April to late May
April and May are the quiet weeks when British roads are at their best. The winter closures have lifted, the grit has washed off and the summer caravans are still at home.
Spring is the season British drivers underrate. The high passes reopen from late March, the days are long enough for an after work run, and the roads have not yet filled with holiday traffic.
The catch is surface condition. A winter of freeze and thaw leaves potholes, gravel washed onto apexes and salt residue on the tarmac. Drive the first few weeks of the season with that in mind, particularly on unclassified single track.
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 4 May 2026
The roads
United Kingdom · Applecross, Scottish Highlands
Britain's highest road climbs via hairpins to a wild moonscape pass above Applecross.
18.5 km · 11.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.9 / 10
Frequently closed by snow and ice from November to March
United Kingdom · Lake District, England
England's steepest road gradient, a brutal one in three climb over Roman ruins.
5 km · 3.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
Ice and snow regularly close the summit in winter
United Kingdom · Yorkshire Dales, England
Tour de France famous climb past limestone potholes between two classic dale villages.
11 km · 6.8 mi · Atlas rating 9.1 / 10
Snow can close the pass for short periods in winter
United Kingdom · Denbigh Moors, Wales
One leg of the legendary Evo Triangle, a flowing high speed moorland test road.
24 km · 14.9 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
Exposed moorland stretch can ice in winter
United Kingdom · Forest of Bowland, England
A ribbon of tarmac threading heather fells said to mark the centre of Britain.
10 km · 6.2 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
Can flood or ice over in poor weather
United Kingdom · Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands
A sweeping run through Rannoch Moor beneath the brooding Buachaille Etive Mor.
30 km · 18.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
Snow and wind can close Rannoch Moor sections in winter
Practicalities
From March to May, Cumbria, the Dales and the Highlands all have livestock loose on unfenced roads. Slow right down through open moorland, and never assume a ewe will stay put.
Spring mornings give low, clean light without the summer haze. Leave at first light and you will have Hardknott or the Bealach entirely to yourself.
The first pass of the year is not the time to carry speed into a blind crest. Gravel from winter gritting sits in the gutters and on the inside of hairpins well into April.
Common questions
Most reopen naturally as the snow clears, typically from mid March. Hardknott, Wrynose and the Bealach na Ba have no fixed dates and can close again for short spells into April.
For traffic and light, yes. Summer brings longer days but far more holiday traffic on exactly the roads worth driving, especially in the Lakes and on the NC500.