23 APRIL (ST GEORGE'S DAY): ullapool to fort William
OS Map:
This could be a day of rest and thankfulness - or not!
We shall be staying at the Alexandra Hotel in Fort William for the night.
Rest and Be Thankful Hill Climb is a defunct hill climb course in Glen Croe, Argyll, Scotland. The first known use of the road for a hill climb was in 1906. The event used to run as a National counter in the British Hill Climb Championship.
In 1952 Motor Sport described the course: "The three danger spots on this course which is 1,425 yards long, and rises over 400 feet, are Stone Bridge, Cobblers Corner and the hairpin bend at the finish and of course there is always the occasional sheep that has to be driven off the road."
On July 1, 1961 Jackie Stewart drove a Ford 105E-engined Marcos at an event here. He said: "it's a special place for me, the cradle of my life in motor racing."
In 1970 Motor wrote: "The Rest, the famous Scottish Rest and Be Thankful Hill climb, will be used for the last time this year. Like many long established venues, time has overtaken it from the safety angle. A lot of money needs to be spent on barriers and banks and the Royal Scottish Automobile Club who run the National Open Hill Climb there say it will cost far too much; so this year it will only be used by clubs for restricted events and then no more."
The venue has also been used for rally special stages and classic car events. The "Friends of the Rest" are working to revive the course (2009).
We used it in 2007 and the road was pretty rough and broken up by then. But if the course has been 'revived', maybe we will have smoother roads and faster times. (I hope!)