Highland Fling

An auto tour through the royal haunts of Scotland

- JEREMY TAYLOR

THE CAIRNWELL PASS is the highest main road in the United Kingdom, notorious for upending the plans of many an unsuspecting traveler. At some 2,200 feet above sea level, this mountain route through the heart of the Highlands is yet to be completely tamed.

Drivers could blame their misfortune on Queen Victoria. Ever since King Malcolm III built a castle at Braemar in the 11th century, the pass has been frequented by royalty. And when Victoria bought Balmoral in 1852, it was the start of an annual royal family tradition of extended summer holidays.

Perhaps with royal approval, the road was upgraded in 1900 to allow access for motor cars—including the twists and turns of the infamous Devil's Elbow, a steep double hairpin with a gradient of 17 percent. Queen Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, were often photographed driving themselves along this hair-raising section, which was finally bypassed with a straighter road in the early 1970s. With King Charles III installed on the throne, I've traveled to Scotland to discover why the country resonates so strongly with royalty.

For my journey, I've chosen a unique car. The British-made DB Speedback closely resembles an iconic Aston Martin DB5. It also costs more than $700,000. In 1969, as the then Prince of Wales, Charles was famously presented with a DB6 Volante by his mother as a 21st-birthday present.

A pioneer of sustainable living, Charles had his car converted to run on a by-product of cheese and wine. He still uses the classic convertible for jaunts around his estate.

Charles always enjoys Balmoral, and also chose to recover from a bout of Covid on the estate. So what fuels the love affair with Scotland?