Concern about driving in Scotland

We returned home yesterday from 2 weeks of driving in Scotland. Yes, the roads wind. Take your time. It’s helpful to have a navigator who frequently says things like “take the next right, stay left.” We opted for an automatic this time which isn’t quite as fun to drive but it’s one less thing to think about. My husband says he always felt like James Bond when he shifted with his left hand. As a caveat, what looks like a major highway on the map may not match your idea of a major highway.
It didn’t take long for us to adapt. We picked up the car just outside Glasgow and drove to Oban the first day. It helped being on less than major highways while we adapted. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

Have you rented you car yet? Did you tell them your age? When I tried to rent a car in the UK when I was in my 70s I was denied because of my age.

Regarding Islay, Arran and Bute- many of us think these are serious omissions from Rick's books. But then he can't include everywhere and the books were/are a kind of spinoff to his bus tours- and his buses don't go to Islay, Arran or Bute either.

Depending on the day of the week there may be a direct Oban to Islay ferry (to save part of the drive down to Kintyre).

You could then come back over on the ferry to Kennacraig (Kintyre) then the short drive to Claonaig for the ferry to Lochranza (Oban) or a bit further to Tarbert for the ferry for Portavadie, then to Colintraive for the very, very, short ferry route to Rhubodach on Bute.

I can not imagine what kind of "mixed reviews" you have read about the GLA-Oban train ride.

Of course Millport on Great Cumbrae is one Rick misses out on too. I think almost everyone of my generation from my part of the world has a childhood memory of Millport.

Thank all of you for taking the time to respond. Your comments are appreciated and will help us in making our decisions.

If this isn’t too late to add, don’t you have some twisty roads in the West Virginia mountains? That should help prepare you for Skye roads (haven’t been to those other islands, but have driven on Shetland and Orkney, farther north, as well as Skye). The navigator should regularly help remind the driver to stay on the left side of the road (when the road’s wide enough to have a left and right), but not too far left - don’t drift off the road’s edge. Learn about Passing Places - where one driver pulls off onto a wide place, left or right, to let the oncoming car past. And don’t be surprised if coming around a tight curve, there are sheep in the road. They may be more unpredictable than other drivers.

Last, you may try to signal a turn with the turn signal lever, only to find that you’ve turned on the windshield (“windscreen”) wipers! James Bond may have even done that a couple times when first learning to drive. Or perhaps he set off the smoke screen or the machine guns when trying to change the radio station. :)

Hi, last year I spent 3+ weeks in Scotland and drove everyplace except Glasgow and Edinburgh.

I drove/ferried from Glasgow to Arran, spent 3 nights there, then drove/ferried to Mull, spent 4 nights there, and then drove/ferried to Skye for another 4 nights. All of those places have single track roads that are windy and somewhat mountainous.

Arran is smaller and a bit greener, and therefore you're not driving on such long roads as you will find on Mull and Skye. But because it's smaller, you will not see the sights you would on Mull or Skye. But there were single track roads in the mountains there.

Mull's roads were certainly doable, although again single track. Some of them went up into low mountains, but nothing that was too severe. And I have a very strong fear of heights so if I can drive on Mull, anyone can. There was one place that I backed away from and that was the drive to Calgary from Tobermory, which takes you over a number of switch-back roads in the mountains. I took one look and turned around. If you do go to Mull and want to drive to Fionnphort and take the ferry to Iona, make sure you take the southern route (through Craignure) and not the northern route, which is much scarier (I've heard).

Skye's roads were about the same, although Skye actually had more double-track roads in many places than Mull did. For example, the road from Armadale to Portree is like a highway. Two lanes but moves pretty quickly unless you're stuck behind a camper van. The road from Portree to Dunvegan and Edinbane is also pretty easy to drive, as is the road heading north through Uig. But of course there are a number of single-track roads there, and you have to be careful.

I will tell you that Lewis and Harris was probably the easiest driving I had on the Isles, but that's pretty far north for you. I have not been to Islay and Brute so can't help you there. But I would suggest going to YouTube and searching for videos that discuss driving in the places you are interested in. There are a lot out there. You can also use Google Street View to get an idea of what the roads are like.

But really after a while you get used it. I went back this year to England and drove around for over 4 weeks, and while Cornwall's single track roads were pretty difficult (in part because it rained so much while I was there), overall everything went pretty smoothly. By the way, getting the car on the ferry is really easy. After the first ferry, you will become a pro at it. :-)

When I tried to rent a car in the UK when I was in my 70s I was denied because of my age.

Don't worry about that. I don't know of any car company in the UK that will deny someone a rental because they are over 70. You might have to pay a premium and/or submit a letter of health, but many times you won't. I know Arnold Clark, who I usually rent with, does not have a cap on age, and will rent to people over age 70.

A year ago we rented a car at the Edinburgh airport, drove to/around the Highlands for several days, and returned the car to the Glasgow airport via Oban.
The driving was worth it to us and not that difficult to get used to. Our itinerary would’ve been stunted if we hadn’t driven, but I can definitely understand why people want to make informed decisions.
I agree with Mardee that YouTube videos about driving in Scotland are immensely helpful. The one thing we weren’t quite prepared for was how many highways had tidy, squared-off curbs so close to the driving lanes. That’s what took the most adjustment for us.
Even so, we’re glad we drove. Whatever you decide, I hope it’s a wonderful trip!

