Scottish islanders pay the UK's highest diesel prices as the mainland hits 200p

UK fuel prices are at their highest level since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and drivers on the Scottish islands are paying the most of all, according to a report in The Guardian.

The mainland picture

• Average diesel has reached a record 200.01p a litre, taking the cost of filling a typical family car above £110, according to RAC figures cited in the report.
• Average petrol stands at 174.71p, up by about a third since late February, and 195.64p at motorway service areas.

Island prices

In the Hebrides and Shetland, some forecourts charged more than 220p a litre for diesel during the initial rise. One North Uist resident reported £2.28 a litre on the island. Shetland is the most expensive place in the UK for fuel because of limited competition and the cost of shipping fuel to remote areas.

Islanders told the paper the higher price reaches well beyond the pump:

• Commuting: most jobs on Shetland are in Lerwick, and bus services rarely fit working hours, so most people have to drive.
• Food and deliveries: haulage runs on diesel, so food and delivered goods cost more too.
• Health appointments: some specialist appointments mean a ferry, a long drive and a hotel stay.
• Cutting back: families are making fewer trips, and some take jerry cans to the mainland, where fuel can be about 20p a litre cheaper on Skye.

What drivers can do

Prices differ a lot between nearby stations, especially where there are only a few. Checking before you set off, and filling up where fuel is cheapest on a route you already drive, is one of the few savings left when every journey is long.