After a second night in Edinburgh, I took to the road for the last time on my epic journey. I crossed the Forth Road Bridge out of Edinburgh and, with a motorway ban still imposed, I turned onto the A823 leading into Dunfermline. Following this route through Dunfermline requires a fair bit of concentration as the route is not straightforward, but having travelled this way many times over the years, I soon found the road leading north out of Dunfermline signposted to the National Motorsport Centre, at Knockhill.
On a dry day, with little traffic, and in a good car, this road is unbeatable. With a few long straights, brilliantly cambered corners, and fantastic dips and climbs, this road has as much variation and character as the famous racing circuit it passes. The Astra GTC had found a road that was built for it, and every mile just seemed to get better and better, as the sporty hatchback displayed precision and personality, powering through the wilderness towards Perthshire.
North of Yetts o'Muckhart, the road begins to climb through Glendevon. A combination of tight, wooded corners, narrow bridges, and long open stretches meet with approval from the GTC as it's engine sings it's heart out, revelling in the playground it's been let loose in. But the best section of this road is saved to last, and as I reach the summit, the view opens up to reveal the most fantastic descent into Gleneagles.
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| What a view! |
The descent is fast and free-flowing, with visibility clear, allowing some of the wiggles in the road to be straightened out if you pick the right line at the right time. At the foot of the hill, just before the road crosses the A9, there is a tight turn across a narrow bridge, so take it easy at this point.
It would be rude to get this close, and not stop in at the world famous hotel and golf resort, so I turned in for a short break at the magnificent Gleneagles Hotel, before returning to the Dual-Carriageway for my last stint.
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| Gleneagles |
After about 15 minutes on the A9 I finally made it to Perth, and Journey’s End. 18 days and 2500 miles after leaving the Peter Vardy Dealership on Dunkeld Road, I was back, and the fantastic little car, hadn't let me down once. And it truly is a fantastic car. Not only have I become quite attached to it, I have been able to forgive and forget the little things that I criticised on day one. I have become used to the slightly awkward handbrake position on the Sport Model, and the Start-Stop function, which I thought I'd be over-riding all the time. That system is so smooth and quiet that I barely notice the engine cutting out at all at traffic lights. At idle the engine is tremendously quiet anyway, but give it the beans and the sound the car makes is terrific. As a regular visitor to my local Glasgow Chiropractic centre, I was concerned my back would be in all kinds of trouble after a journey like this, but the seats, even in this basic model, were perfectly comfortable, and I had no problems at all.
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| Peter Vardy Perth |
I said I would keep an eye on the thirst of this car. Despite all the eco-features, the car isn't the most frugal of hatchbacks, but then again, you'd probably have to invest in a classic to get more smiles-per-gallon than you get from the Astra GTC. As a Car Delivery Driver I have had the opportunity to drive many great cars, but I can honestly say the Astra GTC is, by far, the most impressive.
And so, after all that, it was time to go home. Now that the journey was over, I decided to lift my self-imposed motorway ban and take the A9 and M80 back to Glasgow.
That plan lasted all of 5 minutes when, mid-way between the Inverlalmond and Broxden Roundabouts, I saw the sign to Crieff.
I couldn't help it. The A85 takes you across Perthshire, through Crieff, and onto Callander, and any serious driver will know where I'm heading now. Just before reaching Callander I turned onto one of the most famous driving routes in Scotland. The Duke's Pass rises from the banks of Loch Achray, through the Trossachs and down a hairpin strewn hill into Aberfoyle. This is a spectacular route on a summer's evening, but even in the misty dusk, it was a tremendously atmospheric drive.
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| The Dukes Pass |
From Aberfoyle, the route south passes Glengoyne Distillery and through Strathblane, before bypassing Mugdock Country Park & reservoir, dropping straight into Milngavie, and along the road known as the “Switchback” to Anniesland in the extreme West of Glasgow.
Twenty minutes later I was home, and while relaxing with a nice warm cuppa, I couldn't help pondering where the Astra GTC was going to take me next.
