[PapaBravo]

Bhpians Blackpearl (Sumitro) & Teesta (Rajsri) had shifted base from Kolkata to London around January last year. Since then, plan for a UK road trip together was on the cards. But the plan was getting procrastinated indefinitely till we got an ultimatum from Rajsri somewhere around January to book it asap. Booked the ticket with an airline which would go bankrupt 2 months after us booking the ticket. Yes, it was booked with Jet. The tickets got automatically cancelled and the refund was scheduled within a month. That money we haven't received as I type this TL. In the hope that I would get that money back someday, booked another set of tickets on our national carrier Air India for the same dates. The Visa center looked like a scene from Mahakumbh, thanks to the world cup rush to UK, but we got our visas on time and we were ready to set foot on the land of the queen.

Taking off from Delhi on the Maharaja Dreamliner



English Channel crossed and the first view of the UK.



And we were finally in London with Thames
& Tower bridge below



And the congested (only from above) zone 1. You can spot the London Eye in this click.



Soon we were involved in a nail biting race with Singapore Airlines



Which we lost since this guy was already there when we reached

We landed around 1845 hrs GMT, after a 19 hours long journey & were out of the airport by 2030 hrs. This is when we got our first surprise. As per my last discussion with Sumitro before we took off, we had planned to take the car on rental from the day we landed since his Mini will not be able to stuff all of us with luggage. Our first choice of car was Volvo XC60 since we wanted an SUV for our road trip across UK. A series of Good & Bad news followed :

Bad News : Volvo XC60 was not available

Good News : BMW X5 available as a substitute

Bad News : Not even one person out of 4 of us were a fan of X5. So lets go for a sedan.

Good News : Merc C Class is available.

Final Good News : Sumitro & Rajsri have dumped the C Class and upgraded to Jaguar F-Pace R Sport.

A shining grey F-Pace was waiting for us in the parking. This car looked so beautiful that the extra money spent seemed worth it. We reached their home at 9.30 pm and slept around 12.30 after staying awake for almost 24 hours (it is difficult for me to get sleep in the aircraft). Next day morning we were greeted by beautiful breakfast spread by Rajsri & awful Jet lag by our bodies. The breakfast won the tussle and we ready for food within minutes

The Breakfast Spread

The first day was dedicated to Tower Bridge and surroundings. While our hosts attended office we were out of our house by 11 to witness one of the most famous bridges in the world. Took the tube and reached tower hill station.

Outside Rajsri & Sumitro's place in London



Posing with Blackpearl's Red Mini



Taking the Tube

We soon realised that along with our luggage we had also got the Indian weather to London. There was a heatwave and temperatures were soaring to as high as 37 degrees. The record for London if I am not wrong is just a degree more. Walking to the bridge at 12 noon in that sun felt no less than walking in Delhi heat to see Qutub Minar. Okay, not that hot but you get the drift. After spending nearly 2 hours there and picking up a meal we decided to see Kohinoor at the Tower of London. As soon as we approached it, we saw a long queue to enter. With so much of heat and tiredness due to Jet lag we gave it a miss. Will probably see Kohinoor once it is back in India. Kidding !!

The iconic Tower Bridge



Just in case you don't know the name and confuse it with Golden Gate !!



Some pictures around the Tower Bridge area









Two Brit icons, The red bus & the bridge



The Tourist Hop on Hop off bus



Tower of London



The tallest building of London, "The Shard" behind the Tower of London

Since we very tired this day we decided to go back home & rest. Took the tube back & the a bus because walking back from tube station in that sun was not something we were looking forward to.

contd..

[PapaBravo]

Well the name of the travelogue says F-Pace and there has been no picture of it yet in the TL, so let me introduce our vehicle for 6 days. This car was going to be with us for the whole Scotland trip which was starting the same night.

Sumitro, Rajsri , Meghna & I have done numerous trips together. Our last one to Meghalaya is penned down here. (Mesmerising Meghalaya in a Duster & Thar) . Sumitro & I are comfortable driving long distances overnight without any problems. Our highest together has been 27.5 hrs drive to Pelling from Kolkata. So this 1100 km journey to the Scottish Highlands was going to be an easy one.

The car packed to the brim



And the ODO before the start.

