Crews Gather for RSAC Scottish Rally
Rally crews from all over the British Isles – and as far away as Australia – will be heading to Dalbeattie in a few weeks’ time for the 80th RSAC Scottish Rally, which takes place on Saturday 18 July. The rally was first run in 1932 and has run almost every year since, with breaks for the Second World War, a fuel shortage and, more recently, Covid in 2020.
Since 1997 the rally has been supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council. The rally base has moved from Dumfries to Lockerbie and, since 2023, to Dalbeattie, where the premises of Jas P Wilson Forest Machines play host to the start, finish, service area and Rally HQ.
Scrutineering of the cars for safety will take place during the afternoon of Friday 17 July, and the first car will start the rally at 09:00 on Saturday 18 July. Ahead of the crews will be 44 miles of high-speed special stages on Forestry & Land Scotland loose-surfaced roads. There will be stages in Barney Water, Glengap and Dalbeattie forests, with spectator areas in Glengap and Dalbeattie. The finish ceremony will take place back in Dalbeattie at 17:00.
Spectators are welcome to visit the stages at no charge, but the organisers RSAC Motorsport do ask everyone to ensure their own safety and that of others by paying attention to the directions of the marshals. Every stage has a paramedic, rescue unit and recovery unit located at the start, and it is our hope that they will have nothing to do all day. Volunteer marshals are always welcome, and full training will be given to those who might enjoy becoming part of the event.
The RSAC Scottish Rally is a round of the Asset Alliance Group Motorsport UK Scottish Rally Championship, the HRCR Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship, and the UK Armed Forces Rally Championship. Competitors from all these series will be competing for points which could mean prizes at the end of the season.
Although entries are still open, it is clear that there will be a battle at the head of the field between Garry Pearson, the Duns-based driver of a Ford Fiesta Rally 2 who has already won three rounds of the 2026 Scottish series, and Max McRae in a Skoda Fabia Rally 2. Max is based in Australia but is the third generation of Lanark’s McRae rallying dynasty to compete in the Scottish Rally. So far, the family has five victories, thanks to Max’s grandfather Jim (one win), his father Alister (two wins) and his uncle the late Colin (two wins).
Convener of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Councillor Tracey Little, welcomed the competitors, officials and spectators who will be coming to the region for the event: “We wish everyone taking part or attending this year’s rally an enjoyable and memorable experience, and we look forward to another exciting edition of the Scottish Rally in Dumfries and Galloway”.
