Burns Night In The BMW i5

An effortless 400-mile trip from London to Scotland in the new BMW i5 – the first all-electric 5 Series.

Burns Night In The BMW i5

JT –  Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!

J-TP – Are you talking to me, or the haggis?

Ah, you noticed. It’s Burns Night, so you can blame Robbie Burns for the ‘Address to a Haggis’. There are another 46 lines to his ‘humorous’ poem, you know…

I do know – and also the fact that some 25 percent of Americans think a haggis is a wild animal. Even so, our drive to Scotland in the utterly brilliant BMW i5 begins at a hotel with a very real connection to Scotland.

Brown’s in Mayfair claims to be the oldest luxury hotel in London. Founded in 1832, it’s kept the same name and location for almost 200 years. Former guests include President Roosevelt, Agatha Christie and Rudyard Kipling. However, the Albemarle Street venue is also famous for the first telephone call ever made in Britain, in 1876.

And that will be Alexander Graham Bell. The great Scottish-born, American inventor made his call to the London home of the Ford family. A major moment in telecommunication history; there’s a replica of the phone in one of the rooms at Brown’s.

If you like old school charm and first-rate service, Rocco Forte-owned Brown’s is one of the best. This place isn’t razzle and bling – it’s far too classy for that. Expect welcoming doormen in top hats, an open fire in the foyer and the sound of a grand piano as afternoon tea is served in the Drawing Room.

Staff are impeccable and the homely feel is just what you need after wandering the bustling streets of Mayfair. Much of the décor in the public areas is best-described as high-end eclectic, while the bedrooms are sumptuously kitted out for the more discerning traveller.

The sense of history oozes from the wood panelling, enhanced by exotic floral wallpaper and glittering chandeliers. Graham Bell chose the right place.

The front hall at Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair (Janos Grapow)

Visiting today he might have found inspiration in Donovan’s Bar, named after the celebrity photographer who famously photographed the late Queen. The room is lined with his fantastic photos. For supper, neighbouring Charlie’s at Brown’s is the place to be and be seen.

Yes, restaurants in hotels don’t always live up to expectations but this rather theatrical venue is well worth the spend. Oh, and Charlie’s is named after Lord Charles Forte, not the cartoon hound!

This is classic British cooking at its best. The menu has been created by Michelin-starred Adam Byatt and service is first class – with an extensive wine list to match and epic cocktails.

Difficult to tear yourself away but we have a road trip to make. The BMW i5 is a deeply impressive car, with a quality cabin, swift performance and a real-world range of around 280 miles. That’s not enough to complete the drive to Edinburgh in one hit. It’s worth noting that rivals from Mercedes and Audi offer more electric range.

The petrol-powered 5 Series has always been a popular model, in saloon or Touring estate form. The new electric i5 looks almost identical. However, not everybody has been complimentary about the robust front grille, or slab-like rear-end.

An acquired taste but despite the extra weight of the batteries in the electric i5, the car still handles like a sporty BMW. It should appeal to enthusiastic drivers more than the electric Mercedes EQE, for example.

Choose from two battery-powered models. The eDrive40 is rear-wheel drive only, while the M60 xDrive Touring we drove is more powerful and offers four-wheel drive. Very handy with a potent 593hp available!

The i5 is loaded with BMW technology – sensors, radars and cameras are standard. Just what you might expect from a car starting at around ££67,000 and topping out at well over £100,000. In fact, with all the extras fitted to our Fire Red test car – adaptive suspension, panoramic glass roof and much more – the price was over £116,000.

It devoured our high-speed A1/M1 drive to another Rocco Forte hotel – The Balmoral. We stopped for one charge along the way and arrived at one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious addresses in just over eight hours.

Bustling Princes Street can be hectic, so it was a relief to see a posse of Balmoral doormen, some in kilts – chilly! Once a railway hotel with direct access to nearby Waverley Station, car parking is at a premium here. Thankfully, a nearby multi-storey has EV chargers installed and the doormen take care of that, too.

So, we’ve visited The Balmoral before and service has only improved over the years. The lavish entrance hall is a haven of calm on the doorstep of the city’s busiest shopping area. The grand interior is a riot of pillars and classic columns, with dome-ceiling tearoom Palm Court the icing on the cake.

Yes, had this Victorian pile been built in Robert Burns’ day, there’s no doubt he would have been a regular. Edinburgh locals help give Bar Prince a lively air, while Scotch bar offers drinkers a choice of over 500 whiskies to celebrate Burns Night. Guests can book in for a tasting session too.

And for food, if your budget doesn’t stretch as far as the menu in classy Number One restaurant, Brasserie Prince is a less formal affair. Naturally, afternoon tea is served in Palm Court with bone china, while the bar food in Bar Prince is excellent.

For a room with a view, try one of the suites facing Edinburgh Castle. Ours had a working fireplace and, as the sunset on the city, the tartan-clad furniture and chic soft furnishings all added to the atmosphere. Oh, and this hotel is very dog-friendly too.

Originally built in 1902 for the North British Railway Company, The Balmoral is now a flagship of the Rocco Forte portfolio. Like us, you might find it difficult to leave the building, especially with a new spa on the horizon and a bracing wind outside.

Yes, even on a ‘braw, bricht moonlicht nicht’, you might be very grateful for the heated seats and steering wheel in a BMW i5…

DISCOVER

For more information on Browns and The Balmoral, visit roccofortehotels.com

Discover more about the BMW i5 at bmw.co.uk