I’ve been planning for some time to write a piece on how to use the passing places on Scotland’s many single track roads. But I’m pleased to say that our friends at Noss Head have just done exactly that. So, rather than repeat their wise words (which I’ll henceforth refer to as the Noss Head Rules), I’ll simply link you to their excellent piece on the subject.

What I will add to that is some basic common sense for driving on narrow and (especially) single track roads, which (TL:DR;) boils down to: Slow the f**k down!

Consider this: When you’re driving on normal two-way roads, your pace should be determined by your forward view and stopping distance (including the time it takes you to think and react). When you’re faced with very short sight lines on an otherwise straight road (e.g a blind crest), you need to drive or ride at a speed that will enable you to take appropriate action should you come over the rise and find any or all of: a broken down vehicle in the road; a large lorry slewed across both lanes, cyclists, horse riders, a drunk with a chainsaw, a confused motorcyclist sliding on their arse, having just parted company with their steed, or even a baby deer asleep in the middle of the carriageway. And, yes, all of those are from direct personal experience.

But of course things get much worse on single track roads: you not only have to allow for your own speed and reactions, but also those of others. So drive with your imagination, including an allowance for the berks who themselves have zero imagination. They’re the ones who hurtle along single track roads on the blithe assumption that nothing will be coming the other way and who lack any ability to look beyond the end of their own bonnet. A useful rule of thumb is to allow double your own stopping distance, in the hope that – at worst – you’ll have been able to come to a full halt before ye oncoming berk collides with you, at a hopefully less damaging speed. It’s on them after that.

You should of course always be remembering just where the last passing place you passed was, in case of a need to reverse. On one section of local road, a kind neighbour carved a very fine totem pole and placed it at the halfway point between two widely separated passing places. Which still takes some explanation to visitors who may be resistant to reversing, which often turns out to be that they simply cannot operate reverse in any vehicle, but especially their rented cars and campers. The message to them of course is to bloody well learn, practice and do.

But the Noss Head Rules apply, particularly including the bit about using passing places to allow others to overtake, not just to accommodate oncoming traffic.