Driving in Perfect Isolation

[Batfoy]

I was watching a show on the TV last night (An t-Eilean) with lots of long shots of cars driving through stunning landscapes with no other car in sight. So far so unrealistic but then I got thinking, I can't remember the last time I went on a long drive on a virtually deserted road in the UK. I might even argue that it's impossible in 2025.

The PH review road (the B4494 from Newbury to Wantage) isn't that far from me and is a great driving road but unless you get up at sparrow's fart, you'll be lucky to make progress undisturbed. It's also quite short. I thought of the obvious candidates, Wales and Scotland but again, up early and off-season for an unmolested drive - less the cameras.

Is there truly anywhere in the UK that you could go for an epic drive (views and an ability press on) drive for an hour or so without seeing another soul, where it's just you and the car? Feel free to offer up overseas alternatives, I imagine the US would be an obvious place,

[Gad-Westy]

Batfoy said:

I was watching a show on the TV last night (An t-Eilean) with lots of long shots of cars driving through stunning landscapes with no other car in sight. So far so unrealistic but then I got thinking, I can't remember the last time I went on a long drive on a virtually deserted road in the UK. I might even argue that it's impossible in 2025.

The PH review road (the B4494 from Newbury to Wantage) isn't that far from me and is a great driving road but unless you get up at sparrow's fart, you'll be lucky to make progress undisturbed. It's also quite short. I thought of the obvious candidates, Wales and Scotland but again, up early and off-season for an unmolested drive - less the cameras.

Is there truly anywhere in the UK that you could go for an epic drive (views and an ability press on) drive for an hour or so without seeing another soul, where it's just you and the car? Feel free to offer up overseas alternatives, I imagine the US would be an obvious place,

I had a very memorable drive one evening in the north Pennines a couple of years back where the only other car I saw in well over an hour was another red lotus.

[the-norseman]

barely make it 5 minutes these days without stumbling over somebody doing 40 in a 60.

[MikeM6]

There are plenty of quiet roads you can enjoy, however the trick is to not tell anyone about them. If everyone knows about them, they don't stay so quiet.

[paddy1970]

There are certainly places in the UK where you can drive for an hour with barely seeing another car—you just have to head north and set off early. This morning, I went for a drive in the North York Moors at 7:30 am and saw only three cars in an hour. The further north you go, the quieter the roads become, especially in areas like the Scottish Highlands, and parts of Northumberland.

[Speed addicted]

MikeM6 said:

There are plenty of quiet roads you can enjoy, however the trick is to not tell anyone about them. If everyone knows about them, they don't stay so quiet.

Like the NC500, it’s essentially just the way round. We used the roads for years (being relatively local in Aberdeenshire) until the tourist board got involved and ruined it for everyone.
Now it’s pretty much a no-go in summer unless you like looking at the back of camper vans that won’t pull over for miles.

[Pica-Pica]

the-norseman said:

barely make it 5 minutes these days without stumbling over somebody doing 40 in a 60.

Agreed. Bloody tractors (No Farmers - No Food).
Mind you, it was pretty empty on the A4086 last Monday.

[Patrick Bateman]

The time I took my e39 M5 out for its last proper drive was like that. Very early in the morning, up through Glenshee and onwards to Grantown-on-Spey.

If you're early enough (I'm talking just as the sun's coming up in summer) such a drive is unbelievable, campers in the glen got a nice V8 alarm clock too.

[Batfoy]

Patrick Bateman said:

The time I took my e39 M5 out for its last proper drive was like that. Very early in the morning, up through Glenshee and onwards to Grantown-on-Spey.

If you're early enough (I'm talking just as the sun's coming up in summer) such a drive is unbelievable, campers in the glen got a nice V8 alarm clock too.

Nice, very nice.

[POIDH]

I drove last night on quiet roads, and again this morning for around 15 miles. This is in the Cairngorms, but I'm not announcing to the rest of the world exactly where the quiet areas were/are. Beautiful scenery, lovely roads, amazing walks

[Glenn63]

Earlier Is most certainly better. I usually do a 5am get up in the summer and head into the Yorkshire dales and il be pretty much the only one about. A few bikers out at devils bridge for a breakfast. Heading back around 8am the roads are already getting busier.

[littleredrooster]

Patrick Bateman said:

The time I took my e39 M5 out for its last proper drive was like that. Very early in the morning, up through Glenshee and onwards to Grantown-on-Spey.

One of my favourite bits of road. So good in fact that we stayed at Grantown-on-Spey a couple of years back so I could go back and forwards a few times!

We live in North Yorkshire, so within about 20 minutes can be on to largely deserted roads. I have a selection of favoured routes up towards/in the North Pennines (as mentioned by Gad-Westy earlier), where I may see perhaps half a dozen cars per hour in either direction. Road surfaces generally are quite decent, too, unlike some of my previously favourite bits in the Scottish borders which have fallen into serious disrepair. The road down past Eskdalemuir, in particular, is now a proper wheel-destroyer which needs extensive repairs.

[Square Leg]

Around last November I was working in Wells, Norfolk.
Left Nottingham around 6am one Monday morning and ended up on a NSL country road in Norfolk where I didn’t see another car for mile after mile.
Not sure which road it was but as I trundled along it in my 3 cylinder van, I thought how nice it’d be in my Lotus..

[LunarOne]

I don't know anywhere in the UK, but Spain is full of fast sweeping roads with barely any traffic at all. Here's a few clips from Summer 2023. I also drove through the Pyrennees and there was barely any traffic on the mountain roads either, unlike in the Alps.

[Mr Tidy]

I live in Surrey so it never happens here.

But I've been to Scotland a few times in the last couple of years and loved driving on roads with minimal traffic. Not empty admittedly, but plenty of gaps for safe overtaking which I'm just not used to!

Hopefully I'll be back there a couple of times this year too.

[cptsideways]

Clearly you've not been to Scotland! My average journey towards Glasgow is about 1hr40m, first 5 miles of single track & occasional car, next is 30m of mostly straight A road on cruise might see a couple of cars, if you do no shortage of overtaking opportunities, turn right same again until nearing town. Nearest set of traffic lights in any direction from home are 40min away.

I'm currently down in Dorset where I used live, it's utterly dreadful in comparison.

[Chubbyross]

As others have said, head up to the Highlands. I took my 911 Turbo up to the north west of Scotland a few years ago in early May, stayed well away from all the standard NC500 roads and would drive for miles without seeing another soul. The weather was stunning (roof down most days, too early for midges) and some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet.

I had a good trawl through the PH archives to find some great recommended routes for drivers. As I said, avoid the NC500 roads and you'll have a fabulous time, with the only sounds to hear being your tyres and exhaust note, assuming you're not taking a Tesla!

[Lifesbloodygood]

Nothing but empty roads here, bliss!

Just select todays car and amble along to todays restaurant of choice Wouldn't even bother having a collection if we lived in the uk.

Too quiet some of the time though, never happy

[CraigyMc]

I like a quiet road and have spent many an hour in the desert west states of the USA.

This one isn't on Google street view, but is asphalt.



The longest I've driven without seeing another car is on these roads. Literally hours, and hundreds of miles.

[Alorotom]

Quite a few around Northumberland and North Yorkshire