The stars of The Grand Tour have arrived in the Highlands – with a quick stop in a pub for fish and chips before getting down to business.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May arrived in Fort Augustus yesterday afternoon ahead of the filming for their new online show.
As well as checking out their studio marquee, which has been set up on the southern shore of Loch Ness, the trio took time out for a bit of down time in the picturesque village.
On top of taking a walk around the Caledonian Canal, the presenters and some of their crew members stopped for lunch at The Lock Inn in the centre of Fort Augustus.
Barman John MacKinnon said it was fish and chips all round for the high profile diners who seemed in good spirits for their weekend in the Highlands.
He said: “They chatted a bit and had a few drinks and seemed fine really.
“I haven’t seen the new programme yet but I was a fan of Top Gear.
“It’s definitely not something you see everyday.”
He said they were the most high profile guests he had served in his five years working in the pub.
The Grand Tour’s studio segments are being filmed in a huge tent which is being taken around the world.
While the main filming is expected to get underway today, members of the production crew also filmed a sequence involving three classic cars on the roads on the south side of the world famous loch.
The three cars were later seen outside the former St Benedict’s Abbey in the village, which now serves as luxury accomodation.
Richard Hammond posted a photograph of a table tennis table in what appeared to be the former church, suggesting it is being used as their base close to where they will be filming.
The footage shot at Fort Augustus will be used later in the programme’s current run on Amazon Prime.
Other locations used for filming the series so far include California, Johannesburg in South Africa and Whitby on the Yorkshire coast.
Guest houses and hotels have reported being fully booked for the weekend, with crew members and people joining the show’s studio audience heading for the area.
