Business of the Month: Arnold Clark
Our business of the month is Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental. As part of the Arnold Clark Group, they’ve been renting vehicles to locals and tourists since 1963. They have a vast fleet of more than 55,000 vehicles and over 35 branches throughout the UK, including locations at every Scottish airport, making them the perfect choice if you’re taking on the NC500.
We spoke to Laura MacKay, Branch Manager at Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental’s Inverness branch.
1. Hello Laura, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your position at Arnold Clark?
Hello. I’ve been working with Arnold Clark for 15 years and I’m currently the branch manager for our Inverness rental branch. My team works
hard to give our customers an outstanding experience every time by giving them a great choice of vehicles and helpful local knowledge. I have plenty of that myself having lived in Inverness my whole life!
2. So tell us, why choose Arnold Clark rental to travel the North Coast 500? What’s included in the rental?
We’re based just a ten-minute drive from Inverness Airport and we provide visitors with a friendly Scottish welcome and a shuttle bus to and from the branch. Our prices are always competitive and our choice of vehicles is unrivalled, whether you’re looking for a small city car, a 4×4 or a car with seven seats. Our staff will be happy to talk through your route and provide hints and tips on the best destinations to help visitors make the most of their trip.
3. What additional services do you provide?
Customers never have to worry about reliability, as all our vehicles are under one year old. There are no hidden costs as all our prices include VAT, insurance and roadside assistance, which provides real peace of mind for customers.
If you need those extras that make life easier, we offer child seats from only £1 per day, as well as sat nav hire and the option to add additional drivers. We even offer the option of one-way drop-off so you can collect your car from one branch and return it to another, allowing visitors to make the most of their journey.
4. Do you have any advice for our customers driving the North Coast 500?
The most important thing is selecting the right vehicle for the journey and the number of people that are travelling. You’ll be spending loads of time in the car so it’s important to be comfortable. If you’re used to driving an automatic, we have a great selection but make sure you ask for one at the time of booking. It’s also really helpful to pick up a copy of the Highway Code and have a quick read over the section on how to use single-track roads and passing places and to make sure you know the local laws and always follow the rules of the road. You’ll be right in the heart of nature on a drive through the Highlands so always be on the lookout for wild animals crossing the roads. We have wild deer, sheep, cattle and highland cows. It’s always lovely to see them, but it’s good to be aware they could be slowing down traffic. Also, I would advise customers to take plenty of pictures and take the time to enjoy your visit!
5. Now, how much of the NC500 have you travelled…? What comes to your mind when you think of the North Coast 500?
Throughout my life I have travelled the entire route of the NC500. I have done a wealth of traveling around the world but my favourite place remains the West Coast of Scotland. It is absolutely stunning and the beaches are out of this world.
6. What is the biggest change you have witnessed since the launch of the NC500?
NC500 has proved really popular and we’ve seen a significant increase in business since its launch. We’ve particularly noticed an increase in younger travellers venturing to Scotland from all around the world to take on this now famous route.
7. As a new corporate partner, how do you think the NC500 partnership will help your business?
We hope that our partnership with the NC500 will encourage more people to travel the route, whether they’re international or local customers. We want everyone to see the beauty Scotland has to offer – all from the comfort of their Arnold Clark rental car.
8. And what do you hope for the future of the North Coast 500?
We hope the NC500 continues to entice visitors to Scotland to enjoy our beautiful country and that it continues to grow in popularity. Ventures like this are great for putting Scotland on the map and building our tourist infrastructure. As well as bringing in more visitors, it’s important that the great areas of natural beauty and wildlife are preserved for future generations to enjoy.
9. And finally… we promise! Which car would you choose to drive the North Coast 500 in? And what is your favourite stretch of road along the North Coast 500 that you have travelled?
For me and my family, I would choose to drive the route in one of our medium size cars; for example, a Ford Focus. I have two boys so we would need the extra room for all our belongings. My favourite stretch of road on the NC500 is from Applecross over to Lochcarron. My colleague Erica would choose to travel the route in one of our smaller cars. She feels a small car is best to navigate the single-track roads. That’s in contrast to our colleague James, who would choose to drive the route in one of our executive automatic cars. Comfort and luxury are top of his list and these cars certainly provide it! It all comes down to the individual and we’re happy to provide a great range of cars to meet every need.
