Rodger Mount
For a few years now, I have been pestering a resident of Fort William to tell me about his trials riding days. Initially, this fell on deaf ears. All the excuses were dragged out, such as ‘I have a terrible memory,’ and ‘nobody will remember me riding now’. I was undeterred. However, this man had been the Best Scottish Rider in the Scottish Six Days Trial in 1971, 1972 and 1974; I had to get his story. Finally, during a vacation at the luxury accommodation at his Fort William establishment, I wore him down over a perfect breakfast one morning. The proviso was that if he gave an interview, I had to be finished by eight o’clock at night as he is an early riser. In North West Scotland, Lochaber has produced many fine trials riders over the years and several Scottish Trials Champions. This is possibly due to the Scottish Six Days Trial being run on their doorstep, where the terrain ensures a steady supply of ground to hone trials riding skills. One such man is Rodger Charles Mount. Born in Inverness in March 1951 and raised in Fort William, he was the oldest son of Charles and Elizabeth Mount.
Rodger’s mother and Farquhar’ Fachie’ MacGillivray were siblings, making Rodger Mount and Alastair MacGillivray, who was the Scottish Trials Champion in 1974 and 1979, first cousins. Rodger was the oldest of three brothers, followed by Kenneth and the late Colin Mount.
ROYAL MARINES
Rodger’s father, Charlie Mount, and business partner to be Mike Beacham arrived in Fort William as Royal Marines in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War. Charlie was brought up in Birchington, near Margate, Kent and was a time-served bricklayer, as was Mike Beacham.
Originally deployed on the Orkney Islands, when the commanding officer realised both men had a trade, they were directed to the engineering deployment and began laying the foundations for the Army Nissan huts and buildings at Achnacarry Castle — the home of the famous Commandos from 1942. They were based at their training ground in Lochaber.
Most of the big houses in Lochaber were commandeered by the British Army for Commando training, including the ‘secret’ base at Inverailort Castle, close to ‘Piper’s Burn’ and the home of Mrs Cameron-Head, a supporter and landowner of the Scottish Six Days in later years.
Charlie Mount struck up a friendship with Mrs CameronHead, doing building and renovation work on her property after the war years in exchange for shooting rights on her property.
When the war had finished, both Beacham and Mount had met their intended spouses in Fort William, so they returned to make their home and livelihoods in the Lochaber town. They formed their builder’s partnership, which lasted for several years until Charlie Mount decided to go on his own and formed Modern Builders Limited who had its base in Fort William’s North Road.
SCHOOLING
Young Rodger was to be educated at Fort William Primary and Lochaber High schools.
Mount: “I couldn’t really be bothered with school. I wanted to leave as soon as I could, so at 15, I packed in school and began a bricklayer’s apprenticeship with my father’s firm, Beacham and Mount in Fort William.”
Rodger worked hard at his apprenticeship, and by the time he was ‘time-served’, he could lay up to 1000 bricks or 300 blocks per day and made a good living out of it.
FIRST TASTE OF OFF-ROAD
When he was 14 and still at school, Rodger, and his good friend Alister ‘Queerie’ Weir, were allowed to take turns riding around on Ali McDonald’s BSA C15T at the back of McDonald’s shop in Alma Road. McDonald, along with his brother, Hugh, was an accomplished trials rider and had ridden the Scottish Six Days many times with their friend Ron Thompson. Rodger was quite taken with the little BSA and reckoned he could get good at this trials lark, so at the age of 16, he bought a 250cc Greeves from local rider K.K. ‘Kimmy’ Cameron in 1967. He can’t remember exactly which Edinburgh-organised trial that he first entered, but he did pick up the ‘Best Novice’ award at his first attempt.
At the next event, he took the ‘Best Non-Expert’ award and soon rose to the ranks of a ‘Scottish Expert’. He learned his craft on the Greeves but soon needed something a bit more up to date. Rodger was becoming a more forceful rider; being a bricklayer kept him physically fit, and he was as strong as an ox. He was stockily built and was a rider who took charge of his machine. He favoured the state-of-the-art ‘knees bent outwards’ style of riding similar to Malcolm Rathmell. Mount was known to throw himself around on top of his machine to maintain both balance and forward motion and refused to take a dab unless absolutely necessary!
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Rodger had joined the local Lochaber and District MCC, and his eye was firmly set on riding the big local trial, which of course, is the Scottish Six Days. He entered the 1969 event, aged 18, on a new 247cc MK1 Montesa Cota and was issued with riding number 112. The Montesa was bought for Rodger by his father, who had taken a keen interest in his eldest son’s sport. The machine was supplied by Donald Buchan of Perth and registered LES711G.
Mount: “I had a new machine every year without fail; that way, you had less effort to keep it running spot-on, and I had a good wage packet from working for my father. I practised a lot back then; in fact, I was never off the motorcycle. They were well used.
“Starting in 1968, for three years, we had 60 council houses to renovate for Highland Council in Kinlochleven. I would ride the trials machine from Fort William over the hills and Mamore Road to Kinloch, timing myself for the journey. Then at lunchtime, I would go practising on some sections near the village, then ride home again at dinner time. I would then go out for another hour on some sections near the house after dinner.”
Rodger found the handling and power characteristics of the Montesa Cota much to his liking and far superior to his second-hand Greeves. His first SSDT was uneventful but disappointing, as he failed to finish.
At this time, he was riding in all the Scottish national events along with Lochaber stalwarts Allie ‘Beag’ Cameron, Archie MacDonald, James McManus and his cousin Alastair MacGillivray, known locally as ‘Ali MacGill’.
The following year in 1970, Rodger entered the SSDT on a MK2 Montesa Cota and was allocated number 118. He came home a very creditable 37th place, beaten only by fellow clubman Archie MacDonald who had his best-ever placement in 32nd place. Best Scot that year was Allie Cameron, also on a Montesa, with Mount fifth-best Scotsman. It made Rodger even more determined to better his score and final position.