speedo think it was further:augie Sports tyres on a GS, should be banned:D

Shep
 
Wimp - Beat yer. 2020 miles door to door :D

2020 miles , did you use a recovery truck for the last bit ....... :mmmm

2027 miles and i didn't reset the trip till i filled at Durham A1 services , so about 10 more miles to add... :augie

We'll have to wait and see what wobbly Whattons total is ...... :gringo

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I had a great time all weekend , rain stopped my ride out so i had to have a pint in the bar ... :eek:
Well run and thanks to everyone who organized it :clap
Even in the storm when we arrived the roads and scenery looked stunning , hope its dry next year :)

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Wimp - Beat yer. 2020 miles door to door :D

I didn't manage anything like that mileage as I went "scenic direct" and only stay in Glasgow.

I did manage 287.9 miles from one standard 1150GS tank of fuel before I ran out on the way home though.

Filled up (tank mod done) Friday in Kirriemuir, did Stumpy's long ride on the Saturday and then on Sunday morning went cross country to Dunkeld, took the Crieff road before turning north over the moors to Kenmore, along the south side of Loch Tay to Killin, then west to Crianlarich and south through Ardlui and Tarbet before running dry about 5 miles short of Alexandria.

I could have layed it down on the right to get the dregs out of the left lobe of the tank but as I was at the side of the A82 I decided that it would be more sensible to just tip in my emergency 1 litre.

That got me the 6.7 miles to Alexandria Esso station where I put 1 litre in the emergency bottle and 23.6 litres in the tank. Remember that it still had about 0.5 ltr from my emergency supply still in there plus whatever was left in the left lobe when it died.

So I started with a full tank plus one litre and it took 24.6 litres to get back to that position after a run of 294.6 miles, 54.4mpg without odometer correction. Town speeds were adhered to and all legal national limits were plus a bit for "speedo error" so indicated 65-70mph whenever possible on single carriageway roads.

For me the interesting bit was that the fuel light came on before Killin (245 miles recorded) with much of it on and off the power and in low gear from the single track roads which would slop fuel out of the left and it still managed a further 40+ miles. Riding smoothly on the motorway if you keep the speed down to around 70mph after the light comes on you have to have a range of some 50 miles before it runs dry.:thumb2

Sorry if that's all to sad and retentive for everyone:D
 
Judging by the positive response so far, I think I can safely say that there will be :thumb2

Just a thought Ronno...any chance of making sure it doesn't clash:( with the "Horizons" weekend next year....that's 3rd to 6th July.....
i know it's well in advance but I can book my hols at work a year in advance and Hovis and I want to be at the Gathering for the full weekend next time! :clap

ps it's still piddling down here........
 


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