I was absolutely terrified to drive in Scotland! The thought of driving on the left made my head dizzy! My daughter and I were headed to Scotland for her graduation trip and we decided that we wanted to go to the Isle of Skye. After a lot of research, I realized that the best way to see the northern part of Scotland is to drive yourself. I kept putting off making the decision and booking a car. I finally pulled the trigger a few weeks before our trip and booked a car.
To prepare, I talked to friends who had been and driven in Scotland. I watched videos of people driving on the left side. I even pretended that I was driving on the left side while still in the States, all in my head so I could envision what it might look like. I was still so terrified even after watching a 2-hour video of somebody driving on the left side on the Isle of Skye. To help me while in Scotland, when we were in Edinburgh I sat behind the taxi driver and watched what he did and pretended like I was the one driving. I did this all to help me mentally get prepared to drive on the left. My best tip for you: you need to have a really good second. A person who can watch the GPS for you, who will stay calm when you drift to far to the left, who will remind you how to get off a roundabout, (Oh my gosh, so many roundabouts!) who will ultimately remind you to stay left.
There are also sheep everywhere! Be patient and pass slowly. It doesn't take long for them to move out of the way. We were behind one sheep for awhile as he jogged down the middle of the lane to reach his buddies.
I'm here to say now after returning, driving on the left really wasn't that bad. It was a lot easier than I expected. Every time we got in the car my daughter and I would say "stay left", every time I turned we'd say, "stay left". We rented the car in Glasgow and drove up to the Isle of Skye. It was absolutely a wonderful, easy drive. We drove a little bit in Glasgow and I was frustrated at first but once we got out of Glasgow it was pretty easy. I had heard that there are single lane roads and huge potholes, that is somewhat true on Skye. The truth we found is, there is still two lane roads even on the Isle of Skye. When we got to the Isle of Skye, yes there are potholes but it's not as bad as it was made out to sound.
I did mess up once on the one lane road. There are small passing lanes and I saw a car coming. The passing lane was on the right side so I went over to the right side. I did not necessarily need to do that. The guy just kind of laughed and gave me the okay sign. If the passing lane is on the right side and you are on the left side, just stop so they can go around your car. In essence, everybody just "stay left". There's no need to pull over to the right if the passing lane is only on the right side. When I say passing lane, they are only as big as a car. So pull over, stop and wait. I did come nose to nose with a car and had to do some amazing backing (if I may say so myself). The one who backs up is whoever is closest to the passing lane. There are also some rather sharp turns to be aware of. It is impossible to see if there's somebody on the other side. So go slow!! There's literally no margin for error.
I was quite surprised too that I had no spatial awareness on my left side. (I may have hit a curb or two.) My spatial awareness was really off! I could not figure out where I was in the lane. It makes a lot more sense now when teaching my kids how to drive, that they did the same thing but on the right side. Overall, I'm really glad we drove. It really is the best way to see Scotland. It really isn't that bad. Yes, they are are potholes but you can avoid them. I ended up going with a midsize SUV because I had heard maneuvering over those potholes was best in a larger car. Honestly, you could get along fine with a small car. Like I said there are potholes but they're not that bad. If you are going fast over them, sure you could probably pop a tire. I do suggest the midsize SUV though for the comfort. I thought it was perfect size for the two of us. Very easy to maneuver the roads, but some say a small car is needed for that.
A good GPS system is a must! There was one built into the car, which was very helpful. Also as stated above, it was so nice to have my daughter there looking at the GPS so I didn't have to. I was free to just concentrate on the road and staying left.
About Me
Hi! I am Amber Johnson, a travel advisor based in Ottawa, Kansas, specializing in European getaways, family vacations, domestic travel, and all-inclusive packages. What began as planning trips for my own family and friends has grown into a career I love, helping clients design stress-free, memorable adventures all over the world.
