A Complete Beginner From Midlothian Who Took Everything in His Stride and Delivered on Test Day
Aaron started driving lessons in February this year, coming to me as a complete beginner with no previous experience behind the wheel. That blank canvas is actually a great starting point — there are no habits to undo and everything can be built the right way from the ground up.
Working as a landscape gardener, Aaron arranged to finish slightly earlier on lesson days, which made a real difference. Getting out before the worst of the evening traffic and making the most of the available daylight meant every session was as productive as possible.
We began on a quiet back road just outside Roslin in Midlothian — a perfect setting to get to grips with the very basics. Starting, stopping and clutch control were the focus as we made our way along the road, and by the time we reached the end Aaron was already ready to take on more. We moved into Roslin itself and began doing laps of the village and through its main housing estate, which has its own set of challenges — plenty of parked cars and regular meeting situations that require patience and good spatial awareness.
Aaron took it all in his stride. It was clear from early on that he was a fast learner with good coordination, and by the end of that very first lesson we had successfully covered junctions, turning left and right, emerging and entering — a really strong start for a complete beginner.
As the weeks went on, Aaron’s confidence and ability grew steadily. We soon ventured beyond Roslin and began heading up towards the edge of Edinburgh. With the Currie test area only a short ten minute drive away, it made perfect sense to start exploring its many features and challenges. Aaron adapted to new situations quickly and showed a great ability to remember areas and learn from any mistakes made on previous lessons — a quality that makes a real difference to how fast progress comes.
After passing his theory test, the next challenge was securing a practical driving test date. As many learners across Edinburgh and Midlothian will know, this currently means logging onto the DVSA website at 6am on a Monday morning and doing your best to find an available slot. Aaron’s mum took on this challenge on his behalf, and despite it taking a few frustrating weeks, she eventually secured a date. The test, however, was at the Musselburgh test centre rather than Currie — a different area that would require some additional preparation. With around six months still to go, we decided to pause lessons and revisit closer to the date.
Then a stroke of luck changed everything. While browsing a driving instructor WhatsApp group, I spotted someone looking to swap their Currie test date to Musselburgh — the exact opposite of what Aaron needed. I got in touch with Aaron, confirmed he was available, and contacted the other instructor. The dates and times suited both sides perfectly. Aaron’s test was swapped to an earlier date and back to the familiar Currie area. It was a brilliant outcome and we were both delighted.
We resumed lessons a few weeks before the test and it felt as though there had barely been a break. With each session Aaron was growing more and more consistent, and my confidence in him heading into test day was very high.
On the day of the driving test, Aaron had taken the day off work — a good call. A relaxed morning meant he arrived focused and ready. We did one final practice on the way to the test centre, which went well, before getting parked up and heading in.
I watched Aaron walk out with his examiner and settled in to wait. When they returned, I was absolutely delighted to hear that Aaron had passed his driving test on his first attempt at the Currie test centre in Edinburgh. A fantastic result for a learner who had started from scratch just a few months earlier.
Aaron can now come and go from Roslin, Midlothian, whenever he likes — completely on his own terms. Well done Aaron, it was a pleasure from start to finish!
