@@ConquerDriving As someone from somewhere near Glasgow, that’s a nice thing to hear! Been to the harbour in Mallaig for the boat over to the Isle of Skye. Lovely part of the country.
Thank you so much Richard. I have the press contacting me tomorrow as you have actually made it possible to be one of the UK’s youngest bus driver. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t know how to even drive a car! I never had professional instruction. Just a car, some L plates and my sister in law. I passed my car test first time in May 2022. Then I had no luck with any of my previous jobs so I decided to train to be a bus driver (we all laughed at first) but as soon as things got real (me passing my bus theory and hazard, then CPC and my test) my family were so proud. I’ve even had numerous compliments from my passengers at how smooth I drive compare to the other bus drivers
I sat my test on the Isle of Arran in the mid-90s. There were no roundabouts, no traffic lights, no dual carriageways. I seem to recall doing more than 1 maneuvre though, I think I did reversing around a corner, parallel park, 3-point turn and an emergency stop. Not sure if they changed the test since or if it was to compensate for the otherwise less challenging driving, which I vaguely recall being told. My parents bought me Pass-Plus lessons on "the mainland" after I passed, I still remember elements of those lessons to this day as it was the first time I encountered any of the above. I would advise anyone who passes in similarly rural areas like seen in this video to do the same.
I'm a non-driver (I don't see with my right eye), but finding videos like yours really interesting. In the 90s a friend was learning to drive on Skye, in those days there was only one place for parallel parking so people would get a friend/family to park in it so became an automatic pass!
I remember seeing a map of test rates in England and noticing that the highest passrates were in the Scottish highlands, I thought "there's no way he'll go all the way to Scotland to do the opposite video" ...
For people thinking it’s very easy to pass there (I think the majority of top ten pass rate are in the highlands and islands of Scotland), there’re plenty of documentations of people travelling up, spent loads on accommodations etc but still failed. It’s not as easy as it seems (it’s just difficult in a different way), and I think good part of the reason more people pass is their familiarity of the area (since there’re not many road to drive around). As for the lack of other road users, since I do quite some hiking in the highlands, I can attest these roads can get very busy, particularly the early morning (with the big lorries rushing to make delivery/ferries elsewhere), and especially during the summer (tourists, some have no idea how to use a passing place, some even park in there. In addition plenty of slow moving traffics like cyclists, tractors and some camper vans). On top of that also wild animals (had two close encounters with deer myself - no rhinos so far), and weather can get seriously bad with an excess of standing water (poor drainage and surface in general) and very poor visibility at bits.
I'd say the type of people who would travel dramatically far for a test here are alligned to the type of people who would deal badly in those situations. If a person lived in Glasgow this wouldn't be too much of a commitment, but do a journey say from Colchester, there'd have to be a big reason why they'd do that.
An easy place to pass is Llandrindod Wells. 2 roundabouts and 1 set of traffic lights. Nearest bike school is over an hour away, so you need to bring your own bike. Tests are every few months.
I think if you feel like you need to travel up to the highlands to pass a test then you're not ready to drive hence I wouldn't be surprised that people who travel up there make up most of the failed percentage. In all honestly I find the concept of someone who clearly isn't ready to drive travelling up to the highlands for hours and spending money on accommodation just to fail within the first 10 minuites of the test.
Familiarity is definitely an aspect, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides there were 3-4 test routes and by the time of my test I had done them all to death. The only unique challenge would be the single lane roads with the passing places.
I would say for anyone booking a test here to get familiar with country roads near to home and then travel up beforehand. It's different from city driving
I've often wondered what a test would be like in the Highlands as there are so few hazards; no roundabouts, dual carriageways, busy town centres, traffic lights and so on. If someone passes here, I feel sure they would find it a nightmare driving in a busy urban area. I can't understand how the four failures could do so in this area. Probably looking at the magnificent scenery instead of the road - only joking!
