ASOUTH African rugby player was taken on a 300-mile mystery tour of Scotland after a taxi driver misunderstood the requested destination.
Gary Rosewarne had planned to join his team-mates at their hotel in the Wigtownshire village of Port William after flying into Glasgow Airport but the taxi driver took him to the Highland town of Fort William instead.
The 27-year-old Springbok spent eight hours in the cab running up a bill of GBP487.20 after eventually ordering the driver to take him to Port William to join his teammates.
The error unfolded last Friday on the eve of the Seriously Strong Sevens tournament in Wigtown in which his Kentbased team, Aylesford Bulls, were invited to play.
Mr Rosewarne had planned to fly with other squad members from London to Prestwick but because he forgot his passport, which was needed for identification purposes, had to take a separate f light.
The others players arrived safely at their hotel in Port William within three hours of landing in Glasgow.
Lactallis McLelland, the Scottish cheesemaking firm, which was sponsoring the tournament hosted by Newton Stewart rugby club, arranged for a taxi to collect him at Glasgow.
It picked him up at about 7.30pm last Friday. It was only when the player arrived in Fort William and he called his manager to find out where the hotel was that he realised he was in the wrong town.
He told the driver to head for Port William and arrived there at about 3am, despite getting lost on the way and ending up in Dumfries.
After a few hours sleep Mr Rosewarne helped his team to the final of the tournament.
The South African added: "Next time I'm in a Scottish taxi I'll be making sure the driver knows exactly where I'm going from the beginning."
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