If you are planning a road trip to Scotland and have little or no experience driving on the left side of the road, you might be a little worried about how you will manage. Worry not, it is definitely doable and most can accomplish this feat with a little bit of patience and preparation. As Canadians who typically drive on the right side of the road, we have successfully driven in multiple left-side driving countries (totalling nearly four weeks of driving and over 2,000km travelled) and as a result, have accumulated several insights and good practices that we are happy to share with others. Below we present our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide to help you get the most out of your trip there, which will include some important facts, practical tips, and safety advice.
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Cars drive on the left side of the road
Although this is probably obvious to most, it bears repeating as it is the main challenge one will face when sitting behind the wheel in the UK for the first time. Scotland was our second trip in which we had to adjust to driving on the left (the first was our trip to sparsely inhabited Namibia), and both times we would say that it takes about a day’s worth of driving to truly get the hang of it and feel comfortable.
The steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle
The first thing you will notice is that the steering wheel is on the right-hand side of the vehicle, and that will cause your lines of sight to be the mirror version of what they normally are. One of the main consequences of this when driving is that initially, you might find it more difficult to stay centred in your lane. This will however usually resolve itself after a little bit of driving once you’ve developed new visual cues to assess how centred you are in your lane.
Turning from the left side of the road to the left side of the road
One of the trickier things to remember when first driving on the left is to turn into the left lane of the street you are turning into. It will feel weird at first as unconsciously you might be tempted to head towards the more familiar right side of the road. It’s a good idea to keep reminding yourself to “keep left” every time you turn a corner.
Watch out for pedestrians on your left
Another thing to pay attention to when tuning left is the possibility of pedestrians stepping out onto the street at the last second. The instinct for most who drive on the right side of the road is to look right for pedestrians stepping into the street very close to the car. While driving on the left side of the road, it is pedestrians on your left who could step in front of your car unexpectedly.
Blinkers, wipers, and light controls are flipped
That’s right. Pretty much all the controls you’re used to having on the left side of the steering wheel will be on the right, and vice-versa. So it’s essential that you take your time to get to know your car before you hit the road, particularly if heading into densely populated areas.
It’s also generally a good idea to quickly go over things again every morning to re-acquaint yourself with the differences before hitting the road.
Passing lanes
When driving on the interstate, highway or motorway, the passing lane is the right lane, not the left.
Automatic vs. manual transmission
If you are used to driving cars with an automatic transmission, we would recommend to try and rent an automatic vehicle in Scotland. We wouldn’t recommend trying to learn how to drive with a manual transmission while having to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. Even if you are used to driving a manual transmission, know that the stick shift will be on your left side and not your right.
Understanding roundabouts
You might have come across roundabouts before, but driving on the left side of the road can potentially add a small layer of difficulty especially if you are not very used to navigating them very often. Things can get particularly tricky when there are multiple lanes in every direction, making it less obvious which lane you should be when entering the roundabout.
The image below illustrates which lanes you should find yourself in depending on which roundabout exit you plan to take. You might not know beforehand which exit you want to take, which is why it’s often a good idea to have access to GPS or Google Maps when driving in an unfamiliar environment.
-When approaching the roundabout, make sure that you are aware of any vulnerable road users, including cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians, as many roundabouts have crossings near their entrances.
-Upon entering the roundabout, you must ensure that you give way to any traffic approaching from the right.
-When turning left, you typically want to be in the left-hand lane. When turning right, you want to the in the right-hand lane. When going straight-ahead, it is typically best to stay in the left-hand lane.
-It’s also recommended to indicate which exit you plan on taking. When taking the first exit, you should signal left, leaving your signal on until exiting. If exiting on the right, you should signal right and approach the right lane. You should keep right, with your signal on until you intend to exit. Then signal left after passing the exit before yours and leave the roundabout.
If going straight-ahead, you do not need to signal on approach unless changing lanes. Stay in your lane and signal after passing the exit before yours.
Other tips
– If possible, start with motorways or highways. It’s easy, just follow the traffic and get used to seeing cars travelling on the left side of the road. When in doubt, just follow the cars ahead of you.
– Be sure to have proper insurance coverage. Even if you normally don’t purchase insurance when renting a car, it’s not a bad idea when you are driving in an unfamiliar manner – if only to give you extra peace of mind.
– Minimize distractions: If you are nervous about driving in a new place, now is not the time to be playing with the radio or answering phone calls. Wait until you get your bearings and feel comfortable driving in an area before you start fidgeting with your accessories.
– Put your passenger(s) to work: feel free to have passengers take on any tasks not directly related to operating the car, such as reading maps, changing radio stations, checking road signs and giving reminders when needed.
– If you don’t plan on picking up your car rental right away, then you can sign up for a one-hour driving refresher lesson the day before you pick up your car. Some driving schools even offer hotel pickup.
–Be careful on small and rural roads: You may forget yourself and drive on the right, or in the middle. It’s important to be aware that you should move to the left and not the right.
-Depending on where you travel, you may come across single-track roads. We discuss these in more detail in our Isle of Sky Driving Guide.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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