The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Off the beaten track in magnificent machines
This weekend the Royal Deeside Motor Show will return to Kincardine Castle and Estate where car enthusiasts will be able to experience a day of all things motoring, with everything from rare and vintage vehicles to heavy haulage and agricultural machines.
One of the star attractions will be the Buchan Off Road Drivers Club (BORDC), who will be there with their fleet of off-road vehicles ranging from Land Rovers to Suzuki Jimnys.
The locally-based group will offer a unique driving experience for visitors, allowing newcomers to strap in and feel what it’s like to travel over tough terrain.
And it’s not just for adults, either.
Parents, carers and guardians can take their little ones with them, too, with child seats fitted for those who want to make it a full family experience.
In fact, the fundraising safari will put children and family at the heart of the event, with all money raised going to Children 1st, Scotland’s national children’s charity – and all for a suggested charitable donation of £2.50 per ride, and £10 for a more involved off-road safari.
“That’s an aspect that I am very passionate about,” says Alistair Tong, the club’s competition secretary.
“My brother Andy was in the club. He’s involved in rallies and various aspects of motorsports, and he’d tell you that off-roading is probably the least expensive way of getting into motorsports.
“But the reason I started was simply for something that my son and I could do together on a Sunday – and now mum comes along.
“I organise the Tyros (events suitable for beginners and juniors) and Nicola and Matthew drive in them.”
Moving to Kincardine O’Neill almost five years ago, Alistair and his wife now own and run the village store and post office which allows him more time for his hobby and for the family.
In fact, the club encourages all family members to get involved, says Alistair, and is welcoming to people of mixed abilities and experience levels.
“When I started out I had been driving tractors and vans for a long time but when I had my first experience I had one of the seasoned guys sat beside me and telling me what to do,” he adds.
Working with landlords, farmers, Forestry and Land Scotland, Motor Sport UK, environmental and wildlife agencies, the club takes in some of the finest northeast countryside in its offroading pursuits while still maintaining environmental and safety standards.
Most recently, BORDC worked with RSPB Scotland to ensure a planned route avoided any potential disturbance or damage to nesting birds and wildlife.
Alistair says: “We really are considerate to that – we stay away from water courses, we don’t go splashing through rivers, and we don’t go destroying streams, because ultimately all we would do is upset the landowner and SEPA, and then we wouldn’t be able to do what we want to do, which is to have fun responsibly.”
The club uses various sites but Kincardine Estate is one of their favourites.
“It’s a massive wood and there’s several hundred acres that we can lose ourselves in on a Sunday, or there’s lots of small area that farmers allows us to use,” says Alistair.
BORDC have built up a strong relationship with the lairds at Kincardine Estate over the years and together they have worked to help create a track that can test drivers while protecting the integrity of the landscape.
In the drive for clean air, the old vehicles could seem out of place but, in fact, the club works hard to minimise its footprint and – as club chairman Andy Tong points out – very little fuel will be used during the day.
After an afternoon spent with the club at the site where they had gathered for a safety briefing ahead of the motor show, it was time to get inside a vehicle and see what it was like to go off-roading.
In the expert hands of Andy, we took a trip around the track, specially designed with deep trenches, steep pitches and bouldered areas where the vehicle moved slowly but surely.
As we made our way up to the higher track, Andy explained how the driver handled conditions and the adaptations made to vehicles to allow them to cope with the terrain.
Stopping for a quick chat with the laird – also a club member and on whose land
the show is held – we headed to the crest of the hill where people would be taken for a more extended trip, to reveal a view over the glorious landscape of Royal Deeside.
It’s a perfect setting to enjoy these magnificent machines.
After that there was nothing else left but to get behind the wheel of a Land Rover and try it for myself.
With the competent and patient Alistair instructing on my left, I took on the smaller course, finding myself at a slow crawl along a trench, before staring down a steep pitch.
Although a slightly odd feeling at first, I took a second round of the track and felt more confident.
It was clear Alistair knew the vehicle’s capabilities extremely well, with a level of knowledge that would be reassuring to any beginner.
Despite the slow speeds, pitches and dips, the experience was quite addictive – not an unusual response for those who try off-roading, it seems.
“As soon as anyone steps in the door of the club, they are more than welcome,” says Alistair, assuring me that even people without vehicles can still experience off-roading as a passenger on orienteering days.
“The best way to start is simply to come along and see for yourself – we’ll help you as much as you want to develop your capabilities and competence, and the sky’s they limit as to how far you want to take it.”
The Royal Deeside Motor Show will offer a first taste, and the club is always happy to welcome new members.
“It gets you outside with like-minded people, and there’s friendship and camaraderie,” says Alistair. “It really is just good fun.”