Scotland- Scottish Drivers

We arrived late last night to Lochill Riding Centre, which is on top of a hill near the towns of Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright and not too far from Dumfries. We drove in a heavy rain along a windy, narrow road lined on each side with high hedges. I have asked several people about the point of these hedges, as for us, they are too close to the roads and cause us to miss some of the pretty views. Most folks have told me that the hedges are for protection from the elements and so that those on the other side of them can have some privacy.

We are driving on the wrong side of the road here in the UK and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, making it unusual for us American drivers. This makes each day of driving a new challenge, especially when Scottish drivers don’t like to slow down on the narrow roads. A lot of the roads that we have been driving are only wide enough for one car, so when you come upon a car headed your way, one of you has to pull to the side, lest you are playing chicken. We are consistently the ones to pull over, narrowly escaping a head on collision. These Scots are sure in a hurry!

We sucked it up earlier in the trip and purchased a European GPS up around Loch Ness that we have named Nessie. Nessie is essential on our trip, as there are tons of roundabouts, which can be super confusing. The bad thing about Nessie, much like our American GPS Matilda, is that she likes to take you on the scenic roads, which are inevitably smaller and more treacherous.

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