'Drivers would find it a nightmare driving in a busy urban area?' Quite the contrary, I think. With badly maintained and 'cart-track' style single track narrow and winding Scottish mountain roads and poor weather conditions, especially in Winter, you've got to be doubly careful and very considerate to oncoming traffic. Plus there may be animals (or rocks) on the roads, and forestry trucks and tourist caravans to negotiate.Traffic lights and dual carriageways are a doddle after that. I learnt to drive on holiday in Ardnamurchan, a peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland in the 1970s which had really terrible roads then - locals said that if you could drive there you could drive anywhere! Shortly afterwards, I passed my driving test (in Wimbledon!) first time.
@@Ky-xm7tc Namibia. We do a Yard test first (reverse bay parking, parallel parking and 3 point turn) and then a road test. 3 strikes and you are out!!!
Durness is fantastic also. Sandy beaches with rocky outcrops. There is an artists village and a limestone cave accessible from the beach. Epic scenery.
Hi Richard, what a video, love the commitment to make it too. I’ve got my test on Wednesday in Bishops Stortford, but even if i pass i’m definitely gonna keep watching your vids. Top quality stuff, keep it up mate
Passed my test in North Scotland, I could drive 50 miles and see one mini roundabout and a pelican crossing. I was there 25 years, then I moved here to the West Midlands 😱! I watch your videos to get some confidence to drive in urban areas and loved this one it was like going home 😍. I will drive round the country roads no problem but get me in town and I can't wait to get out. Think I need some city lessons
Guess I’m the complete opposite as I live in very busy London but also reasonably regularly drive round other big cities. I have found many of the Northern cities like Manchester and Birmingham are a joke to actually get into the city, lots of big roads and about 8 slip roads to look out for, but aren’t too bad in the actual center. London I find is easier than them. In general though I actually find most drivers in busy areas, particularly London are actually more courteous and have more patience than they do in more rural, smaller areas.
At 19:15 it becomes a 5mph zone. You then proceed to do 15 mph before the junction, and as high as 18 after! Aside from this mistake another fantastic video, thank you :)
I had the opportunity to drive across the length of the Scottish coast, from Edinburgh all the way to Fraserburgh, Inverness, passing the Loch Ness and towards Fort William. I might say, one of the most beautiful roads I have ever driven on! Drove on my international license, but watched a lot of videos from your channel and Pin's! Driving is pretty straight forward as long as you are following the rules and respecting other motorists! But I thoroughly enjoyed the almost 650 mile drive. Cannot wait to sit for my practical exam and hopefully clear it!
Welcome to Scotland! Being from Glasgow, I remember when my friends and I turned 17 and all the boys would be booking tests in remote places. Limited road furniture and low numbers of routes made for higher test pass rates lol
Brilliant tour of Mallaig, I was up there in June. Roads are a lot busier in the summer and in June there was a lot of road works between Fort William and Mallaig, so you where lucky🤣🤣
The Scottish Highlands is definitely one of the last places in the country where the majority of people actually know how to drive fast yet safely on 60mph single carriageway country roads. Yes, they do tend to break the limit fairly often, but they time their overtakes properly and pull over to let others pass as necessary. The rest of the country has too many who happily putter at 40 mph even if it's safe to do the limit (then they barrel through a 30 mph village still doing 40 mph), along with many doing dodgy overtakes to get past the ones doing 40 mph. The worst bit is that it's usually older and presumably more experienced drivers who drive like this (often with the catchphrase of "it's a limit not a target") instead of making progress properly.
