Driving in Scotland

Driving in Scotland can be a little tricky for most visitors but once you start you'll find that it's not as bad you thought. Below are our experiences driving in Scotland. They will let you know that you are not alone in the anxiety of attempting this new driving experience but as I said earlier, once you do it you'll find that driving in Scotland is not as bad as you first thought it would be and your anxieties will soon disappear as you drive into the Scottish countryside.

I'm sure that our experiences are typical for most Americans or any foreigner driving for the first time in Britain. The only thing we knew for sure was that we would be driving on the left side of the road and that the steering wheel was on the right side of the car. Needless to say, my husband and I were a little nervous.

On our first trip to Scotland, we arrived in Edinburgh and spent three days and nights walking the streets sightseeing. Our accommodation was a bed and breakfast only one mile from the Royal Mile, so walking everywhere was easy. The night before we were to pick up our rental car, the nerves set in and we did not sleep very much. After breakfast the next morning we called for a cab to take us to the airport where we would pick up our rental car. We filled out the paperwork and were very pleased to find out that we had been upgraded to an automatic due to availability. The clerk then handed my husband the keys and we set off to find the car in the parking lot. Of course, when we located the car we each got in on the wrong side. My husband was to drive and I was to be the "navigator". We just looked at each other, laughed, and quickly changed positions. Once we were settled in our correct places and became somewhat familiar with the car, I was ready to go but my husband was not. He just sat there staring at the steering wheel. In my excitement to be off I had not realized just how nervous he really was. He explained that he just needed a moment to adjust. So, we sat there quietly until he was ready.

Within moments we were pulling out of the Edinburgh Airport parking lot and approached our first, of many, roundabouts. I could hear my husband mumbling "just stay on the left" over and over again as if this was his new "mantra". With my detailed driving directions in my hand, we followed the signs and watched the other drivers for inspiration. We made it out of Edinburgh without a scratch and our nerves intact.

Our destination for the day was Delgatie Castle, Turriff, Aberdeenshire. The drive itself was only a couple of hours so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. We were awe struck by the heather covered hills dotted with sheep and the small streams flowing along side the road. We made a lot of stops at roadside pull offs just to breath it all in. After only about an hour of driving my husband and I were very relaxed. He admitted that it wasn't so bad after all and after ten days of driving he was a pro.

What really helped were the detailed driving directions I had printed off before leaving home. I used mapquest point A to point B and to our surprise we did not get lost. They were very exact which gave us the confidence needed when we veered off on our own. We also carried with us a Michelin Map of Scotland. Both are must haves for your road trip in Scotland.

FYI - British roads consist of motorways (M roads), through routes (A roads), secondary routes (B roads), and unclassified roads and lanes. The motorways are comparable to U.S. Interstates, A roads resemble our state highways, and B roads are similar to county roads. While we were driving around the countryside in Scotland searching out castle ruins and ancient stone circles, we found ourselves on a lot of single lane roads with tiny passing spots which allow you to pull over (sort of) to allow the approaching car to pass.