car rental for those over 80

Go to the autoeurope site and make a dummy booking for Scotland. . Their site allows you to indicate your age. It will then show you available rentals for your age group. Second bit of information - I asked Arnold Clark if they had an upper age rental limit when we rented from them in 2022. The representative said that they would rent to a driver age 80+ if they had a letter from their doctor stating that they were fit to drive. Information based on our own travel experiences.

Auto Europe will rent to people over 80. Go to their website and call the number, their very good at answering questions. Never heard of the letter from the doctor lol. What doctor in his right mind would sign a letter like that? Great law sues on that one coming up.

Arnold Clark will rent to drivers over 80. They say you need a letter from your doctor simply saying you "are fit to drive". We we picked up the car in Glasgow. They never asked to see the letter.

It brings you into line with anyone over 70 who lives in the UK, new rules which came into force on 1 January 2026..
Mandatory eye tests, an enhanced self declared on line health assessment, mandatory reporting of certain health conditions including diabetes (which conditions can lead to loss of licence if deemed a risk by the DVLA) etc.
I personally know a couple of people who expect to lose their licence under the new rules, and it is going to be pretty difficult for them. Maybe or maybe not in terms of everyday life, but certainly in terms of perceived freedoms, and substantial lifestyle adjustments.
If they had applied at the time I'm pretty sure my Dad would have lost his licence under the new rules. While I don't quibble that he was something of a liability and risk in his last couple of years, it would have been awful, awful for him.
A reminder that driving is a privilege, not a right.

So certainly a doctor's certificate (call it what you will) on the same kind of basis as UK citizens seems entirely reasonable.

Rightly or wrongly this is being done in the name of overall road safety, so it seems reasonable that visitors abide by the same rules.
Possibly the no renting at all is just easier than trying to ensure compliance, and a level playing field.

Stuart - whilst you’re right that new rules are due to be introduced for over 70s regarding mandatory eye tests I don’t think that an implementation date has yet been announced. Although there all manor of speculative articles about saying it is already effective or will be in February I’m pretty sure it has yet to come into effect.

Johnew52 is correct

I renewed my licence last week and none of the proposed changes were in effect. Same old routine.

No eye test, although I get mine done annually. anyway.

if you are from DC, and yours is a standard US issued state or district drivers license you don't need an IDP (permit, not license) in the UK, not even in Scotland.

I hope you come over soon and have a great time!!

Hi, smarmayor, I've used Arnold Clark on my last two trips to the UK. Earlier this year I rented directly with AC (17 day rental) and then in 2023, I rented from them through their broker, Celtic Legend (14 day rental) for my trip to Scotland.

Both rental experiences went very well. Arnold Clark is a pleasure to deal with and I highly recommend them. Their agents explain everything to you and make sure that you understand the fine print. They are good about upgrading sometimes, and very courteous and helpful. I will always use them in the UK for future rentals. I would check with both to see what price they give you. Celtic Legend will sometimes offer specials if you book through them, like giving you free sat nav or a second driver for free. I usually don't take advantage of the sat nav because I prefer using Google Maps on my phone, and since I'm a solo traveler, I don't really need an extra driver. But it does pay to check there

The best thing about them is that when you pick up the car, the agents explain everything to you and make sure that you understand the fine print. They are good about upgrading sometimes as well (once I was upgraded to a Mercedes at no cost, and another time I received an automatica at no extra cost (I had booked a manual). They are always very courteous and helpful, and I will continue to use them in the UK for future rentals.

And as others have said above, Arnold Clark has no upper age restrictions at this time. You can find this info on their website under the FAQs page. They also do not require an IDP, since your driver's license is already in English.

https://www.arnoldclarkrental.com/
https://www.celticlegend.co.uk/car-rental/

Thank you everyone for your valuable information. We will certainly try your recommendations. We're 85 and 84. Although we thought we could take public transport between Oban (for Iona visit) and Inverness, driving makes more sense since you say the road is beautiful and we need to get to Aigas Field Centre. But there doesn't seem to be any car rentals in Oban. We might have to rent in Inverness and go the other direction to arrive in Oban and visit Iona and drive back to Edinburgh to return the car. Does that sound advisable to all of you who know the country?

Hi, smarmayor,

There are two car hire companies in Oban - Flit and Hazelbank. One of them used to offer a one way drop off in Inverness - I forget which one it was - but it was really expensive. Flit charges extra for drivers over 70. If you can possibly rent in Oban, drive to Inverness, then drive back to Oban afterwards, that would be the way to go.

If you plan to drive to Inverness, the drive is not that particularly scenic if you're taking the A82 from North Ballachulish and along the west bank of Loch Ness. You may want to consider taking the east bank of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus, which is much more scenic and much less stressful.

One wonders why a car hire company is named after a popular insecticide!

Enjoy your travels!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

Ah Mike you made me chuckle! I don't know of Flit as an insecticide. But of course here it means 'to move', particularly in the context of moving house or moving belongings around.

I've heard the term "midnight flit" used in the context of leaving rented accommodation at night without paying the rent! However, here's the real thing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flit_(insecticide)#:~:text=%5B2%5D%20The%20current%20product%20is,mosquitoes%20that%20may%20later%20land

Happy flitting!

Mike (Auchterless)

smarmayor, do you have previous experience driving in the UK?

Although he has driven in Scotland several times over the years, my husband, who had just turned 80 before our last trip and has absolutely no issues driving at home, declared after that trip that there are no more driving trips for him in Scotland. Too much concentration and not enough chance to enjoy the landscape for him. The roundabouts, single track roads and occasional rain was exhausting.

Consider hiring a driver for your Oban to Aigas Field Center. Here's one company that has been recommended several times on the forum. You could even make a stop or two enroute.

daytrip.com

If you're willing to spend the day traveling, you could take buses or trains. For example, Scotrail shows an 8:56 am departure with connections in Glasgow and Inverness arriving in Beauly at 5:27 pm. Yes, it's a long day, but you'll have some nice views.

I will profess that I am a public transport fan most of the time, so can the Oban portion be done with a small group tour like Rabbie's. Or, given the price of gas and insurance, what about a driver? Scotland Travel Tips Facebook page is run by a woman who helps people set up their trips, and her husband is a driver.
Also, I am going to Aigas for one of their nature weeks in May and they do a pick up from the Inverness train station. That may not be an option, however, if you are doing an independent B&B with them, then maybe not....though you could ask.
Oh, and that Facebook group has a discount on car rentals. If I recall,,it is Arnold Clark.

Assuming it is a weekday, then you leave Oban by bus (in the winter) at 0930 to Fort William, 30 minutes in Fort William, connect onto a bus to Inverness, arrive 1344.
More frequent and earlier service in the summer when the first bus out is at around 0700- it provides a comfortable connection to Skye at Fort William at 1000.
There is an hourly bus from Inverness to Beauly- the #28 at 1425. Or trains at 1400 and 1450 (a 15 minute ride).