The most important thing to remember when driving here is KEEP LEFT. That applies at all times, even on single track roads when the only passing place might be on your right hand side. You DO NOT pull across into the passing place if it is on your right. You STOP level with the passing place but on the left side to allow the car coming the other way to pull into the passing place on their left. You then proceed along the road. This video explains it very well.

The other danger spot is at T junctions when you want to turn right. I have many times seen cars turn right into the right lane, i.e. into the path of any oncoming traffic.

You will find that our roads do not generally have a shoulder. And often the edges of the road are crumbling, leading to hard/rough edges that can easily shred your tyres. Stay well within your lane, and especially on single track roads avoid going too far to the left as you are in danger of damaging your wheels and tyres and may well sink into a bog or roll the car over. I've actually seen a rental car on its roof at the bottom of the hill where I live. The occupants were fine, but they had a 4 hour wait for a tow truck.

My final piece of advice would be avoid electric cars. You will find that in Highlands and Island charging points are in very short supply and often out of order/broken. Don't allow yourself to be fobbed off with an electric car!

Not really much to add to the above for driving. Scotland is on Google Streetview so that is useful to get a look at the signs and the roads, I have done this for Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands. There are also driving videos like This Play List from a Spanish YouTuber, which will give some clues.

For the islands, Islay is interesting for the whisky and you can add in Jura to Islay
Bute is generally flat and agricultural but has Mount Stuart, which is the home of the Marquis of Bute, and Rothesay has some interest, the title of the heir to the throne in Scotland is Duke of Rothesay.

Arran though has the nickname of Scotland in miniature for a very good reason.

Again, thank you for taking the time to help me with this. I had planned to post again after the most recent comments but am doing so belatedly due to computer problems.

The YouTube videos and information about T squares and Google street views as well as comments about the island are appreciated. We have watched numerous videos and are currently planning (Plan L or M!) on using a car around Stirling (we tend to like villages more than cities ) and again in the Speyside area but will take the train from Stirling to Inverness and after several days there plan to take the train from Inverness to Oban for two days. Will get a car for Oban but will finish our trip by taking the train to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

We have checked with the rental company and I can get a car. Have some concerns about renting a car in three different areas but this seemed like a good compromise. She is still worried about driving to and around Skye so we have decided to forego that pleasure. We do have mountainous and curvy roads in WV but there is not a lot of traffic on those roads and when we drive them we are driving on the side of the road we are most familiar with. Again, my thanks. If you see obvious flaws in this plan, feel free to comment. This is still a work in progress!
Again, thank you.

We just finished three weeks in Scotland and I find that most roads in Scotland are far superior to those in Ireland. Either great two track or one track with frequent passing places. I'm 74 and had zero problems except for a flat tire from a concealed pothole (in the most remote spot in the country). The roads have deteriorated since our trip two years ago, although we visited different areas. Too many camper vans was biggest headache. My wife's gasps were a distraction - I'm a firm believer in keeping up with local traffic, and 60mph on single tracks is sometimes fun/scary depending on which seat you're in.

I currently have a rental. It's probably the only time I will ever drive a BMW, but thus is what they gave me. I booked a small automatic through Celtic Legends/Arnold Clark. I rented in town in Inverness and drove to Skye with a very off piste side trip to Torridon. The last 10 or so miles to Torridon was single track, so I was able to get the hang if it. Then I drive to Skye.

I am actually enjoying driving. Now, today's trip to the Fairy Pools, was full on. Lots of cars on the single track, but people were polite and I survived. The trip from the Skye Museum back to Uig at "rush hour" was a but harrowing with the big buses, but again, people were so helpful. One bus driver actually gave hand singalong guidance to get around him on a sharp turn.

Many roads are dual lane, so it's not all single track.

So, I will rent again in Scotland for sure.

Hello,

I returned yesterday from 3 weeks in Scotland visiting Arran, Bute, Islay, and Mull of Kintyre. All fabulous and a bit less touristy. We took a total of eight ferries. On one of the ferries everyone had to reverse to load. If you are comfortable on narrow single-track roads that require backing up on occasion than I would say it is certainly doable. I am fortunate to have a friend who lives in the UK and does all the driving. The ferries to Islay are pricey one suggestion I read was to walk on and hire a car once you are on Islay. It can be cheaper than taking a car. Islay is beautiful and spread out, you would need a car in my opinion. I have been to Arran twice, once with a driver and a second trip solo relying on the bus system. I don’t think we went anywhere; the bus did not go on Arran. The train from Glasgow drops you right at the ferry terminal to go across the Arran. It does feel like Scotland in miniature.
When I visited Skye on my own, I signed up for a Rabbies tour to Skye and departed the tour before the return to Inverness. I admit the bus ride back was long on the public bus. You obviously have more freedom in your own vehicle, and you will see things you would not otherwise see. I hope you have a wonderful trip. Planning is half the fun, and this forum has been a wealth of information for me in the planning. Kathleen