Begin your journey in welcoming Edinburgh. Not only is this a gorgeous city to look at, with its fairy-tale Castle, elegant Georgian façades and the world's highest concentration of listed buildings – the Scottish capital is a genuinely friendly place that entices visitors back again and again.
Whether you fancy a hot hatch for an urban jaunt or a comfortable people carrier for a family adventure, your perfect rental car is waiting for you in central Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is full of compelling diversions. Get your bearings by promenading up the famous Royal Mile to the ever-visible Edinburgh Castle.
The narrow, crooked paths which channel between houses in the Old Town encourage the visitor to get wonderfully lost, but it's also possible to take hidden paths deep beneath the city ... join a tour down into medieval tenements that were once beset by plague.
Back above ground, hiking paths crisscross the 250-metre-high Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano in city-centre Holyrood Park. Walkers are rewarded with stunning vistas. Afterwards, the cosy pubs of Cockburn Street await to quench thirsty ramblers.
August travellers will witness Edinburgh's population doubling in size for the city's famous International and Fringe festivals, the latter being the largest arts confab on the planet.
Road trips from Edinburgh
From Edinburgh it's a 30-minute drive to the peaceful village of Roslin, home to hilltop Rosslyn Chapel. Many believe the Chapel here, which reveals unusual carvings, is the repository for the Holy Grail – a legend made infamous by the book The Da Vinci Code.
In Glasgow, a mere hour away by car, find another thriving music and arts scene and some of the most imaginative museums and galleries in Britain (which are mostly completely free to enter). From here, it's a short drive to the nearby Clyde valley and on to the Argyll sea lochs and the old shipbuilding centres on the Clyde estuary.
Inverness, three hours' drive due north, is a great springboard from which to drive to the Highlands’ secluded mountains, glens, lochs and rugged coastline.
A three-hour drive will also take you to Fort William, which lies in the shadows of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s tallest mountain and houses the 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct that plays a starring role in the Harry Potter films.
Driving rules in the United Kingdom
Which side of the road? In the United Kingdom, please drive on the left side of the road.
Country driving laws
Mobile phones may only be used with a headset or hands-free device
Use the outside lane to overtake on motorways and dual carriageways
There is a congestion charge payable when driving in London
Zebra crossings (black and white stripes on the road) give pedestrians right of way to cross the road
Speed Limits All speed signs will be in mph. For a standard Avis rental vehicle with no trailers:
Urban areas: 30 mph (48 km/h)
Rural areas: 60 mph (96 km/h)
Motorways: 70 mph (112 km/h)
Unless indicated by road signs.
Child safety / Seatbelt laws
It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear a seatbelt
Children aged under 12 or less than 135cm tall must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size
Please note - It is the child’s parent / guardian or vehicle renter’s responsibility to fit the child seat.
This road rules information is for provided for general guidance only. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and accurate, but any reliance you place on this information is at your own risk.