British Driving Society - Scottish Branch

2011 was a busy year for us drivers in the Grampian area . You have already read about our drives and events in the first part of the season in earlier newsletters . Here is our news from July onwards.

We had our Grampian two day drive in July, but with this clashing with the SCDA Barskimming competition and the Kirriemuir show this year we did not have so many drivers attending this year in comparison to last year. However, we had three drivers on the Saturday who enjoyed a slightly damp drive from the new parking venue at Glenbervie House, courtesy of Alasdair MacPhie of MacPhie`s of Glenbervie . The new parking venue is in a field adjacent to the historic Glenbervie House so the drivers could get an opportunity of seeing this house and gardens which are only open to the public one day a year. Jane and Ewan MacInnes took Alasdair MacPhie`s mother on their carriage for part of the drive, and the other drivers on the Saturday were Alasdair Govan from Montrose and Ian and Fenella Thornton - Kemsly from Laurencekirk. Drivers had a choice of two routes which took them through to Glen Saugh Farm , and then stewards ferried the drivers back to get their horse lorries parked at Glenbervie House .

On the Sunday there were four drivers who had the choice of two new routes from Glen Saugh Farm into South Drumtochty Forest - with both routes giving scenic views down to the Howe of the Mearns and further south to Strathmore. The weather was dry and sunny on the Sunday and Glen Saugh Farm which is owned and run by the Macaulay Research Institute (now known as the James Hutton Institute) provides us with excellent parking facilities on hard standing ; toilet and shower facilities and barns in which to stable horses. The farm manager, Donald Barrie, and his staff welcomed us back again this year and encourage us to stay overnight . We are using these same parking areas in 2012 for our two day July drive which we have moved to a later weekend in 2012 to avoid clashing with Barskimming. Alasdair MacPhie and his staff at MacPhie`s of Glenbervie annually organise fundraising activities for various local charities so a collection was taken from among the drivers attending this two day drive and £25 was donated to Alasdair MacPhie for a charity of his choice. This two day drive is being organised again in 2012 and we look forward to seeing a good turnout for the drives and for the social events on the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

In August we had 18 turnouts taking part at the very popular dressage , cones and lamplit drive event organised annually by Jane and Ewan MacInnes at Home Farm, Maryculter. The weather kept fair for us and it was a most successful event. This is always a very sociable competition where everyone gets a chance to take part and then drive in the evening with lamps lit along the banks of the River Dee. We do hope that this long running event, organised by Jane MacInnes, will be able to continue for a few more years. It involves a huge amount of work for Jane and Ewan but gives a considerable amount of pleasure to the drivers from Grampian and further afield who take part in this competition and unique lamp lit drive. The barbeque was organised by Chris Delaney who as usual kept us all well fed with a delicious spread .

In September we had a large turnout of 14 drivers at the Fasque House and Fettercairn drive - the biggest turnout of the year for one of our drives. The second biggest turnout was at the Haddo House in May drive where 9 drivers enjoyed that organised by Lynn Terry-Short . The other drive in September was at Innes House but unfortunately we only had three turnouts at the Innes House drive, which is disappointing because it is a very varied but easy route with a chance to drive through the grounds of the historic Innes House which is not open to the public , and then on through farmland and along a section of coastal path adjacent to the Moray Firth and then on through the historic seaside village of Kingston on Spey. Next year we are hoping to have a two day event at Innes House to try and encourage more drivers to take part. The plan is to persuade Iain Green of Corskie Farm , where we park for the Innes House drive, to give us a field and to have a dressage and cones competition on the Saturday afternoon at Corskie and then stay overnight and have the Innes House drive on the Sunday. More to follow about this in the Spring of 2012.

In early October we had our last drive of the season - at Blackhall near Banchory -when we had 8 participants taking part - with everyone enjoying the scenic drive along the private track adjacent to the River Dee before going on to Forestry Commission and Birse Community Trust woodland tracks . A small donation of £10 was given to the Birse Community Trust to recognise their ownership and granting of permission for a section of the route.

A special thank you should be extended to all the landowners and farmers without whose permission these drives and events would not be able to be held. Thank you also to Lynn Terry- Short who annually organises the Haddo House drive and for the loyal team of stewards who regularly and capably assist Anne Macdonald at her drives : these stewards are Sheila Shepherd, Doreen Robertson, Kathleen Sinclair, Eva Brown, Louise Burnett, Liz Duncan, Anne Miller, and Ann and Charlie Stronach, and also Sheila`s son David Shepherd who did all the hard labouring tasks this year of making the drainage ditches over the tracks at Glen Tanar safe for us drivers by filling in the ditches with wooden blocks . Sheila and David then uplifted all the wooden blocks after the drive - a mammoth task on both days .

A large and appreciative audience enjoyed our end of season meeting and stovie supper at the Keithhall Village Hall in November. Jane and Ewan MacInnes gave us a vivid account of their part in the Horses Help Heroes charity carriage drive in which they had participated in June 2011. The drive involved a number of horses and drivers over several weeks making the journey from Lands End to John O`Groats in stages, and was organised to help raise money for our wounded Armed Forces personnel. To keep the military flavour to the fore, the carriage used was a replica First World War horse drawn ambulance. Jane and Ewan took part in this drive with two pairs of their own horses and drove a number of stages in the Argyll area and then from Inverness, north over the Kessock Bridge, to near Dingwall . Jane and Ewan's talk was illustrated with a slide show of photos taken during various parts of the trip.

We are now looking forward to our Grampian BDS events which we have planned for 2012. Here is our list of events. I hope that you all have a Good New Year in 2012 and I hope that we shall see you along at some or all of these events either as drivers, helpers or just to enjoy the picnics and good company.

Ruth Skinner

01464 851204