Balmoral Highlight On Scottish Malts Tour

ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND – May 4, 2012: Balmoral castle opened its gates to drivers from all over the world this week when 40 classic cars, taking part in this year’s Scottish Malts rally, were allowed into Her Majesty the Queen's Scottish residence.

“Not only was it a great privilege to be allowed to take the cars to such an outstanding venue but the weather was stunning,” said Patrick Burke, joint Managing Director of HERO, the Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation.

The cars has made their way from Turnberry, stopping overnight in Kinloch Rannoch before heading up into the Highlands for two nights in Inverness, visiting some of the most famous whisky distilleries.

Day four saw the cars heading down the shores of loch Ness to Fort William and then via Glencoe to Inveraray.

The teams were flagged off from Turnberry by Jaguar legend Norman Dewis, who had driven on the Grand Prix circuit in Turnberry 60 years before.

Among the cars taking part is the very first right hand drive production Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupe, supplied by Jaguar Cars in August 1961, a 1930 Riley Brooklands 9HP and two Jaguar SS100

“We have attracted some amazing cars from all over the world to take part in this event,” said Tomas de Vargas Machuca, Joint Managing Director of HERO, “and we wanted to make sure that as many people in Scotland as possible see them and enjoy them, so not have we published the main stopping points for the cars but are running a photography competition so that the Scottish public can take pictures of the cars and email them to us. There are two classes, children and young people up to the age of 18, and adults.”

The winners will receive specially engraved cups and other goodies just as the drivers of the event do.

Tomas and his team at HERO are encouraging people to go to the HERO website (www.heroevents.eu) where updates will be given every day and where a full list of the cars can be seen and downloaded.

The event will come to a well-deserved rest back at the Turnberry on the 4th May where the public will get a further chance to see the cars and take pictures for the competition.

Lord Steel of Aikwood (the Honorary HERO Club President) will be present at the Prize Giving Dinner where the drivers are not the only ones to receive a prize, but so too will the Trial winning car that will be parked in the dining room alongside the guests.

The event is the first qualifying round of the much coveted HERO Cup. The club's annual championship which sees the crew that participates in all but one of the HERO Events for 2012, scoring the lowest number of penalties, win a week on board the 95 ft. S/Y Orianda cruising in the Mediterranean