The 5 best car rental companies in Scotland

If you’re in Scotland and you’re looking to rent a vehicle, well, you’ve come to the right place. Scotland offers the crown jewel in the UK’s list of road trips: The North Coast 500. From lochs, stags, and national parks, to haggis and The Proclaimers, Scotland has everything you need (and more) for a successful road trip. 

Taking into account everything from rewards programs to airport locations, we’ve compiled a definitive list of the best rental car companies in Scotland. You might be looking for a budget car for a one-way rental, or you might be sourcing a luxury car  for a week-long hire. Whatever the car type you’re looking for, these companies will get you kitted out.

To best compare the options, we’ve searched each provider for a three-day midweek rental from Glasgow Airport, for dates two weeks out from the time of writing.

1. TravelPerk: perfect for business travellers

If you’re searching for the best car rental deals for business trips, travel management company TravelPerk might be your best bet. With multiple types of car available, from Compact to Economy, Intermediate to Mini, you’re free to pick the style that best caters to your specific needs.

TravelPerk offers a vast inventory, including both manual and automatic cars, from which to choose your rental car. If you’re looking for a sustainable option, there’s also a selection of electric cars available. Plus, VAT-friendly invoices are available for a number of car rental companies offered by TravelPerk, saving you a lot of time, hassle, and money. 

TravelPerk works with some of the top names on the market, including Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt. This system means that you’ll save significantly more than by simply booking with a provider. The benefits don’t end there—if you have specific needs requiring a specialised service, TravelPerk can get in touch with extra providers to find your ideal vehicle. 

TravelPerk’s key features include:

• Partnerships with leading car rental companies
• 24/7 customer service with a target 15-second response time 
• Intuitive booking tool and all-in-one platform
• Available in four languages: English, French, Spanish, German 
• Bonus feature GreenPerk to offset your carbon emissions
• Paid extra FlexiPerk, enabling passengers to cancel up to two hours before a journey starts and receive at least 80% of their money back 
• VAT recovery on your can rentals
• A vast number of software integrations

During our research, we found that prices for a car rental from Edinburgh Airport, booked two weeks in advance, gives options starting at £83.89 for standard cars and a max price of £2,067 for luxury cars.

2. Arnold Clark: trusted Scottish vehicle rental providers

Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental is Europe’s largest independent car retailer. Arnold Clark was founded in Glasgow in 1954, and now has over 200 car hire locations in the United Kingdom. Starting with just 12 cars, they now boast 55,000 vehicles, including estates, people carriers, and automatics.

A stand-out feature is Arnold Clark’s commitment to their new sustainability initiative, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Another is that you’ll be given 250 miles free per day for all hires. If you hire a car for four or more days, you’ll have access to unlimited mileage.

Arnold Clarks’ key features include:

• Free cancellation with more than 48 hours notice

• Local pickups from hotels, train stations, and airports
• One-way hire options
• Prices include comprehensive insurance and VAT
• Unlimited mileage for rentals over 4 days
• Dual control car hire
• Premium insurance if driver’s age is under 25

During our research, we found that prices for a family car rental from Glasgow Airport, booked two weeks in advance, gives options between £144 and £288.

3. Clarkson’s Car & Van Hire: some of the most competitive prices on the market

Established in 1978, Clarkson’s Car & Van Hire (Car Hire Scotland) offers car and van hire covering the Edinburgh and Glasgow regions. They’re still a fully independent family-run Scottish business, well-known in the region as a trusted provider.

With over 40 years of experience, Clarkson’s offers unrivalled personal service, and flexibility like no other car rental agency. Their FlexiHire service is available to companies looking for versatile transport options—whether a van, 4×4, pick-up, tipper, or minibus. Disclaimer: despite the name the company has nothing to do with Jeremy Clarkson.

Clarkson’s top features include:

• Airport meet and greet services
• Flexibility with hire period
• Vehicles for corporate hire
• Competitive pricing
• 15% hire discount for the Armed Forces

To get a quote for Clarkson’s Car and Van Hire, visit their website.

4. Edinburgh Car Rental: perfect for cheap, flexible vehicle hire in the capital

Based in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh Car Rental is one of the most popular car hire companies in Edinburgh and the Lothians. With a number of vehicle collection points around Edinburgh, including the City Centre, Edinburgh Airport, Newbridge, and Waverley Train Station, they’re highly convenient.

Edinburgh Car Rental also helps with requests that many of their competitors won’t, like vehicles with automatic transmission, collection instead of pick-up and drop-off, and one-way car rental.

One of their specialities is car rental in Edinburgh for young drivers. Renting a car in Scotland when you’re under the age of 25 can be a difficult task, but Edinburgh Car Rental can make it happen. The company is praised for offering some of the best rates on the market. Whether you’re cruising round the capital or motorway-ing up to the Highlands or Inverness, this is a popular choice for locals.

Their key features include:

• Local expertise and advice
• Vehicle collection
• One-way rental options
• Young driver insurance
• Good customer service, 24 hours a day
• Partnerships with Hertz, Thrifty, Enterprise, Avis and Alamo

A mid-week family car rental from Edinburgh Airport gives options from £59 to £587.

5. Celtic Legend: Scottish through and through

One of Scotland’s best-loved, family-run travel companies, Celtic Legend provides excellent value car rental for independent visitors to Scotland. As well as car rental, they offer customised guided trips and whisky tours for those looking to get under the skin of Scotland.

They’ve been operating since 1998, providing cheap car hire to thousands of customers. With 20 branches across Scotland and another 16 in England, their supplier Arnold Clark is the largest independent rental car company in Europe (remember?). Their fleet consists of over 9,000 vehicles, renewed every 3-6 months.

Their stand-out feature is unlimited mileage on every rental, which makes it ideal for road trips through the Cairngorms—ever heard of the 90-mile-long Snow Roads Scenic Route?

Celtic Legend’s top features are:

• Unlimited mileage on all rentals
• Up to four drivers at no extra cost
• Free Sat Nav with every rental
• Pick up and drop off at airports serving Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick (near Glasgow), Aberdeen, Dundee, Southampton, Manchester, and Inverness Airport
• Young driver options
• Payment is not required in advance
• One-way rental options

To get a car rental quote from Celtic Legend, visit their website.

It’s time to book your ideal car rental agency in Scotland

There we have it. The most affordable, reliable car hire companies in Scotland. Whatever you need your vehicle for, chances are you’ll find your match on this list. One of the best spots in the UK for a road trip, we’d recommend getting your maps out, booking a van, and planning your journey. It’s not an experience to miss!

Out of all of the companies we’ve shared on this page, TravelPerk comes out on top for its ease of use when it comes to the intuitive mobile booking application, and should be your go-to for business travel. The TravelPerk team works tirelessly to secure car rental deals that you’ll struggle to beat elsewhere. What’s more, travelling with TravelPerk comes with heaps more benefits beyond your car rentals: you’ll have your entire business trip planned from the comfort of one app.