Before leaving London, we made a dash to Alamo our car rental agency to add me as an additional driver. This was done in 10 minutes & we were off to Scotland. Sumitro was driving & I was getting a crash course on the basic rules and etiquette of driving in the UK. We made several stops in the services & I took over from Sumitro around midnight. This where I had underestimated long drives in UK. The motorways are usually 6 or 8 lane. You keep driving in a lane for hours together, only moving to fast lane for overtaking. With everybody going at the same speed and no cyclewalas & stray animals to keep you entertained, sleep comes crawling in. Just 2 hours into the drive I started feelings sleepy (after all I had slept for only 5 hours in the last 48 hours). Parked the car at one of the services and gave the wheel to Sumitro. Took a long 3 hour nap at the backseat & woke up fresh for another inning.

Stop at one of the Services for coffee



At the Break of Dawn





Some posing with the Big Daddy at a Fuel Bunk.



A Kenworth truck standing nearby

Soon we were off the Motorway & proceeded towards our first destination for the day, Luss Village on the banks of Loch Lomond. We stopped at Tarbet tea room nearby for breakfast.

Tarbet Tea Room





The road approaching Tea Room



Parked





The Breakfast



Ready for Breakfast

Happy faces after getting their tummy full from Tarbet





Driving to Luss



And we are here



One of the beautiful houses in Luss

Contd...

[PapaBravo]

After finishing breakfast, we passed through Luss village and stopped at the lake side for some photo sessions

The ladies



The whole gang



And one of us

After spending some quality time at Loch Lomond we started for our destination called Bonar Bridge some 60kms north of Inverness. The lunch was planned at a town called Pitlochry by our Master Planner Rajsri. Usually it is Rajsri & I who do the planning for all our trips while Sumitro & Meghna only believe in tension free enjoyment. This time I had joined the gang of Sumitro & Meghna and it was only Rajsri who had planned the whole trip meticulously. So as directed by our trip director we made our next food stop at Pitlochry.

Driving through B roads





A VW Scirocco with a fancy plate



Some snaps of Pitlochry town





Ladies busy choosing what to order



And the food arrives

After a good meal at Pitlochry, we headed for our next stop which was our B&B where we would stay for two nights. We stopped at a bunk for fuel refill. The scene we saw there a treat for both Sumitro & me. There were Land Rover Defenders parked in dozens.

The colorful Defenders





Sumitro happy to see so many of them together



Back again on the road with me on the passenger seat



And Sumitro drivers seat




Faced a bit of Jam with good view upfront

We were soon on the A9 highway which is the main road which goes to the highlands. The scenery was changing drastically. The Highlands are beautiful. They are usually brown in color but we were there in the green season. The meadows were simply outstanding.

Entering the Highlands

Twinning with another F Pace

We were finally at our B&B after a long 1000 kms haul and multiple stops. The B&B was a small cottage atop a small hill near the Bonar Village.

Parked for the Day

And the Sun goes down

Got fresh, finished our late night chat sessions and finally went off to sleep.

[PapaBravo]

The plan for Day 2 was to visit Isle of Skye. The round trip to Isle of Skye from Bonar was around 600 kms. Meghna had prepared lovely breakfast for us all. So we got up early, filled our tummies and started for the Isle. Well, not actually. We clicked a lot of photos before leaving the B&B since the whole setting was very beautiful.

Such a beautiful setting



The trail leading to our B&B



Tripod getting used



Sumitro playing with the sheep dog



Rajsri trying to get into a frame with this restless dog



The Ladies

On our way to the Isle, we found very beautiful spot with a small stream and a walking bridge over it. With the backdrop of highlands a photo op became necessary. Few clicks at this place where we took a break on the way to Isle of Skye

Meghna & Rajsri going down the Bridge



More human clicks















The photographers getting photographed



Yes, we were twinning



The whole gang



And lastly a selfie

By the time we reached Isle of Skye, it had started raining, talk about Scotland weather. Our dreams of seeing clear blue sea under sunshine were gone now. Nevertheless, the Isle of Skye did not disappoint. Isle of Skye is like the Highlands coming to an abrupt end with the sea beyond it. It truly feels like the end of the world. Pictures actually don't do justice to this place, we clicked them anyway .

The Panoramic view





The small dots you see on that land mass behind. Yes, they are humans. That is grandeur.



Some more posing

Done with the view & the highland midges (trust me, they are more irritating than Indian mosquitoes) we made our way to Talisker distillery in Carbost & then to the biggest town of Isle of Skye, Portree. Little did I know that Portree was going to be the most beautiful town that I would see in the UK.

