Driving on Skye, as in the rest of the north of Scotland, is pretty straightforward. Some of the roads are wide and very good indeed. Some are neither of these things. But there are certainly aspects of driving here that may be unfamiliar to some visitors to the area. There are a few important things that you should know about...
- Deer are plentiful, especially on the major routes leading towards Skye. They are not good to hit. A fully grown deer arriving through your windscreen is likely to be fatal - and not just to the deer.
- Sheep are God's way of helping drivers to test their airbags. They are everywhere, they are suicidal, and you need to avoid them.
- KEEP LEFT. An astonishing number of visitors decide to swerve suddenly to their right to use a passing place on a single track road. Never, never, never do that. It is very dangerous. If the passing place is on your right, stop on your left opposite it to allow the approaching vehicle to use it to pass you.
- Do use passing places to allow overtaking. Remember that not everyone on the road is on holiday - if another vehicle is behind you, stop (on your left!) at the first opportunity of a passing place. You'll always get a thanks!
- Don't use passing places as parking spots. No matter how good the view, find somewhere else to stop.
Courtesy and friendliness on the roads is normal here. You'll get a smile and a wave of thanks when you help someone on their way. If you join in with that, you'll be fine - and you'll enjoy the experience.
