When Pushkar and Mugdha decided to visit the UK, the idea of a Scotland road trip was born. Tavchya, took charge of planning the itinerary, booking the Airbnbs and creating a theme for the trip. This wasn't going to be about ticking off tourist attractions. It was going to be about hunting down some of Scotland's rarest and most unique whisky distilleries across Speyside, Forres, Fort William, Loch Ness and beyond.
I must confess, I was slightly nervous at first. A week with a bunch of strong-headed friends? Some openly opinionated, others quietly convinced they were always right! This was the gang of friends from our MBBS undergraduate days.
But the excitement of reconnecting won.
Years ago, we had explored Scotland with one mission: walking, climbing and conquering Ben Nevis. This time the only things we planned to conquer were distilleries. A much kinder itinerary for our hearts, lungs, knees and ageing joints... although perhaps not quite as kind to our stomachs, livers and taste buds!
The adventure began with drama. Barely had we left home when we spotted a crack in the windscreen.
"What on earth?"' झाले..माशी शिंकली!! Said my Minglish heart..
We were about to drive through hundreds of miles of Scottish Highlands, and our car had decided to develop character. Kiran calmly declared it wasn't a full-thickness crack and we'd be fine.
Did I believe him? Of course not.
I immediately consulted the all-knowing Gemini. Gemini agreed with Kiran.
Kiran turned towards me with that priceless expression that simply said, "I told you so."
And thus our holiday officially began.
We reached Tavchya's home in Manchester, met Sandeep and Manisha, and finally met Shaunak and Avanti, probably the cutest and smiliest couple on the planet. Within minutes it felt as though we'd stepped straight back into medical school.
The next day we picked up Pushkar and Mugdha from Preston, and the real Scottish adventure began. We hadn't met them in ages, but it honestly felt as if we'd just resumed a conversation that had been paused yesterday.
Thanks to Tavchya, we visited more distilleries than I can remember and sampled whiskies that most of us only read about. At one point, we even had whisky for breakfast.
Yes, breakfast.
The French may have champagne. The Scots clearly believe in whisky. Who were we to question local traditions?That breakfast dram instantly reminded me of one of my finest Air India moments. Years ago, I was unexpectedly upgraded to Business Class. At around 7 a.m., the flight attendant rolled up with the drinks trolley, smiled politely and asked, "Tea or coffee, ma'am?"
My eyes, however, had already spotted a bottle of Amrut whisky glistening away on the trolley. Without even pausing to think, I replied, "I'll have an Amrut, please."
The poor chap froze for a second. I don't think he was expecting that answer before sunrise. The expression on his face said it all: "Auntyji... subah subah shuru?"
To this day, I can still picture that wonderfully bewildered look. Safe to say, the whisky was smoother than his recovery from the shock!
The drives through the Highlands were breathtaking. Every now and then we'd stop at a pretty little village simply because it looked inviting. One memorable stop was Oban, where I wandered into a tiny art shop. The owner proudly told me that she and her sister had been running it for thirty years.
"Thherty years," she said in her wonderful Scottish accent.
It made me wonder. Didn't she ever get bored? Didn't she want to reinvent herself?
Then it struck me. Perhaps that's just an urban obsession. Maybe not everyone needs to keep chasing the next thing. Maybe sometimes contentment is enough.
Our food habits also became one of the unexpected highlights. There were no debates about finding the nearest Indian restaurant. Everyone happily embraced local food. Haggis, Cullen skink, burgers, seafood bisque, fish and chips... everything was sampled with enthusiasm. We still enjoyed Indian food too, but nobody insisted that every meal had to taste like home.
For those with allergies, every meal felt first class. iPad orders, senior managers serving the dishes themselves... Michelin-level TLC
ऐश अणि काळजी...पुरेपुर...
As we travelled through the breathtaking roads , travel spots , one thing got clearer in my mind that Scotland runs on peat! 'खाण तशी माती' couldn't be truer. The peat kisses the spring water, and the spring water passes that smoky magic straight into the whisky.Everything starts from the ground up!
This trip wasn't just about Scotland.
It was about scenic roads, castles, history, whisky, coffee and countless laughs.
It was about a group of friends who didn't judge each other for licking ( literally) every last spoonful from a yoghurt pot.
It was about attempting reels with spectacularly unsynchronised synchronised dance moves.
It was about playing dumb charades so badly that the game became even dumber.
Most of all, it was about appreciating what makes each of us unique.
Tavchya and his encyclopaedic love of whisky and coffee.
Mugdha and her incredible knowledge of Indian music.
Pushkar and his fascination with gadgets and cars, despite having to spend the week in a perfectly ordinary car with a cracked windscreen. Hehehehheheh..
Manisha, forever discovering inspiration for her next painting and reading.
Sandeep, who could cleverly connect every new place with somewhere he'd visited before.
Michaela, who effortlessly blended into every situation with her cheerful smile.
And Kiran, whose love of books ,history, archeology , art turned every castle and POI into a lecture... thankfully an interesting one!
Somewhere between the winding Highland roads, the distillery tours, endless cups of coffee, shared meals and silly jokes, I realised something.
Time had simply been waiting patiently for us friends to continue where we'd left off.
Life isn't measured by the places we visit or even the whiskies we taste.
It's measured by the people who make us laugh until our cheeks hurt, who make years disappear in minutes, and who quietly remind us that some friendships don't grow old.
They simply wait for the next road trip...
Disclaimer:
Before anyone reports us to the police... there was absolutely no drink driving on this trip! We simply enjoyed the fascinating whisky tasting experiences at the distilleries, took tiny sips where appropriate, and let the scenery do the rest. This was a road trip fuelled by breathtaking landscapes, great conversations, and a healthy respect for the law... not by whisky!
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