Following our last Scottish event taking in the superb scenery of Loch Lomond, this year we tackled the industrial heartland of Scotland, home of the Big Yin and deep-fried Mars bars.
Saturday: We started at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. Located at the junction of the rivers Kelvin and Clyde, it houses the city’s fabulous transport and technology collections showing the importance of Glasgow’s heavy industries like shipbuilding, train manufacturing and engineering. Our vehicles were displayed right alongside this iconic building and the Clyde waterfront.
In the afternoon, we headed out on a road run through the city, passing landmarks such as the Finnieston Crane and the People’s Palace.
Saturday evening meal was in the spectacular WEST Brewery. Housed in an imposing building, this brewpub is famous for artisan lagers, wheat beers and traditional German cuisine.
Sunday: This was ‘Drive it Day’ when the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs encourage all owners of classic vehicles to take to the roads. We started the day with a guided tour at the impressive Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust. Their Bridgeton Bus Garage is home to 150 buses, coaches, commercial vehicles and fire appliances. Vehicles range from hulks rescued from scrap yards and awaiting restoration to fully restored and active examples.
We then headed off in convoy on a 35-mile road run arriving early afternoon at the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, home of the Museum of Scottish Railways. The Railway has been developed on a reclaimed site alongside the Firth of Forth and offers visitors nostalgic steam and heritage diesel trains rides as well as Scotland’s largest railway museum. Historic buildings have been re-erected to provide a traditional railway setting. The Museum comprises three large buildings full of historic locomotives, carriages and wagons, as well as models, displays and photographs telling the history of railways in Scotland.
