Most visitors hire a car in Scotland, and most say driving on the left feels normal within a day. The hard parts are roundabouts, single-track roads and the first drive after a long flight. Written by Constantine Chauffeurs, a Glasgow chauffeur service, with tips for driving yourself and the days when a private driver makes more sense.
Hire an automatic, take full cover with no excess, and don’t make your first drive straight after a long flight. Visitors say the left side takes between half an hour and a day to feel normal. Multi-lane roundabouts and narrow Highland roads stay hard for longer.
In a hire car you sit on the right, which helps: your body reminds you which side to drive on. The risky moments are when there’s no other traffic to follow, such as pulling out of a car park, the first drive of the morning, or turning into an empty road. At every junction, look right first. On motorways you overtake on the right and exits are on the left. The car is wider on your left than it feels, so give the kerb and hedges a little more room.
Visitors find these the hardest part. Traffic goes clockwise and you give way to cars coming from your right. On bigger roundabouts with two or three lanes, pick your lane early: road markings and the blue signs before the roundabout show which lane goes where. Usually the left lane is for the first exit and the right lane for exits past straight ahead. If you miss your exit, stay calm and go round again.
Much of the Highlands and the islands is single-track road with passing places. When a car comes towards you, pull into a passing place on your left, or stop opposite one on your right so the other car can pull in. Never park in a passing place, and pull over to let faster cars behind you get past. The common mistake is swerving to the right when a car appears round a bend. The edges of these roads often hide potholes, so slow down in the rain, and fill up with fuel when you can in the north-west, where stations are far apart.
Limits are in miles per hour: usually 30 mph in towns (20 mph on many streets), 60 mph on single-carriageway roads and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. Parts of the A9 have average-speed cameras. Scotland’s drink-drive limit is lower than in the rest of the UK, and one drink can put you over it. On a day of whisky tastings, whoever drives can’t take part.
Book an automatic early: they cost more and sell out in summer. Take full cover with no excess, and photograph and video the car inside and out when you collect it and when you return it. Bring a credit card for the deposit, and expect a queue at the airport desk after a busy arrival. A smaller car is much easier on narrow roads. Edinburgh and Glasgow are easier without a car, as city-centre parking is limited and expensive, so many visitors collect the car on the day they leave the city.
From late May to September, tiny biting midges come out on still, damp evenings, especially in the west Highlands and around Glencoe. Wind keeps them away. Pack a repellent such as Smidge and a head net if you plan to walk or picnic in the evening.
You don’t have to choose between a hire car and a driver for the whole trip. Two days are easier with one:
Skip the first drive. Land, and your private chauffeur takes you from a confirmed pickup point at the airport to your hotel, with no hire desk and no damage check. Collect your hire car the next day, rested and in daylight. Glasgow Airport to Glasgow city centre is from £70 in a Mercedes C-Class. See Glasgow Airport transfers and Edinburgh Airport transfers.
Whisky days. Taste at every distillery and let someone else drive: see our whisky distillery tour, with pickup from Glasgow city centre or your pickup location.
Not sure whether you need a driver at all? Read is a private driver in Scotland worth it? Coming from Europe? See visiting Scotland from Europe.
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Within 90 minutes they had organized an entire itinerary, arranged a luxurious vehicle and an excellent driver, John. That level of responsiveness and service was impressive.
A luxurious service from start to finish. An assortment of entertainment & refreshments giving that extra touch.
Very grateful — an excellent service, I recommend it. Reliable, punctual, friendly, great service. (Translated from Spanish)
John thoughtfully stopped at scenic locations so we could photograph the Highlands’ extraordinary beauty rather than simply admire it through the windows.
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It felt like a genuinely personalized Highland adventure rather than a conventional sightseeing tour. An absolutely memorable day and five stars without hesitation!
A fantastic transfer experience. Our flight arrived later than scheduled but our driver kept everything organised.
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Constantine Chauffeurs picked me up after a long flight and honestly couldn't have asked for better.
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