Gairloch driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Gairloch's pass rate has been above Britain's pass rate every year since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Mihol Road, Gairloch, IV21 2BX. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 74%, compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2 months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Hard to say: it ran only 49 tests in the 12 months to March 2026, so one result moves its pass rate a long way.
- What's nearby? None within half an hour. The nearest is Ullapool, about a 1 hour 10 minute drive away.
Waiting times
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months.
| Year | Gairloch | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 3½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 1½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1 month | 2 months |
| 2025 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2 months | 2½ months |
2019 starts in June and 2026 runs to September.
See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.
Other test centres nearby
No other test centre is within half an hour's drive of Gairloch. The nearest is Ullapool, about a 1 hour 10 minute drive away.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Gairloch's pass rate was 74%, compared with 50% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 85%, compared with 59%. That's a wider gap than across Great Britain, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 49 | 73.5% | 50.0% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 52 | 69.2% | 48.7% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 49 | 73.5% | 47.9% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 59 | 78.0% | 48.3% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 37 | 67.6% | 48.9% |
Each year runs from April to March.
Compare every centre in our report on driving test pass rates.
Before your test
In the weeks before your test, ask your instructor to take you round the roads near the centre, and practise the faults learners make most often.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get a test sooner at Gairloch?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Gairloch test centre?
It ran 49 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only two of Britain's 311 test centres ran fewer.
Can I move my test from Gairloch to another centre?
Yes. You can move it to any centre with a free date, on gov.uk. Before you do, check your instructor can take you there, and bear in mind it's harder to pass on roads you don't know. The nearest other centre is Ullapool, about a 1 hour 10 minute drive away.
Figures from DVSA: pass rates for the 12 months to March 2026, waits for September 2026, published 14 October 2026. Driving times by road, from OpenRouteService. How we worked these out.