MOTORING

travel industry through 9/11 and the 2009 economic crash, so it’s great to see this Scottish business has emerged as such an award-winning success.

The Majestic Line’s old hard-working converted trawlers, the Glen Massan and the Glen Tarsan, are pretty similar and appeal to romantics as they just look so picturesque and draw appreciative looks wherever you cruise from people on the shore. The Majestic Line prides itself on its food and I’ve eaten very well on my trips on the Tarsan and the Massan.

I’ve also eaten well on the newer Glen Shiel and Glen Etive and prefer the layout of their public rooms. They have a dining room aft and a sitting room and bar area towards the bow. All of their vessels ply a variety of routes, but a newcomer is cruises around the Firth of Clyde.

I say new, but it’s more a return to the estuary as this is where it all began for the Majestic Line (in fact, Iain Duncan from

Argyll Cruising used to work for them in the Clyde) and the Shiel and the Etive were built on Bute. These two more modern vessels were deigned to tackle the more remote islands out in the Outer Hebrides and St Kilda and do their job supremely well in some comfort.

If the idea of bashing across the Atlantic surf has your stomach churning then don’t despair. European Waterways has recently started cruising the remarkable Caledonian Canal on the Spirit of Scotland. She is seriously luxurious and up there with my favourite cruise ship in Scotland, the Queen’s favourite, and Britannia stand in, the 50-passenger Hebridean Princess.

I was on the Spirit of Scotland last year and she is easily the finest way to cruise along Thomas Telford’s engineering marvel, which links the North Sea at Inverness with the Atlantic at Fort William, by way of a jaw-dropping series of locks, canals and even a trio of lochs, including Loch Ness. You can take in all the grand scenery along the canal, as the Great Glen rises up steeply on both flanks, from the comfort of their outdoor hot tub.

The Spirit of Scotland takes a maximum of a dozen passengers in supreme luxury. Culinary wonders are whipped up with fresh Scottish produce and served fine dining style with the best of Burgundy wines. A highlight on our cruise was the young Australian chef taking us into the galley to show us how he smokes his Scottish salmon. It’s all-inclusive too, including bar drinks, so you don’t have to worry about a thing when you board and your first glass of champagne is handed to you.

Last, but certainly not least, is Red Moon Cruises. I’ve just been sailing with them as lockdown eased in July. They only take a maximum of four passengers, so it was just me, my wife and my young daughters, along with the husband-and-wife crew. In these stressful times, the idea of sailing off into the sunset with just your loved ones aboard for company is life-affirmingly the stuff of travel dreams.

AIRBAGS FIVE IN-CAR TECHNOLOGIES THAT

CHANGED THE GAME

THE advancement of technology in the car industry has been incredible, if you think about it. Not long ago, cars were predominantly made up of the cabin, wheels and mechanical parts needed to make them run. Now however, drivers have access to a wide variety of technologies that make driving safer, easier and more enjoyable than ever before. Here, we take a look at some of the most important advancements in in-car technology to date...

There was a time when it was simply accepted that you were taking a massive risk every time you travelled by car. Fortunately, that attitude changed pretty quickly, as manufacturers came up with new ways to protect occupants in the event of a crash.

Airbags made a huge difference, protecting occupants from serious injuries caused by hitting their head on hard cabin trim. Although they were developed in the 1950s, they didn’t come to Europe until 1980, when the Mercedes S-Class offered them as an option. It wasn’t until the late-Nineties before airbags were offered as an option at the very least on the majority of cars.

AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONING

Ever driven in the height of summer, or suffered from a steamed-up windscreen in a car that doesn’t have air conditioning? Neither is particularly fun, with the latter restricting the driver’s view, and the former making things so uncomfortable it can be distracting.

That’s why air con is one of the biggest innovations in motoring, making driving comfortable for millions of people. And, if you have automatic air con, you can set the temperature you want the cabin at and it’ll remain constant.

SATELLITE NAVIGATION

Knowing where you’re going takes a lot of stress out of driving. In the past, you’d have to look on a map and figure out a route, then use that map on your journey to try to find your way. Incredibly distracting, I’m sure you’ll agree.

However, the advent of in-car sat nav systems in the 1990s changed that for good. Still considered something of a luxury – with many cars only including it as an optional extra unless you’re buying a more expensive model – it’s an option most people tick. The peace of mind it provides is usually worth the extra cost.

IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT

Providing entertainment while driving has always been a key selling point, with early radios replaced by tape decks, CD players and, in modern cars, smartphone connectivity. In fact, in the 1950s, Chrysler offered an optional record player that would fit under the dashboard!

Most modern cars now come with Bluetooth, which means drivers can play music and podcasts through their car speakers by hitting play on their phones. The latest advancement is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which provides a simplified version of each operating system to be used in the car.

CRUISE CONTROL

Cruise control systems have advanced to the point where modern cars are almost considered autonomous. These systems combine various different technologies, such as radarassisted cruise control and lane-keep assist, to maintain a vehicle’s place in traffic without any input from the driver. For those doing long motorway journeys, it can really help with fatigue.

DARREN CASSEY