How to Drive in Scotland: Road Safety, Speed Limits, and Car Rental Tips

Driving in Scotland is a wonderful experience: you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a road trip through breathtaking landscapes, spectacular views, mountain passes and panoramic coastal roads that sweep above shimmering bays and lochs.

Exploring Scotland by car offers priceless freedom: complete autonomy to stop wherever you wish, not being tied to train or bus schedules and connections, and the ability to visit the most remote locations and drive scenic routes that public transport simply doesn’t reach.

Don’t be put off by driving on the left, typical of Anglophone countries: once you’ve got over the initial shock and had a bit of practice, you’ll find driving on Scottish roads enjoyable and far from difficult.

Rules of the road

Regulations for driving in Great Britain are published in The Highway Code, available online and in bookshops. Below are the essential points to keep in mind before you set off on Scottish roads.

• You drive on the left side of the road and overtake on the right. There is no requirement to give way to traffic coming from the left.
• In towns you’ll often encounter roundabouts, where you must give way to traffic coming from the right (that is, from inside the roundabout).
• At junctions a white dashed line means you must stop and give way to vehicles on the other road, in both directions.
• When the traffic light is red, you must stop and are not permitted to turn left on red.
• If you meet an oncoming vehicle on a single-track road where there are no passing places, reverse to the nearest passing place. If someone pulls aside to let you through, acknowledge them with a wave of the hand: it’s local custom.
• Watch out for livestock and wildlife crossing the road, especially in rural areas and in the mountains.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offence. In Scotland the legal limit is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, stricter than in England and Wales (80 mg/100 ml): this effectively means zero tolerance even for a single glass of wine.
• Seatbelts are compulsory on front and rear seats. Young children and infants must always travel in appropriate child car seats or infant carriers: if you’re hiring a car, remember to request these when booking.
• For motorcyclists, a helmet is mandatory for the driver and passengers.

Speed limits

Great Britain is very strict about enforcing speed limits, particularly on fast roads and motorways: many roads have fixed speed cameras and average speed detection cameras, and unmarked police cars patrol regularly.

We recommend respecting speed limits on rural roads too, where you may encounter obstacles, road narrowings, wildlife crossing, cyclists and, near villages, schoolchildren walking home.

Remember that speed on road signs is displayed in miles per hour (mph), not kilometres per hour:

• 20 mph (~32 km/h) in residential and school zones, increasingly common in Scottish towns
• 30 mph (~48 km/h) in town centres
• 60 mph (~96 km/h) on rural roads
• 70 mph (~113 km/h) on motorways

Road conditions in Scotland

Scotland has an excellent road network, with motorways and dual carriageways connecting many of the largest towns and cities.

The main road network extends across most of the country, with the exception of some remote areas of the Highlands where you’ll find narrow single-track roads that allow only one vehicle at a time: these roads have passing places where you can pull in to allow oncoming traffic through.

• In the rural Highlands you may encounter flocks of sheep occupying the road: slow down and wait for them to cross. If there are isolated sheep, pass them very slowly and cautiously.
• In towns traffic congestion typically occurs during rush hours: try to avoid driving through major cities between 07.30 and 09.30 and between 16.30 and 18.30 on weekdays.
• Scottish motorways have no tolls. The only toll bridge still operating in the region is the Erskine Bridge across the River Clyde.

Motoring organisations (Automobile Association, Royal Automobile Club, Green Flag) provide a 24-hour breakdown service in the event of a breakdown or accident, but in remote areas or on the islands you may have to wait considerable time for assistance.

Road signs

In some parts of Scotland Gaelic is still used not only in everyday speech but also on road signs and public notices. On the Outer Hebrides place names are predominantly in Gaelic. In the Highlands signage is bilingual: the Scottish Gaelic name appears first, followed by English, in the same font and size. Don’t be surprised, therefore, if you encounter signs with seemingly incomprehensible place names: almost always you’ll find the English version alongside.

Fuel

In towns many petrol stations remain open 24 hours a day, but in rural areas the distances between stations are greater and opening hours may be limited. If you’re planning to drive in remote areas of the Highlands or on the islands, fill up before you go: you may not find another station for several hours.

Most petrol stations sell unleaded petrol and diesel. Fuel is sold by the litre and prices tend to be higher in rural and remote areas than in large towns.

Parking

In town centres parking is usually only permitted in paid car parks, charged on a time basis. In high-traffic areas some parking metres have a maximum stay limit.

• Yellow lines on the road edge indicate parking restrictions: a single yellow line means no parking during the times shown on nearby signs; double yellow lines mean no parking at any time.
• Double red lines indicate an absolute ban on stopping and parking.
• Parking regulation offences are punished with a fine.
• In the cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Perth there are large out-of-town car parks linked to the city centre by bus services. For details contact the local tourist information offices.

Car hire in Scotland

For visitors from abroad, the most common way to explore Scotland is to hire a car directly at the airport on arrival. Major international car-hire companies are represented at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness airports. Remember to specify when booking if you prefer an automatic transmission, as most rental cars in Scotland have manual gearboxes — a detail that’s hardly insignificant when you also need to adjust to driving on the left. For a comprehensive guide to costs, insurance and practical tips, see our article on car hire in Scotland.