E30 325i Cabrio - Roadtrip round Scotland - Pics/write up.
Discussion
Earlier in the year the girlfriend and I did a trip up to Scotland. She's Scottish, studied up there and came down to London following her training. As such, she doesn't really see her family (parents/3 sisters) very often. Moreover, her dog of the last 10 years (if not longer) was quite unwell with some kind of mouth tumour so she wanted to see him before the inevitable. 
As a result, I felt it would be a nice gesture that when we finally got some holiday at the same time (very difficult when you're both in the medical profession) we'd have a week away up in Scotland, see her family and have a little time for ourselves to relax.
The E30 was as ever up for the task. Minimal prep work needed: check the oil and ensure the tyres were reasonable and inflated appropriately (upper end of normal to aid economy!). I've done 30k on the E30 since purchasing. In fact the first ever big drive in that car (on day 2!) was from South Queensferry back to London. Apart from the silly battery drain issue (now sorted with a proper Bosch Silver) it has been great - Cornwall, France, Italy, Switzerland - all handled with no issue.
The girlfriend's parents live in Peebles by the borders. The plan was to spend a couple of days there. From there over to Loch Lomond for a few days relaxation. After that Stirling, St Andrews, Loch Ness, Kirkcaldy and Elgin were all on the list. There are many many pictures, trying only to include a few so it doesn't get boring for the non photo people.
The drive up the A1(M) was problem free. Once off the dual carriageway the roof had to go down! Chilly as f
k but with the heater on max, hat, scarf and jacket it wasn't too bad. 
At the border itself:
Peebles itself is a rather small village. Admittedly, not much to do there except walk in the freezing cold. Laura thought it was mild, I couldn't feel my limbs - go figure. At least some opportunities for some shots by the River Tweed.
After a couple of days in Peebles, we moved on to Loch Lomond. This is actually somewhere I had visited briefly a few years back the day I purchased the car. Same car, different girl! We stayed at a lovely place called the Cameron House. Expensive but very very nice. Great rooms, super service, brilliant restaurant. If you get the opportunity to visit I'd certainly recommend it for a romantic weekend away.
We spent a couple of days exploring the Loch and the surrounding Trossachs National park. Some stunning views, quaint little pubs and hearty pub lunches. Very nice indeed. Also, some good photo ops.
A lake in a little village called Luss. Shame the sky wasn't so overcast.
Some stunning views, using the ultra-wide. Unfortunately, just felt I couldn't do it justice.
Car was brilliant, hit bang on 170k!
Next on the visiting list was Dundee (to see her gran) via Stirling. The plan was to visit the castle in the morning, however the combination of the freezing weather and a frankly extortionate entry fee meant a quick browse and retreat to the warm heater of the car.
Wallace Monument in the distance as taken from Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce
After Dundee we carried on out drive concluding the day in the lovely town of St Andrews. Lots of history, plenty of students and some quaint streets. Spent a day there wandering around.
From there, Loch Ness was the next stop with a view to driving up to conclude in Elgin to see her sister.
By this point in time the car was looking absolutely filthy!
I'm sure it used to be white!
The rather charming Urquhart Castle on the side of the Loch
I spy with my little eye...
The holiday concluded with us visiting Fort William, the base of Ben Nevis and the frankly stunning Glen Coe. Some absolutely fabulous roads up in Scotland and although I may have been grudging in seeing the relatives, the roads/driving experience more than made up for it.
Some shots from around Fort William and Glen Coe
Total, 7 days 1470 miles.
Euro write up still to come. Sorry, I've been lazy, new job and all that.
As a result, I felt it would be a nice gesture that when we finally got some holiday at the same time (very difficult when you're both in the medical profession) we'd have a week away up in Scotland, see her family and have a little time for ourselves to relax.
The E30 was as ever up for the task. Minimal prep work needed: check the oil and ensure the tyres were reasonable and inflated appropriately (upper end of normal to aid economy!). I've done 30k on the E30 since purchasing. In fact the first ever big drive in that car (on day 2!) was from South Queensferry back to London. Apart from the silly battery drain issue (now sorted with a proper Bosch Silver) it has been great - Cornwall, France, Italy, Switzerland - all handled with no issue.
The girlfriend's parents live in Peebles by the borders. The plan was to spend a couple of days there. From there over to Loch Lomond for a few days relaxation. After that Stirling, St Andrews, Loch Ness, Kirkcaldy and Elgin were all on the list. There are many many pictures, trying only to include a few so it doesn't get boring for the non photo people.
The drive up the A1(M) was problem free. Once off the dual carriageway the roof had to go down! Chilly as f
k but with the heater on max, hat, scarf and jacket it wasn't too bad. At the border itself:
Peebles itself is a rather small village. Admittedly, not much to do there except walk in the freezing cold. Laura thought it was mild, I couldn't feel my limbs - go figure. At least some opportunities for some shots by the River Tweed.
After a couple of days in Peebles, we moved on to Loch Lomond. This is actually somewhere I had visited briefly a few years back the day I purchased the car. Same car, different girl! We stayed at a lovely place called the Cameron House. Expensive but very very nice. Great rooms, super service, brilliant restaurant. If you get the opportunity to visit I'd certainly recommend it for a romantic weekend away.
We spent a couple of days exploring the Loch and the surrounding Trossachs National park. Some stunning views, quaint little pubs and hearty pub lunches. Very nice indeed. Also, some good photo ops.
A lake in a little village called Luss. Shame the sky wasn't so overcast.
Some stunning views, using the ultra-wide. Unfortunately, just felt I couldn't do it justice.
Car was brilliant, hit bang on 170k!
Next on the visiting list was Dundee (to see her gran) via Stirling. The plan was to visit the castle in the morning, however the combination of the freezing weather and a frankly extortionate entry fee meant a quick browse and retreat to the warm heater of the car.
Wallace Monument in the distance as taken from Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce
After Dundee we carried on out drive concluding the day in the lovely town of St Andrews. Lots of history, plenty of students and some quaint streets. Spent a day there wandering around.
From there, Loch Ness was the next stop with a view to driving up to conclude in Elgin to see her sister.
By this point in time the car was looking absolutely filthy!
I'm sure it used to be white!
The rather charming Urquhart Castle on the side of the Loch
I spy with my little eye...
The holiday concluded with us visiting Fort William, the base of Ben Nevis and the frankly stunning Glen Coe. Some absolutely fabulous roads up in Scotland and although I may have been grudging in seeing the relatives, the roads/driving experience more than made up for it.
Some shots from around Fort William and Glen Coe
Total, 7 days 1470 miles.
Euro write up still to come. Sorry, I've been lazy, new job and all that.
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