The MINI Electric is the perfect getaway car. Here are our top tips for urban style and country escape in northern England and southern Scotland…
The MINI Electric is the perfect all-electric all-rounder for a weekend away: with iconic head-turning looks, a cossetting tech-packed interior, spritely MINI driving character, up to 145 miles of range, and rapid recharging that can get you from 0-80% in as little as 36 minutes. The result: you can pack in even more adventure.
We asked three real MINI Electric drivers – Iola, Monwar and Misty – to tell us why they love the car. They’ve picked their favourite MINI Electric features and top tips for using the car every day. We’ve even explained how the MINI Electric busts the most common driving myths. But we also wanted to offer some MINI Electric inspiration.
That’s why we’ve created three itineraries for dream MINI Electric getaways. You can read our tips for the south-west of England and the Cotswolds elsewhere. But here’s our five-day plan for the Scottish Borders – blending chic urban style, an iconic British beach, a night under the stars, some of Scotland’s best driving rounds and rounding it all off with a relaxing day in the Lake District. At every step of the way, the MINI Electric makes it easy. So, let’s start the journey.
Want to try the MINI Electric yourself? Take a 24-hour test drive
Thursday: iconic urban style in Newcastle
Our long weekend starts in Newcastle, with the imposing backdrop of the famed Tyne Bridge and the newer, smaller, but no less iconic Millennium Bridge. Like the MINI Electric’s familiar profile and head-turning Union Jack LED rear lights, Newcastle’s bridges are icons of British engineering, past and present. Equally, the nearby Quayside district is now a bustling hub of cool buzzy bars and restaurants.
Use MINI eDrive Services on the MINI Electric’s large central display to find one of Newcastle’s growing number of city centre fast charging points. Plug in for a long charge, then cross the Tyne to the vast converted former flour mill that houses the Baltic Centre For Contemporary Art for an afternoon of creative inspiration.
While you’re away from your MINI Electric, you can check its charging status remotely (and get directions back to where it’s parked) with the MINI Electric smartphone app. Then, check into one of Newcastle Quayside’s stylish hotels. The Hotel du Vin, Malmaison, Copthorne Hotel and Hilton Newcastle all offer the sort of style and comfort that is a perfect match for the MINI Electric’s architectural ambient-lit dashboard and cossetting sports seats.
Has the MINI Electric sparked your interest? Take a 24-hour test drive
Friday: enjoy a sky-blue beach view and the delights of the night sky
Start Friday with a short 52-mile drive north up the A1 to the wonderful panorama of Bamburgh Beach. If you need a quick top-up, there are lots of 50kW rapid charging stations near Alnwick, letting you add a crop of miles to the MINI Electric’s battery.
Why not pack some picnic food while you’re there? With 211 litres of luggage space as standard, and as much as 731 litres with the rear seats down, there’s more than enough room for everything up to a five-course feast. Once at Bamburgh Beach, take a stroll through its rolling dunes and along the huge expanse of sand, or tour Bamburgh Castle for a fascinating walk through history.
Suitably refreshed in mind and spirit, it’s just a short 50-mile drive inland to the charming town of Otterburn on the edge of the Kielder Forest. There’s a fast 7kW public charging point in the car park of the Otterburn Castle Hotel that’s perfect for a long slow charge for your MINI Electric while you catch dinner on-site, or head to the nearby William De Percy Inn & Creperie.
For the ultimate in after-dinner after-dark entertainment, use the MINI Electric’s digital cockpit to guide your way to the Kielder Observatory. Situated in one of the UK’s Dark Sky Parks (where light pollution is kept to a minimum) it offers unrivalled night sky views and lectures about the secrets of the universe. Its RIBA-award-winning environmentally-friendly design has been engineered to blend into the surrounding woodland, while it’s powered by solar panels and a wind turbine.
If you want to extend your night of stargazing in comfort, simply recline the MINI Electric’s cossetting sports seats, gaze through the optional panoramic glass sunroof, crank up the dual-zone air conditioning and optional heated seats, tweak the Ambient Lighting, and put an epic soundtrack on the optional Harman Kardon Hi-Fi. The Planets suite, from famed British composer Gustav Holst springs to mind.
Afterwards, use the MINI Electric’s powerful Adaptive LED headlights with Matrix function and the space pilot-style Head-up Display (both available on the Level 3 trim) to cut your way through the night and guide you back to Otterburn – before plugging in your MINI Electric for an overnight top-up as you head to your hotel bedroom to dream of the stars…
Fancy getting behind the wheel of the MINI Electric? Take a 24-hour test drive
Saturday: enjoy the thrill of Scotland’s best driving roads
MINI has always been renowned for its driving character, and the MINI Electric maintains that reputation. Its compact dimensions, a low-slung battery that keeps the car’s weight close to the ground, and a potent all-electric drivetrain that delivers 184hp and 270Nm of invigorating electric torque – with a 0-62mph sprint in just 7.3 seconds – are the perfect match for some of the best roads Scotland has to offer.
The A708 from Selkirk to Moffat is a uniquely undulating scenic delight – giving you the opportunity for a quick charging top-up and coffee at J13 of the M74, before you explore the ladder of roads around Wanlockhead – Scotland’s highest village.
Them, set your sat-nav for Trigony House in Thornhill. This traditional luxury Scottish country hotel blends the charms of the old with the convenience of the new, as every guest gets three free hours of EV charging per day with the on-site 7.5kW charger – plenty enough to top you up for the next morning. With a wealth of local activities on offer – ranging from golf to fishing, and horse riding to falconry – and a first-class restaurant that boasts a wealth of locally sourced ingredients, you can either stay at Trigony House for an extra day, or head south to the Lake District.
Want to try the MINI Electric yourself? Take a 24-hour test drive
Sunday: follow iconic poets and painters to the Lake District
For the last day of your long weekend, trace the path of famed British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, and explore the epic scenery that inspired some of Britain’s boldest poets – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey and William Wordsworth.
From Thornhill. it’s just an 81-mile drive south down the M6 and west along the A66 Old Coach road to the wonderful town of Keswick on the edge of Derwent Water.
Park yourself up – the MINI Electric makes it easy, with a rear-view camera and Rear Park Distance Control on the Level 2 trim, while the Level 3 trim adds Front Park Distance Control and Parking Assistant – and head for a relaxing stroll or vigorous hike, before checking into the Royal Oak to round off the perfect trip exploring some of Britain’s best northern sights.
Finally, when heading home, don’t forget to stop at Tebay Farmshop & Kitchen, just off J38 of the M6. This stylish family-owned outlet rethinks what service stations can be, with a wealth of home-grown and home-crafted produce sourced locally from 70 producers within a 30-mile radios. Add in a bank of 50kW chargers and you’ve got the perfect final stop on your four-night MINI Electric adventure.
Has the MINI Electric sparked your interest? Take a 24-hour test drive
Keyword: Your dream MINI Electric road-trip: Scottish Borders