fine scottish malts with a splash of water
HERO’s biEnnial Scottish Malts Classic Regularity sets off for the 17th time on 20 April. The five-day event, known universally as ‘The Malts’, is considered by many to be the premier event north of the border, with an enviable social side that keeps competitors coming back year after (every other) year.
Setting off on 20 April, this year’s event will start and finish at the world famous Gleneagles Hotel and the route will include two nights on the breathtaking Isle of Mull – second-largest of the Inner Hebrides and destination for many a sixth form geology fieldtrip – and another two in the renowned ski resort of Aviemore.
During almost 1000 miles of driving, crews will also drive through some of the Highlands’ most spectacular scenery, see both Loch Lomond and Loch Ness and, of course, visit the Speyside distilleries with which the event has become synonymous.
If it takes your fancy, as well as being one of the most convivial events on the regularity calendar, this is also one of the most accessible. Described as ‘introductory’ level, it has eight driving tests and 20 regularities for which all pre-1986 cars are eligible, plus there is a preevent training day, no night driving, and it takes place only on sealed roads, which makes it far gentler on your car than many endurance events. To emphasise the variety of machinery the Scottish Malts attracts, as Great Escapes went to press, entries varied from Christian and Matthew Brash’s 1938 Aston Martin 15/98 to Derek Reynolds and Edward Beedie’s 1985 Porsche 944 Lux. Entries come from all over the world, including the USA.
All of the above is not to say that the rally isn’t competitive. In fact the 2018 event had its closest ever finish, with Graham Walker and Sean Toohey’s Lotus Elan just pipping Daniel Greslu and Elise Whyte’s Porsche 911 and Bill Cleyndert and Jacqui Norman’s Bentley 3-4½.
After five days of rallying the top two were actually tied on exactly the same penalties and the winner was eventually decided on ‘countback’, Walker and Toohey winning because they managed to go further into the event before incurring their first penalties.
Reassuringly, and thanks in no small part to the support provided on competition days, nearly all the starters made it to the end.