Driving for pleasure – Where would you take a hire car?
When the sun is out, the sky is blue and the roads are open, driving is one of life’s simple pleasures. When you’re taking to the road in a hire car from Priory Rentals, the feel of a new or nearly new car which you have all to yourself can already feel like something fo an indulgence, so when the weather’s glorious and your route clear, there are few things which make you smile as much as winding down the windows, turning up the music and enjoying the moment.
Of course, having a four-wheeled joy-machine at your disposal is of no use if you’ve nowhere to go, so for those of you seeking inspiration, seeking motoring pleasure and seeking high speed thrills (up to the posted speed limit), we proudly present, in no particular order, some of our favourite driving routes within the UK, which we think you’ll enjoy as much as we do! Could these be the best UK roads for driving?
The Cat and Fiddle – The Peak District
In between Buxton and Macclesfield, is a 12 mile stretch of road named after the highest pub above sea level which is found along the route. The road itself allows you to enjoy the stark beauty of the Peak District National Park and sweeping winding turns and hairpin bends. The length is more or less covered by a 50mph average speed checking camera system, but with such lovely views, why would you drive faster? Feel free to stop off at the Cat and Fiddle itself and make sure you keep an eye out for bikers.
The LLanberis Pass – Snowdonia
In between Caernarfon and Capel Curig, you’ll find a glorious stretch of road taking you past one of North Wales’ most famous landmarks – Mount Snowdon. As you’d expect there are lots of climbs and descents as you take in the rugged scenery surrounding this green and mountainous route, surrounded by dry stone walls.
The A82 – From Glasgow to Inverness
It might be a trek to get there, but if you’re heading to Scotland anywhere and you have a few hours to spare, then travelling between Lowland Glasgow to Highland Inverness is around 140 miles of pure driving pleasure. Once again, it’s the scenery which makes the trip worthwhile, you’ll see mountains, glens, lochs and mile after mile of the kind of unspoilt rugged wilderness that only Scotland can provide. Do be careful between Tyndrum and Tarbet though – this section of the A82, on the banks of Loch Lomond, which is narrow, full of hairpin bends has been named as the third most dangerous road in Scotland!
Snake Pass – The Peak District
A little further North than the Cat & Fiddle, but no less worthy of note, Snake Pass is a beautiful drive across the Peak District in between Manchester and Sheffield. The views are spectacular along the entirety of the route, with hills on one side and scenic views on the other. There’ll be valleys, there’ll be trees and once you reach the Ladybower Reservoir, you’ll spend some time looking out over the water too. All this should serve to distract you from the ‘other’ view of the Snake Pass, which is usually the back end of a slow-moving lorry or caravan, for which there are precious few opportunities to safely overtake. The nearby Woodhead pass, which you can often use as an alternative gets an honourable mention for having similarly spectacular scenery.
The Buttertubs Pass – The Yorkshire Dales
Described by Jeremy Clarkson as “England’s only truly spectacular road”, the Buttertubs pass is relatively short at only five miles long between Hawes and Thwaite. This short route makes up for its brevity with sheer majesty. The road has everything a true driver could want from a road. Stunning scenery turns which demand your full attention, with steep climbs and equally steep descents to keep you focused. Trult on of the best UK roads for drivers to enjoy.
St Just to St Ives – The A3071 in Cornwall
While it seems we’ve left out the South of England for our collection of spectacular UK roads, we couldn’t forget the seaside scenery to be enjoyed in between St Just and St Ives in Cornwall. Take in the sea air, but make sure you pay attention, this road will demand all of it. It’s a busy route, full of tourists, cyclists, walkers and the occasional livestock, but all of that can be forgiven just because of how glorious it is to travel along it. There aren’t many places to overtake, but that at least gives you more chance to enjoy the drive!
Are these the best UK roads?
We love these roads and we’re sure that you will too, but we’d also love to hear from you so that we can discover new routes which speak to our love of the open road. Do you agree with our choices? Do you think we should add more worthy driving routes to our list? Have you discovered a stretch of highway which makes driving an act of pure pleasure? We’d love to hear from you – comment below or get in touch using our contact form. Where would you drive a hire car?