Not to mention tourists who brake at empty roundabouts and drive 23mph on 60 roads. Oh not to mention they’ll get infuriated when you attempt to pass them because god fobid anyone get to where they need to be in half decent time, It’s not personal, I just want to drive the speed limit. 50mph in the summer time on highland A-roads honestly feels like a treat 😂
Just wanted to say a big thankyou between my instructor and watching your videos i passed today with only 2 minors, i will always recommend your videos and advice to anyone sitting there test thankyou again you was a massive help 👍👊👍👊👍
Wow, just wow. I've been saying I'll visit the Highlands for years now but have been put off by the drive time, but after seeing this I'm more determined than ever to go, it looks like my version of heaven. P s, I said in your last video that the next one would be the highest pass rate, called it! 😄 Awesome drive, but sadly no rhino sightings though 😢
Doing a test here would be so scenic and peaceful just what you need when stressed but I do think having mine in a busy city added all the realism of everyday normal driving
I passed on the Isle of Lewis a few years ago, similar sort of roads to this with nothing much to contend with. I have driven in major cities since moving off the island, but I remember the first time I drove in Glasgow and I was constantly on edge having never been taught about certain road features beyond the theory. A lot of people I know refuse to drive unaccompanied off the island, one has to wonder if there is an element of danger allowing people to pass in these places despite never having seen a motorway, multi-lane roundabout or even something as mundane as a box junction on the basic island road layout.
You’ve got a good point, but I can see why they let people pass. If you’re gonna live on a little island like that which doesn’t have those elements, then you don’t really need to know how to handle them to drive, and it wouldn’t be easy for them to learn to handle those elements by travelling to the mainland. Maybe they should implement a tiered system where people who learn on these islands get a limited license that doesn’t allow urban driving, but at the same time I can see why that would be really annoying to people who would need to take a second test.
Excellent driving , I also see your all videos, I respect you..I also have car licence, I have passed driving test 2022. Thank you very much. I have learnt many tips from your driving. I hope more from you.
For somewhere with such a high pass rate, it’s not actually the easiest test in the world. Got a lot of very narrow single track roads, can be very difficult if there’s oncoming traffic. Then again those that take the test in Mallaig are very used to these roads
Funny how the road markings on a quiet Scottish road in the middle of nowhere are much better and clearer than the ones on the video of the test centre with the lowest pass rate which was in a big city like London Scotland has some of the best roads in the UK not just for driving on but also how well maintained they are
Great video as always. I found the transition from an easy learner car to something requiring better and more precise clutch and gas control difficult but your videos on smooth driving have been really helpful. The only place I’m struggling to drive smoothly now is stop-start traffic - I understand first gear is often just not very comfortable to drive in, but I still feel like I might be doing some things wrong. A video on driving in traffic, covering eco tips (stopping as few times as possible and not inching forward unnecessarily, for example) as well as control, would be really great.
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That's a beautiful part of the UK and I haven't been up there since I was a kid, but I did go as far as Edinburgh about twenty years ago. It would be even farther for me as I'm in Sussex.
Probably one of the most beautiful places to take a driving test, ever. Just wow. Unfortunately I wouldn’t trust my skills driving on the “wrong” side. :P
@@mydogeatspuke The steeper the hill, the more gas, yep. If the hill is crazy steep you might need to bring the clutch up a little further, but you're covered there with the extra gas - not too much risk of a stall.
On my motorcycle test in Gateshead I had back to back rush hour traffic, I then had someone drive across a grass verge across a pedestrian path then onto the road from a petrol station forcing me to perform a quick shoulder check and dodge her, instructor behind me didn't even make a peep over the radio. Then there's test centres like this. (car was a woman in a white range rover, wish I was making that up, I'd also have accepted bashed up black straight through pipe '04 ford focus with a burberry cap as a substitute for that off road manuever)
That looks like a really fun drive, though as a learner or a new driver I think I would have been a bit nervous along a lot of that without adequate preparation.
Mallaig, a small village in the Scottish Highlands on the sea, no traffic lights? The nearest town is Fort William about 45 miles away. Glasgow is about 150 miles, and Inverness about 100 miles.
Ahhh only suggested you come up as a joke, didn’t expect you to ACTUALLY come (tho know you'd planned it anyways but just want to say this)! But it seems like a good trip for you. On the speed point I didn’t realise it till I drove in England, where everyone seemed so patient. In Scotland it’s very common to see vehicles (esp. panel vans, even vehicles owned by gov authorities) speeding, like at the bit of straight where you nearly missed you turn. I’ve been overtaken so many times for doing the national speed limit on a straight road (they can’t catch me at corners tho). For the bit with green paint on the road, I think it’s to protect school pupil to get the school safely instead of just a cycle lane (but it will help with those cycling to school) as I’ve seen them elsewhere in Scotland and it was right outside a road to a school, but locals do correct me if I’m wrong
I think instead of worrying about the test pass rates at certain centres you should focus on being the best driver you can and enhance your skills and confidence. That is the only way that will make you pass the test. There was always this talk around bad test centres and examiners that will fail you for no reason but I think the only way to pass is to demonstrate the skills required to drive safely.
