Best of
No Alpine hairpins and no autobahns, just single track passes, moorland A roads and coastal routes that punch well above their length.
The UK does not have high mountain passes in the Alpine sense, but it has something almost as good: a scattering of narrow, empty, wonderfully surfaced roads across the Highlands, the Lakes and Snowdonia that reward a slow, precise style of driving.
This list ranks the UK entries in our great roads library by their Drivers Atlas driving score, with a line on what makes each one worth the detour.
The ranking
United Kingdom · Driving score 9.9 / 10
Britain's highest road climbs by hairpin to a wild moonscape summit above Applecross, and nothing else in the country matches it for drama.
United Kingdom · Driving score 9.5 / 10
England's steepest gradient, a brutal one in three climb over Roman ruins in the Lake District.
United Kingdom · Driving score 9.4 / 10
A ribbon of hairpins across bare Welsh moorland, made famous on television and still one of the best.
United Kingdom · Driving score 8.9 / 10
The high speed leg of the Evo Triangle, a flowing test road across the Denbigh Moors.
United Kingdom · Driving score 8.9 / 10
Fast open curves past England's second highest pub, a long standing favourite of drivers and bikers alike.
United Kingdom · Driving score 9.1 / 10
A Tour de France climb past limestone potholes between two classic Yorkshire Dales villages.
United Kingdom · Driving score 9.1 / 10
One of the world's great coast roads, hugging Antrim's cliffs beneath nine dramatic glens.
United Kingdom · 830 km · Driving score 8.5 / 10
The full Highland loop that strings several of these roads together into a week long trip.
Methodology
Ranked using the Drivers Atlas driving score, which weighs the quality of the tarmac and the character of the corners rather than scenery alone, so a narrow, technical single track can outrank a more famous but simpler road.
FAQ
What is the best driving road in the UK?
Bealach na Ba in the Scottish Highlands carries the highest driving score in our library, with a sustained hairpin climb to a genuinely wild summit.
Are UK mountain passes open all year?
Most are, but several, including Bealach na Ba and the Black Mountain Pass, close regularly for snow and ice between November and March, so check conditions before setting out in winter.
Can you drive these roads in a normal car?
Yes. None require anything beyond a standard car driven with care, though single track sections demand patience and a willingness to reverse to a passing place.