The Most Scenic UK Road Trips You Can Do in a Weekend

The UK's road network is, in some respects, an underrated asset for road trips. The motorway system connects most major cities efficiently; the A-road network provides direct routes; and the minor road network — the B-roads and lanes that run through National Parks, along coastlines and across moorland — is extraordinary in its scenic variety. The key is knowing which roads to use, and when.

1. The North Coast 500 (Scotland)

The North Coast 500 is a 500-mile circular route through the Scottish Highlands, starting and finishing in Inverness. It is the closest the UK comes to a designated scenic driving route comparable to the US Highway 1 or Norway's fjord roads, and the landscape — through Torridon, Assynt, Sutherland and Caithness — is of comparable quality.

A long weekend allows you to cover the most spectacular section from Inverness north and west through Torridon and Applecross, returning via the northern coast. Allow for slow progress on single-track roads with passing places, and book accommodation well in advance — the route has become significantly more popular since the marketing campaign began in 2015.

2. The Jurassic Coast (Dorset and Devon)

The A352 and A353 running along the Dorset coast from Weymouth to Swanage, combined with diversions to Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and the Purbeck Hills, make for one of the most varied and visually rewarding short drives in southern England. The coastal scenery is in places genuinely dramatic; the villages are among the most attractive in Dorset.

This route works well as a base-and-explore rather than a linear drive — Wareham or Swanage make reasonable bases for two nights, with the driving done in day trips.

3. The Wye Valley (Herefordshire/Monmouthshire)

The B4228 and B4234 following the River Wye between Monmouth and Symonds Yat provides some of the most underrated scenery in England and Wales. The valley is deeply wooded, the river is picturesque, and the route passes through several villages of considerable charm. Tintern Abbey, on the Welsh bank, is one of the finest ruined abbeys in Britain.

4. The Yorkshire Dales (North Yorkshire)

The B6160 through Wharfedale, connecting to Swaledale via the Buttertubs Pass, combines open moor, deep valleys, stone-built villages and some of the best drystone walling landscapes in northern England. The driving is unhurried (the roads demand it) and the diversions — to Bolton Abbey, Aysgarth Falls, the village of Reeth — are all worthwhile.

5. The Causeway Coastal Route (Northern Ireland)

The A2 along the Antrim coast from Belfast to Portrush is one of the most dramatic coastal drives anywhere in the British Isles. The Giant's Causeway is the best-known stop, but the route also passes Carrickfergus Castle, the Glens of Antrim, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and Dunluce Castle. Northern Ireland as a road trip destination remains significantly undervisited relative to its quality.