Five Tips I'd Give to Anyone Driving through the Scottish Highlands

For many visitors to the Scottish Highlands each year, the best way to visit the Highlands and Islands is by hiring a car or campervan. Yet, for many, the experience of driving through the Scottish Highlands is less than ideal. With hundreds of miles of windy roads and many places only reachable by single track road, it can truly be a hair raising experience.

When I first started coming to the Scottish Highlands when I still lived in Glasgow, it was such a big culture shock to realise how many roads in the Scottish Highlands are still single track. I had to learn how to drive on windy roads and how to reverse back to passing places (something I still struggle with). I had to learn how to drive in the darkest depths of winter, without the normal streetlamps and with added dangers such a deer on the roads, and through the summer months, when traffic is incredibly busy and you have to navigate travelling on the roads with people who have never driven their vehicle of choice before.

I have to admit, one of the things I struggle the most with during the busy summer months is how dangerous the roads can be at this time of year.

Plan Ahead

If you've read any of these blogposts of mine where I share Five Tips about visiting the Scottish Highlands, you'll know this is one of my biggest tips is always plan ahead. This is especially true when it comes to driving in the Scottish Highlands.

Even if Google Maps tells you a journey is going to take a certain amount of time, the likilehood is busy tourist traffic will make journey times a lot longer than expected. Alternatively, during the winter months the lack of traffic might make journey times shorter, although you have to bear in mind winter conditions at this time of year as well (I've shared more about my thoughts on planning ahead during the winter months here).

I'd highly recommend adding in a buffer time to any car journeys you are planning on making through the Scottish Highlands, especially if you have a limited time period and are visiting during the summer tourist season.

Be Aware that These Plans Could Change

The thing about exploring the Scottish Highlands, especially when exploring more rural parts of the Highlands, is that road accidents and incidents can close the only road to somewhere for multiple hours.

We've experienced this first hand over the last few years. Due to serious road traffic accidents on the road near our shop, the main road to the Isle of Skye had to shut on a busy Friday afternoon for 8 hours. This meant that people could take an alternative detour road which added an extra 120 miles onto their journey, or wait for the road to reopen. This is the reality of what road closures can look like in the Scottish Highlands.

Be Aware of Other Road Users

Personally, one of my biggest pet peeves about driving at this time of year is having someone in front of me suddenly pull over or stop (normally without indicating) in order to take a picture of something or stop to see some beauty spot.

If you notice something outside you want to take pictures of or want to see better, please be aware there may be a queue of traffic behind you.

If you want to take pictures, Please Pull Over

One of my biggest pet peeves about these months in the Scottish Highlands! Yes, I know that the Scottish Highlands are incredibly beautiful and, as a blogger, I'm all for taking pictures of this magnificent place. But, if you are holding up other road users by driving slowly to take pictures, you not only put them but yourselves in danger.

If you want to take pictures of our beautiful landscapes and places of interest around the Scottish Highlands, please make sure you pull over to a suitable stopping place (no, this does not include a passing place or a verge in the middle of the road) and be aware of cars around you whilst you do it.

Most Importantly, Drive on the Left

The most important rule of driving in the Scottish Highlands (and the rest of the UK in general). So many traffic accidents happen every year in the Scottish Highlands becasue international road users forget what side of the road they need to be on.

Many road users simply forget the side of road they should be on because of tiredness, which might seem like a tiny mistake at the time but can lead to pretty terrible consequences. If you have been driving for a long time and are feeling tired, make sure you stop somewhere for a while and rest. The Highlands and Islands are full of pretty incredible small businesses and people who are more than happy to have for a wee while whilst you gain your energy back.