Made by the sea



Portree Town

[PapaBravo]

We had planned to finish our dinner at Portree but to our surprise, most of the restaurants in the town had already closed. The one place we found open had people crowding it like the highland midges. Given our repulsion to anything related to midges, we got our food packed in a jiffy and made a dash to our B&B at Bonar. Sumitro had caught a bit of cold & was sleeping while Rajsri & Meghna were giving him company in doing that even in the absence of any illness . This was one of the drive when the whole car was in silence with mild music playing. The roads where ghat-like and foggy at places. The sun had gone down. The combination of music, car, empty road made this one of my best drives of the trip.

The roads in the Highlands



Now you know why James Bond is so fond of the Highlands



Jag clicked at Multiple places on our return

The day was really long and all of us hit the bed after quickly finishing dinner. Day 2 had come to an end and also the longer drives with it. From Day 3, the drives were comparatively relaxed. This day our plan was to visit Inverness & Loch Ness. This day we were checking out of our B&B as well. We had booked another B&B near Loch Lomond for one night. As usual, the day started with some more photography & we were on our way to Inverness.

Ready to roll for the day







And we are on the road again



A small stop on the way



At Inverness

Quality time spent at Inverness town and we were off to find the monster at Loch Ness. We stopped at a small town on the way and witness the swing bridge in action at the Caledonian Canal. This canal system is almost 200 hundred years old and is still in operation.

Some facts about the Canal



The Boats in the Canal





Nessie claims this land



Coffee break



One can cruise on the Loch Ness as well



Trying to spot the monster



Rajsri & Sumitro at the Loch



Along with the Jag



The Exhibition Center



The Caledonian Canal Centre

Now this was our last day in the highlands. We stopped in between just to soak in the magnificence of the place. The night halt as stated above was near Loch Lomond in an old mansion called Ardoch House. The directions to this place took us a another house that had a big board infront of it say "This is not your B&B" . We finally got the correct place. The trail to this place was quite amazing as well.

Saying Goodbye to the Highlands





Trail to the B&B





And the welcome at the Ardoch House





Disclaimers ahead !!



And finally parked for the day

So now it was end of Day 3 along with an end our brush with the beautiful countryside of Scotland.

[PapaBravo]

This was our last day in Scotland. The plan was simple, visit Edinburgh & head back home. The drive was comparatively longer so we had to finish Edinburgh by 3pm. Left our B&B reached Edinburgh by 10.30. Parked the car and decided to cover the city on foot. The first stop was the St. Giles Cathedral & the Royal mile. There was a whisky experience center where all the whiskies from Scotland were showcased. After roaming around the city we sat in the oldest pub of Edinburgh for Lunch.

A common sight in Edinburgh



At the Cathedral & Royal Mile







The Distillery Map of Scotland



And one of the most expensive whisky we displayed there. In case you missed it, its 30,000 pounds



A Bagpiper



Edinburgh Castle



A beautifully specced Defender on the streets of Edinburgh



At the oldest pub of Edinburgh, The White Hart Inn



Some history about it



Diving back home





Good Bye Scotland. You were amazing !!

The Scotland Chapter ended and the London chapter started. All this whole there one thing bugging the ladies. There had been no shopping sprees during the whole trip. As soon as we reached London, the ladies went all out in shopping with Rajsri showing us the way in all the shopping districts in London. The usual tourist circuits were also included in the itinerary to keep me entertained.

Ready for Shopping



A church near our residence



Clicking random things while the ladies shop



Coffee break at this cafe right in front of Harrods.





Houses of Parliament



Big Ben was under scaffolding and this is what we could see



London Eye



Westminster Abbey

All this while we were not able to see London l,it at night because we used to get tired and return home by 9 pm. Yes, there was ample daylight till 9.30-10pm. So it was decided that one day we would be going on a night ride just to see everything lit at night.

Some pictures of our night excursion











Chelsea Bridge

[PapaBravo]

On bhpian Sayantan's (GhostRider28) recommendation, one day was dedicated to Greenwich. On our first visit to the tower bridge we had seen Thames River Cruise terminal near the bridge. The plan was to go to Tower bridge and take a return journey cruise to Greenwich. The cruise is 30 min each way. Throughout the journey, the crew keeps you entertained with stories related to the wharfs nearby. There is a lot of history to Thames and its wharfs, so one cannot exhaust the number of topics. 30 minutes pass by very fast and you are at the Greenwich Pier. The 19th century British Clipper Ship, Cutty Sark is displayed at the Pier. From the pier it is a 20 min walk to the Royal Observatory where the Prime meridian is located. The last 10 min is an upward climb to the hill. We could not get into the observatory since it was getting closed by the time we reached there. Nevertheless, the views from the hilltop were amazing., You could see the financial district of London, Canary Wharf right in front of you. The while skyline of London is visible from this place.

