This could be your first time in Scotland driving a vehicle you are not used to . We touched on the basics in our previous post. But wanted to expand more on the Do's and Don'ts so you have the best time you can possible have.
Driving Etiquette
In our last blog we mentioned this. And today we would like to explain in a little more detail. Thanks to the myriad of websites and organizations we have come up with these top tips.
The scenery in Scotland is amazing and you are more than likely going to want to capture it all, and having the luxury of spending your time on the road in Sheila or Cooper you will be tempted to want to pull over at every opportunity. This is fine for you on holiday but we need to remember there are local residents living their lives and going about their business, and following tips will ensure that the traffic keeps moving, and everyone is happy.
You may be taking it easy for a multitude of reasons and if you do see that you are dipping below the speed limit and there is traffic behind, please pull in when safe to do so and allow traffic to overtake you.
The same principle applies to if you are on a straight stretch of road with traffic behind you and it is clear ahead, you can signal left and slow down to let the traffic safely pass. Please look ahead for any road dips or bends and only do this if you are sure it is safe for them to pass in plenty of time.
You will very likely end up driving on a single-track road and there may be a time htat you want to let traffic behind you overtake - again if you are able to indicate left and pull into a passing place, always keeping to the left hand side of the road, only let vehicles go past if it is safe to do so.
We understand that you may be traveling with friends and family or like-minded people, but we highly recommend that you do not travel in a convoy. Some of the smaller roads just cannot take this type of congestion and in high season they can become blocked very easily. Passing places are only designed to take two vehicles, so where possible no more than two vehicles should travel together if they must. Ideally, we would suggest you stay one passing place apart
Don't forget farming is very different in Scotland, and very quickly when out in the remote parts you will come across areas with roaming livestock of sheep, goats and highland cattle. They don't know the Highway Code, and will not follow these guidelines. So give them some space, reduce your speed to pass them safely, and be aware they may run back out as you pass.
It is also important to realize it's not just cars, motorhomes, campers, bikes, etc you need to be vigilant with. The Great Outdoors also draws in - walkers, cyclists and people on horseback. Make sure you give them all plenty of room and slow right down.
If you have any questions or would like to know more then please reach out, we have a quick guide we are happy to share with you. Fill in your details and we will send one out to you for FREE
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