Edinburgh Castle
This is a must see! It looks incredibly dramatic perched high on rocks on the city’s skyline. With the oldest part of the castle dating back to the 12th Century there is a lot of exciting history to be discovered when visiting.
Rent a car in Edinburgh with Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental
Thinking about visiting the Capital of Scotland? Edinburgh will not disappoint with its cobbled streets, picturesque buildings and stunning coastline. Make the most of exploring Edinburgh and its surroundings with your Arnold Clark hire car.
We have a wide range of hire cars available to rent from our Edinburgh locations. Whether it’s a small car, SUV or 7-seater car hire you are looking for we’ve got you covered for your Scottish road trip.
You can hire a car in Edinburgh from one of our three branches conveniently located close to Edinburgh Airport and to the East and West of the City of Edinburgh.
Car hire at
Edinburgh Airport
Car hire at
Edinburgh Airport
We are located only minutes from Edinburgh Airport. Our dedicated shuttle bus service will pick you up from the arrivals area and drop you off at the branch allowing you to step away from the hustle and bustle of the Airport terminal. We realise some flights may fall out with our regular opening hours; with prior notice we can provide out of hours services. For more information, have a look at our Edinburgh Airport car hire procedures.
Car hire at
Edinburgh Sighthill
Car hire at
Edinburgh Sighthill
Our Sighthill branch is in the East of Edinburgh and easily accessed by tram service. It is located next to Edinburgh Park station. Sighthill is located next to the City of Edinburgh Bypass giving you easy access to all parts of Edinburgh and Hermison Gait which will take you straight onto the M8 motorway, ideal if you are travelling to the West of Scotland (Glasgow or Loch Lomond), North of Scotland (St Andrews or Dundee) or South (Carlisle and Manchester).
Car hire at
Edinburgh Seafield
Car hire at
Edinburgh Seafield
Visiting Edinburgh City Centre by train but might need to hire a car to explore Scotland further? Our branch on Seafield Street in Edinburgh is only minutes away from Edinburgh Waverley train station. At the time of your booking let us know if you need collecting and our free shuttle bus will pick you up and drop you off so you can easily collect your hire car. Once you have collected your rental car you can easily access Leith, Portobello and further down the coastline towards North Berwick.
Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Services
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One-way car rental
With so much to see and do in the UK we understand that you might want to drop off your car rental at a different branch than you collected from. We have branches across Scotland and England making it easy for you to plan one-way hire into your itinerary.
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Wide range of vehicles
Everybody’s trip to Edinburgh will be different so we provide a wide range of vehicles to suit your requirements. Small cars might suit you best if you are looking to easily get around Edinburgh city centre. If you are looking to travel further and wider but need a bit more room for luggage, we have a good selection of SUV’s and 7-seater hire cars.
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Edinburgh car hire insurance
Can I rent a car with insurance from Arnold Clark? Yes! All our prices are inclusive of insurance, so you don’t need to provide insurance for the car. Don’t forget though there will be an insurance excess to pay if the car is damaged on your travels. We do have an optional excess waiver which can be purchased at the time of your booking if you would like to reduce the excess amount.
Reviews
Edinburgh Branch Reviews
Here's what some of our customers think about our Edinburgh branches:
What you need to know
Driving your hire car in Edinburgh
Road speed limits in Edinburgh
Speed limits in Edinburgh will always be displayed in miles per hour. The speed limits when driving in or around Edinburgh for a car without a trailer and unless indicated differently by road signs are:
Built up areas
30 mph (48 km/h)
Single carriageway
60 mph (96 km/h)
Dual carriageway
70 mph (112 km/h)
Motorway
70 mph (112 km/h)
Places to park in Edinburgh
There are plenty places to park in Edinburgh but on-street parking is limited. If you do need to park in the City Centre, we’d advise planning where you’d like to park in advance. Although driving around Edinburgh isn’t difficult, there are many one-way and pedestrian only streets. Best to plan ahead to make the experience more pleasant!
If you are heading to Edinburgh Castle or to the Royal Mile, it is worth noting there is no public parking at the castle. The closest car park to the castle and Royal Mile is named Castle Terrance (EH1 2EN) and is a multi-storey carpark. There will be an hourly charge to park your hire car.
If you are looking to climb Arthur's Seat and see incredible views of Edinburgh and East Lothian, then you are best parking at Holyrood Road (EH8 9UL) multi-storey. This will give you easy access to Holyrood Park.