I really like how you explain road signs and markings, as I'm not from the UK and I'm not familiar with everything (even though signs and markings are similar in European countries )
I know this is obviously a bit of a unique case, and the sample size of like 30 tests means you can’t draw too much, but it’s kind of ridiculous how 3x as many pass in some test centres compared to others. Seems like they need to be standardised somehow to account for this.
@@ConquerDriving well I’m learning all over again. Long story short, I’m a 43 year old retired U.S Army Veteran and my 12 months is up in 5 so I need to get my UK license before the clock runs out. I’m kinda lucky because I can practice all I want as I’m full legal to drive as it is. The only problem is unlearning the bad habits I’ve collected over the 25 years of driving all over the world. I even passed my test in Germany, which was insane. Now I’m in full learner mode. Thanks for the vids bro. They honestly have been a big help. So yeah head up the A12 and try out Lowestoft.
ah the port town to Isle of Skye, and you drive past the Jacobite steam train (for Harry Potter fans) terminal , so memerable. Didn't know it has a test route 😂😂
When you were talking about speed, it made me think what would it be like doing your test in the Isle of Mann where there is no speed limit outisde the built up areas.
I am there right now, nearly had an accident earlier as a BMW G29 Z4 pulled out of a parking bay without checking or indicating, at some speed... The town centre is quite chaotic with tourists, certainly very different to the video if you come and visit now
I'd pass you for that Richard! You'd have been told the turn was coming. You'll have to come back at the height of the tourist season!! PS Up here we usually just say Mal-ig!
Ah, the old and new A830 roads! The old one was pretty hairy, really - but as the railway was built to carry the fish traffic (in 1894), it really didn't carry much other than light traffic, prior to the 1980s. It's surprising the nearest tests don't take place in Fort William, mind you!
I wonder if some part of the high pass rate is because having a car in an area like this is absolutely critical. There's no public transport and settlements are far away from each other. The examiner will understand that and may have some sympathy for test takers here. Not to mention that lots of learner drivers will already have had a lot of practice in their mam or dad's car around these roads!
The examiner has to pretend that the conditions are busy, e.g. 'I'd like you to imagine a car is approaching, show me your response now'. But yes, a bit like Pinner, easy to pass and another reason why the current test is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
So Mallaig is pronounced ‘Ma-lig’ with an upward inflection on the ‘Ma’ and a downward inflection on the ‘lig’ sound. Morar is pronounced ‘mo-rer’ same tone as Mallaig
@@ConquerDriving No worries, I’m local to there. Also regarding the locals speeding, we have a shortage of gatso speed cameras and the like up in the highlands. Actually I don’t think we have any fixed cameras other than the A9 and a small section of the A82, Camera vans are few and far between. Drivers will consequently tend to treat roads like race tracks just because there aren’t really any consequences.
Sorry but I have found this not to be true, in my experience as a Instructor the long wait for tests is encouraging students to book tests way in advance before they are even ready, then they attempt the test when they are not ready. Back when there was no delay in tests students would solely focus on learning to drive & becoming a completely independent driver. Now it seems everything is too focused on the driving test because of the long delays.
I keep failing my test where I stay, I’m actually thinking of sitting my test up in the highlands. I’ve been taking lessons for three years and it’s so embarrassing.
Will u do the places with the highest driving test pass rate this year? They seem to be new driving test locations as well (but probably it'd be even harder to find test route materials & even more remote locations). They are Isle of Tiree (6/7) and Benbecula Island (72/84), both are Scottish Isles with a pass rate of 85.7%.
