822 miles, four countries in four days

822 miles, four countries and one unforgettable road trip with Enzo

Some road trips are about the destination. Others are about just how much you can squeeze into a few days - this one managed to be both.

Tracy and I had wanted to visit Northern Ireland for a long time. The Titanic Museum and Giant’s Causeway were firmly on the list and, after taking Enzo, our 2016 Jaguar F-Type S AWD, to the Isle of Man, we were keen to take him on another road trip.

What followed was 822 miles through England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, taking in some incredible places along the way.

Embarking on our epic journey

We headed to Holyhead, stopping for lunch at one of our favourite places in Colwyn Bay before catching the ferry to Dublin. Our first night was at the Skylon Hotel, with good food, a few drinks and our first proper Irish breakfast the following morning.

From Dublin, we headed north to Belfast and Titanic Belfast. It was an amazing experience and somewhere I'd definitely recommend.

Next was Londonderry and the Ebrington Hotel. All three hotels were excellent, but the Ebrington probably had the edge, with bars, restaurants and pubs all within an easy walk.

The following morning, we crossed the border towards Malin Head, the most northerly point on the island of Ireland. Despite being further north than anywhere in Northern Ireland, it's actually in County Donegal in the Republic.

The roads out towards Malin Head were fantastic, even as we headed further off the beaten track. With some breathtaking views along the way, this was easily one of my favourite drives.

We'd planned to use the Lough Foyle Ferry between Greencastle and Magilligan Point, but we'd arrived just outside the season for daily crossings.

Keeping Enzo supplied with premium petrol also required a bit of planning. Not every garage stocked it, so when we found some, we topped up.

An experience to remember

From there, we explored Portrush and Portstewart before heading to the Giant’s Causeway.

It's somewhere we'd both wanted to see for years and it absolutely lived up to expectations. There was something slightly surreal about finally standing there after seeing it in photographs so many times.

For our final night, we stayed at Ballygally Castle Hotel, which we'd discovered watching Harry’s Garage on YouTube. Our thinking was simple: if it's good enough for Harry Metcalfe, it's good enough for us.

The following morning we took the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan, then headed south through Scotland and the Lake District for home.

Across the 822 miles, Enzo never missed a beat. He was comfortable on the motorway, easy enough to get on and off the ferries and a brilliant companion for a few days that were more about exploring than pushing the car.

Looking back, what surprised me most was just how much Tracy and I managed to pack in. We finally visited places we'd talked about seeing for years, enjoyed some fantastic driving and came home already knowing we'd happily do it all again.