Snowman Rally saved as new date confirmed for event to take place in 2024

THE biggest motor racing event in the Highlands will now go ahead after it was confirmed a new date has been found for the Snowman Rally after originally being cancelled for 2024.

It has been announced that the Snowman Rally will now take place on Saturday, October 19 as part of the Scottish Rally Championship.

Earlier this month, organisers announced it was cancelling the Snowman Rally this year, due to take place on Saturday, March 2.

The reasons behind the cancellation revealed that damage to the planned course through Inverness-shire and Ross-shire, along with negotiations between Motorsport UK and Forestry and Land Scotland not being finalised meant it would not be able to organise the event in time.

However, Highland Car Club announced on its social media site that a new date has been found which means the Snowman Rally can take place this year.

"They wrote Highland Car Club and the Snowman Rally team are delighted to announce we have provisionally marked Saturday, October 19 to hold this year’s Snowman Rally in place of the originally planned date in March.

"We will be working alongside the Scottish Rally Championship and our other event partnerships throughout the season to work towards achieving this."

The news will be seen as a boost to the Inverness and Ross-shire economy as it is one of the biggest sporting events of the year in the Highlands.

Last year, 101 drivers took part in the Snowman Rally.

In 2023, the rally was won by Jock Armstrong from Castle Douglas and his co-driver Hannah McKillop from Melrose.

In recent years, the rally has started and finished at the Black Isle Showground at Muir of Ord with a drivers' parade taking place in Dingwall Town Centre.

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