Things to do in Edinburgh
Once you’ve picked up your rental car from one of our Edinburgh locations, you’ll be excited to get out and explore the area.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Take the time to go and see the former Royal Yacht of Queen Elizabeth II. Based in Leith, which is only a 15-minute drive from Edinburgh city centre this is one not to miss. You can discover all five decks and enjoy fabulous food in the Royal Deck Tea Room.
Portobello Beach
You only need to drive a few miles from Edinburgh city centre, you’ll find a wonderful seaside suburb. The perfect spot for some shopping, dining and a breath of fresh air.
FAQs
Edinburgh car hire FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a car in Edinburgh?
There are many different factors that can influence the price of a hire car. Availability, time of year, size of vehicle and even the branch location. We’d advise starting the booking process and getting a quote to see what price you may need to pay.
There are many different factors that can influence the price of a hire car. Availability, time of year, size of
vehicle and even the branch location. We’d advise starting the booking process and getting a quote to see what price you may need to pay.
How to hire a car from Arnold Clark in Edinburgh
If you are thinking about hiring the easiest way is to start the booking process online. You’ll be able to quickly get a quote for your car hire by entering the location you’d like to pick up and drop off at alongside the dates and time you would need the car. You can then select which vehicle type would best suit and reserve there and then.
If you’d prefer to speak to one of our team, you can contact our Rental Reservations team.
If you are thinking about hiring the easiest way is to start the booking process online. You’ll be able to quickly
get a quote for your car hire by entering the location you’d like to pick up and drop off at alongside the dates and time you would need the car. You can then select which vehicle type would best suit and reserve there and then.
If you’d prefer to speak to one of our team, you can contact our Rental Reservations team.
How old do I need to be to hire a car from Arnold Clark?
When you can hire a car depends on several different factors like how long you’ve held your driving licence for. Certain age groups may be restricted on the size of car they can rent, and a surcharge can be added to the booking.
Find out more details on hiring in our rental guide.
There are many different factors that can influence the price of a hire car. Availability, time of year, size of
vehicle and even the branch location. We’d advise starting the booking process and getting a quote to see what price you may need to pay.
Discover Arnold Clark van rental
Looking for van hire in Edinburgh? We’ve got you covered. We have a wide range of vans for hire from our Edinburgh rental branches.
Check out vansWhy choose Arnold Clark
Car & Van Rental Edinburgh car hire?
Excellent customer service
At Arnold Clark we are committed to providing the highest level of customer satisfaction through the services we provide. A customer's experience while hiring from us is extremely important and we pride ourselves in having a 4.9/5 ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot.
Vehicles guaranteed when booked
When you book a car with us, we guarantee to assign a vehicle to your booking. No one should have to start their journey stressed when there isn’t a vehicle ready to go for them.
Competitive rates
With over 60 years of experience in the rental industry we are delighted to offer competitive prices with a flexible range of vehicle hire options.
No hidden fees
We want your journey with us to be hassle free. The price you are quoted includes insurance, VAT and roadside assistance. Additional extras can be found during the booking process so there are no surprises when you turn up to collect your hire vehicle.
FAQs
Edinburgh car hire FAQs
What documents do I need to hire a car in the UK?
UK drivers are required to bring the card part of their driving licence, a utility bill dated within the last three months as proof of address plus your DVLA check code.
EU licence holders not residing in the UK must bring a domestic driving licence and either a passport or ID card.
Drivers from outside the EU are required to bring a valid domestic driving licence with an English translation as well as their passport.
Find out more details on UK, EU and international driver documentation and identification.
How do I get a DVLA check code for car hire?
When collecting your hire car, you’ll be asked to present your DVLA check code which allows our branch to check the online counterpart of your photo driving licence. To access your check code, you’ll need to visit the DVLA website. Have a look at our check code guide which talks you through the steps to get your code.
How much is a one-way car rental from Edinburgh?
If you’d like to pick up your car hire from Edinburgh and drop it off at another Arnold Clark Rental location you can, just let us know at the time of your booking if you’d like to return to a different location. One-way car rental is available from as little as £50. Charges are based on the size of the vehicle hired and not the distance covered.
How far can I drive a rental car from Arnold Clark?
If you hire a car for less than 4 days, you’ll have 250-miles included in your hire. If you hire for four days or more, you will have unlimited mileage which means you can drive a good distance within the UK.
You can travel to Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland in your hire car, but this can only be done with prior arrangement in advance of collecting your vehicle. Travel is not permitted to any other European country.
Can I rent a car with a debit card in Edinburgh?
Yes. When hiring a vehicle, you must physically present either a credit or debit card in your own name when collecting the rental vehicle.