Waiting for the Cruise



Got better views of the bridge from the Pier



The River Cruise



The historical wharfs



Canary Wharf from the river



The Greenwich Pier



And the Cutty Sark



A small museum under Cutty Sark with a model of the ship



Greenwich Market



The view from Greenwich



Photobombed like a boss while Tripod clicks.



And finally the Prime Meridian

[PapaBravo]

There were 3 days left for our vacation to end & we had one last 'trip' up our sleeves, Cotswold & Oxford. If you google Cotswold you would find that it says Cotswold AONB. AONB stands for Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Brits have given the AONB title to some places in England. We wanted to experience this much talked about natural beauty. Our Journey Started on a Friday morning with a stop at Bicester Village for shopping. Bicester Village is basically a small village near Oxford where all the big brands from the world have a Discount Outlet.

Some of the Stores in Bicester

After finishing our shopping at Bicester, we proceeded to Cotswold. As we entered Cotswold, I realized that the natural beauty was not as outstanding as it was made out to be. But the place has an old world charm. The architecture is superb. A lot of Londoners have a place here. I really like the way it takes you back a few decades. Take a look at the pictures below

Yes, this was clicked a month back



A Red Triumph



A beautiful house



Another weird looking car



A small monument



A place for us Bhpians



Welcomed by the most eco-friendly Mini





Some street shopping in progress



Porch House, Our lunch place & the Oldest Pub of England





Sumitro & Rajsri at Bibury

After spending two days in Cotswold, we headed back to London via Oxford. We stopped there for lunch but since we liked the place we did a small walking tour of that place as well

The architecture



Please Obey

We left oxford early since we had to catch the flight back to India the next morning. Reached London by evening & spent the last few hours packing & chatting.

Our trip had come to end and so does this travelogue.

All Set to go

This was one our best trips. Visited almost the whole of UK, went on a 3500 kms road trip & enjoyed these 2 weeks a lot. Would like to thank Meghna, Rajsri & Sumitro for being such great travelmates.

Hope you guys enjoy the Travelogue as well !! Do PM me for any queries & I will be at your service.

Ending the TL with a lost photo of our friend from UK

Cheers,

Pawan

[Rudra Sen]

Mod note: Thread moved to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing.

[GhostRider28]

That's an engaging piece of travelogue, and the beautiful pictures do more of the talking - brings back a flood of memories! A fantastic trip, but I still maintain that you should have included the university town of Cambridge.

[ajmat]

Nice travelogue! Noticed the ladies were not wearing seat belts in the back or I hope this was a stationary shot. Else it is a fineable offence!

[Dry Ice]

Lovely read! Seems like you guys are keeping up the marathon runs even outside the country. At this rate, one can probably cover the whole of UK in a week or two.

BTW, how did you find negotiating the multi lane roundabouts?

[SS-Traveller]

Beautifully penned and photographed travelogue, Pawan. Enjoyed going through it at one go. So Meghna & you now have a new qualification / status, one that folks from Bengal had hankered for since the last 300 years - বিলেত ফেরত!

[Abhinav V]

It must have been great fun driving that Jaaaag. I really enjoyed reading this t-log
It was quite refreshing. I am now filled with more motivation and positivity than ever before, after reading this.
Some other day, I will get a chance to drive such a wonderful car at such a wonderful place.
But I hope that day comes before Petrol/diesel cars get replaced by electric ones

[BlackPearl]

A lovely travelogue and one of your best @PapaBravo! Rated 5 stars. I was literally re-living the moments while going through it. I still believe that you guys should have spent more time here.

Throughout the trip I have been accused of carrying a big DSLR and 3 lenses which were confined inside the camera bag most of the time. So here is an opportunity to redeem myself by posting a few pictures Some of the pictures have been taken with the iPhone XS Max as well.

I bought a Nikon 70-300mm lens just before the trip. Though it is not a portrait lens, still tried to take a few with it.





Pic Credit - Pawan


Pic Credit - Pawan


Attempted for an artistic one



A couple of group pictures taken with a tripod -






A curious kid observing a bunch of bees




Quite a few landscape pictures in no particular order -









Can you spot the Defenders? Any random click in the Scottish highlands will capture one or two Defenders in the frame. Such is the popularity of this cult vehicle in the north.


















After coming back from the trip I found out that most of the pictures I had taken were of the F-Pace. Posting a few out of several hundred -











A cat came to say hello to the big cat!





Jaguar logo everywhere!





The smile is proof of how much I enjoyed driving the F-Pace