PICTURES: Inverness Car Show motors its way to success after 5000 people flock to Loch Ness site
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THOUSANDS of people are believed to have visited a performance car show of Loch Ness at the weekend, delighted organisers have said – and they’re promising “bigger and better” next year.
The debut Inverness Car Show took to the fields of the former RockNess concert site in Dores on Sunday.
And, despite some initially damp conditions, weather improved as the day wore on and organisers said the number of visitors rose noticeably once “the rain went off”.
All manner of motoring marvels were present at the show – including high-performance Ferraris and even a DeLorean tricked out to look exactly like Marty and Doc’s time travel vehicle of choice from Back to the Future.
Organiser James Stephen said: “A huge, huge thank you to everyone who attended the first Inverness Car Show, both spectators and show cars! Thousands of you turned up, and braved the rain, which cleared up for the afternoon thankfully!"
"The standard of cars on display was insane, completely blown away by the machinery that you all brought with you.
“Special thanks go to our show sponsors, We Restore Alloys, 8BallTuning, Shirlaw’s Ltd, Specialist Cars Alpine & Autosave Components Scotland!
“And lastly thank you to our team who have been on their feet all day! Few well deserved beers and a feet up for everyone tonight. These shows couldn’t happen without them.
“There is massive potential for next time, and we look forward to the challenge of a 2024 show.”
Reaction from the public was largely positive with a number of visitors describing it as “awesome” and a great day out with some “smashing cars” to enjoy.
Lee Avis said: “Great to see so many different types of cars. Something for everyone to enjoy looking at. Be nice if there were more bikes on show next time.”
And Gwenn Oldroyd was equally pleased: “Was a great day out and smashing cars.”
Michael Hutcheon said: “Was great to see so many cars, especially as the weather held out, after a wet start just as we got there. A lovely setting for it, as I never got to RockNess, but well set out.
“Was great at the end of the show and you pick a gate exit to watch the cars leave – most leaving put on a wee show of performance as they left, [which was] cool to watch and hear. Hope this will be a yearly event out there.”
Some early visitors said the venue was less well attended than they’d expected, although organisers commented that numbers rose after the rain stopped and they’d welcomed around 5000 people by the end of the day – and hope for even bigger numbers in 2024.
The organisers added: “We ended up with several thousand people over the day so delighted how much support we had after the rain went off. Bigger and better next year.”
Indeed, they are particularly optimistic about it becoming an annual event after last weekend’s show exceeded expectations despite the inclement weather and relatively early slot in the tourist season.
They said if they could achieve success in the middle of May then a future slot at the height of the season would have “huge potential”.
