Caithness and Sutherland vintage vehicle rally looking forward to a great turnout
Caithness and Sutherland Vintage and Classic Vehicle club has found a new venue for its rally which was previously held on the esplanade in front of Dunrobin Castle, Golspie.
The rally will be held at Helmsdale Football Pitch this Sunday, August 24.
Club chairman James Green is thrilled with the response so far, with more than 80 vehicle owners from across the Highlands having entered.
Mr Green said: “We are quite delighted to have got it up and running in Helmsdale, and the football committee is happy too.”
The rally used to take place annually at Dunrobin Castle, but it fell into abeyance over the past decade or so due to the pandemic and the dissolution of the event’s management committee.
Last year, the rally was revived and took place at the castle on September 15 with more than 50 exhibits on display.
Mr Green said that the club, which has 120 members, had approached the castle in the hope of using it as a venue again this year.
However, he said that the castle, which is under new management, could only accommodate the club at the end of September due to the number of bus tours including the attraction on their itinerary.
“The end of September is really far too late for people with old cars,” said Mr Green. “A lot of owners are taking their cars off the road at that time.
“We decided to start the rally in Helmsdale and see how it goes. If the event goes well, we will keep it on the calendar.”
A team of six club members from Sutherland has been formed to organise the Helmsdale event. Alan Mackay, whose late father Edward was a prominent businessman with strong ties to the Dunrobin Event, is one of the committee members. Edward Mackay was famously known for blowing a whistle to signal the start of the event.
Mr Green said that the Helmsdale rally would feature a range of vehicles, from vintage and classic cars to lorries and trucks.
“The only things we could not include this year were tractors and machinery. Hopefully, we will include them next year,” he said.
It is also hoped that a run will be included in future rallies, as was traditional when the event took place at the castle.
The family-friendly rally runs from noon to 4.30pm. There will be activities for children, including inflatables, and food and refreshments will be available.
The club’s main event is the John O’Groats Rally, which is held in June. This year saw the biggest rally in the club’s history, with a record number of entries and attendees.
The club also organises an average of two runs per month during the season, which runs from April to September.