The summer is a great time to get outdoors into the countryside, but that does not just apply to those putting on their walking boots and heading for the hills or taking on a long-distance path. There are some wonderful scenic drives to enjoy as well.

However, if you are planning such an outing, it is important to be very well prepared by checking your car is in good shape.

Not only do you not want to fall foul of a worn tyre, clunky clutch, or another mechanical issue, but you should also check your windscreen is in good shape. Glass chip repair now could prevent you needing the whole thing replaced in an emergency later. Once that is done, you can enjoy some of Britain’s best long drives.

The RAC list of the ten best routes includes village hopping in the Cotswolds, the Norfolk coast, the Atlantic Highway from Bath to Falmouth on the south west coast, the Lake District, Snowdonia, the ‘spine’ of Wales from Cardiff to Conwy, the North York Moors, the Peak District and Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast Route.

Top of that list, however, comes the North Coast 500 in Scotland, taking in the northernmost parts of the mainland and traversing some very remote areas. The scenery is stunning, but it’s not a region where you would want to have to stop to get your windscreen repaired, even though a national service will get someone out to you.

Of course, the RAC list is not definitive or exclusive. There are many other ideas of great places to go. Lonely Planet’s list of great road trips in England, for instance, includes following the line of Hadrian’s Wall, which may certainly appeal to those not keen on walking the national trail for 84 miles from the Solway to Wallsend.

Lonely Planet also lists some of the same destinations as the RAC, such as the Lake District, North York Moors and the Cotswolds, but wherever you go in this green and pleasant land, you can help ensure you have a great trip by having any necessary work on your car windows done before you set off.