15 June 2026 / By DAVID FERGUSON
The Covid pandemic changed and sadly prematurely ended some lives, but the most dramatic occurrence of the 21st Century also brought unexpected positive change to some.
Alan Scott was one of those. From being an avid rally photographer, the Grantown man beat off some well-known names to become a British rally champion without stepping in a car. A painful mountain bike injury led to another twist that propelled him towards making the dream of challenging in genuine rallies come true.
The 29-year-old is now in his third full season of competing and is top of his class in this year’s Scottish Rally Championship and pushing the leaders in the Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship.
But, let’s rewind a little to how Alan found his unique way into rallying and how, when the world closed down due to the Covid pandemic, the Highlands sparky became a champion.
“I wasn’t totally new to rallying because my parents were into it,” he explained. “I was born in ’96, and, aye, I can remember them taking me to rallies all over and spectating as a young kid.
“And then, into the 2010s I got into photography, and I took photos at the Scottish Rally Championship for near on 10 years, from when I was about 14 or so, which was great fun. That sparked more of an interest, but obviously rallying is not a cheap sport, and I didn’t have the funds to get into it properly so I never thought I’d be in a car … until COVID happened.”
Alongside his photography, we should say, Alan loved playing the game ‘DiRT Rally 2.0’ on the computer. So, when the British Rally Championship was cancelled in 2020 by the coronavirus shutdown, and the BRC decided instead to run an E-sport version online … “oh, yeah, I was into that!”
So much into that was the young Scot that he ended up winning the inaugural PCSpecialist Esports British Rally Championship (eBRC). The series consisted of four rounds over three months, with ‘asphalt’ events in Spain and Germany and ‘gravel’ challenges in Wales and Scotland.
It was open to members of the Motorsport UK community and attracted over 580 competitors, as fans, marshals, Esports drivers and top rallying stars went head-to-head in the virtual contest. ‘Alan6R4’, then just 23, finished second ‘in Wales’, won in Spain and bounced back from an ‘off’ in Germany to win the Scottish stage and the overall eBRC title.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he admitted. “It was amazing to see my name at the top, especially as there were real professional rally drivers in there but it was great fun. As champion, I was supposed to win a test in a real Fiesta Rally4, but that didn’t materialise, but it still took my interest in the sport up a few notches.
“I’d never competed in a real car, but I’d got involved with the local 63 Car Club a few years before and had a go at navigational rallies with my cousin – they’re like a treasure hunt in the car at normal speed.
“But winning the e-BRC was a right good confidence boost and I got the bug. In 2022, I saved up and bought my first rally car, a Renault Clio, and my first real event was at Ingliston, in Edinburgh, and my cousin Darren navigated.
“I can’t even remember where we finished [37th overall, 10th in class] but it wasn’t great, I’ll tell you that, as we had throttle issues in the first stage, then oil pressure issues in the second stage, electrical issues in the third … it was like ‘welcome to the real world’!”
It wasn’t long before Alan was proving that his e-rallying skills might transfer to the real thing as, with Inverness PE teacher Shaina Archibald – a former junior co-driving champion – jumping into the navigator seat, he finished second in class at Crail, and 14th overall, and fourth in class at Kinloss, 18th overall, from a seeding in the 50s.
The Beaton’s Building Supplies Mull Rally in 2022 was the next new experience, and a first with pace notes – with Shaina unavailable, family friend Daniel Forsyth sat with him – and from a 95th place start he finished 38th overall and won ‘Best Newcomer’.
There was a shock in store the following year, however, as a mountain bike crash at Glenlivet resulted in a broken collarbone, but that also proved fortuitous. While it took him out of front-line work as an electrician, he approached his boss and asked if he could work in the office instead and learn the admin side of the business while recovering.
So, while rallying took a back seat in 2023, this period proved the secret to his newfound career as his boss would soon decide to retire and, with his new understanding of the whole business, Alan emerged as prime candidate to take over the EAL Electrical business in Grantown-on-Spey.
“That was a big step but it’s a small business, just the four of us, and a part-time member of staff. I’m still on the tools working all the hours, but it brought a little more freedom, and a better salary, so you know where that soon went!”
I think we can guess. Alan made the move from purely tarmac rallying to more Scottish events in 2024, hired an MG3 from Mark McCulloch for the Speyside Stages and found his skills had not deserted him, finishing 40th overall and first in class, and picking up a Star Driver Award.
“That brought me back – I well and truly caught the bug you could say. I ended up buying an MG ZR and I had a few issues early on, like engine failure three corners into my first event, the Jim Clark Reivers Rally, and fuel pressure issues took me out of the Argyll.
“But my favourite event, the Mull Rally, got me back into it, and I love going back to Mull every year because it’s a great event, and it seems to like me.”
‘Car was on fire but we didn’t know!’
Alan completed 2024 by finishing 28th at Mull, 50th in the Snowman and 15th at Kinloss, and second in class each time, which underlined his consistent form.
Last year he stepped it up but nothing is ever straightforward in motorsport and when the car caught fire in his opening event, Kinloss, it seemed the Gods were conspiring against him.
“I had Meghan O’Kane on the notes for that and we actually kept going because we didn’t know it was on fire to begin with,” he recalled. “I thought the car was over-heating, water temperature wise, so I did stop, and then found the back of the car was on fire … a wee bit of devastation. A fuel leak that touched the exhaust.
“But the camaraderie in rallying is fantastic, so we had, it must’ve been about 10 crews stop to help us out. All of them had fire sticks other than the normal fire extinguishers, so we ended up using about eight of them. But the only reason the car’s still going is because we managed to put out the fire quickly – although it would have been quicker maybe if I’d realised!
“Well, that and the amazing work of Steven Clark Motor Body Repairs, who managed to get the car back ready in a month’s time. A lad Richard Ramsey managed to basically rebuild the whole rear end of the car and rewire it as well, getting us ready for the Speyside Stages Rally.”
So, despite the Kinloss inferno he was back on the start line at Speyside, and he and Shaina followed a 30th overall there, and first in class, with 27th at Argyll, 10th on Mull and 33rd at Grizedale, with two class wins too.
‘My MG is like ‘Trigger’s Broom’ – but it’s not going anywhere!’
This year is proving a lot less dramatic so far, with the MG ZR 19th overall and first in class in the Snowman, ninth at Kinloss, third and a first overall podium at the Be More Colin Super Stage, and 45th in the Jim Clark and 34th in the Reivers Rally, last time out, despite running into another competitor. It’s fair to say he is loving his MG.
“It’s like ‘Trigger’s broom’!” he said of the car (pic below – those too young can Google ‘Only Fools and Horses’, for a good laugh). “It’s been through a hell of a lot and there’s not much of it that I started with, but I’m attached to that car now, so it’s not going anywhere.
“I’m still not really chasing results, to be honest. I’ve been picking and choosing events where I can get off work, and that’s still what rallying is for me – a break away from work, where you can enjoy the weekend with lots of friends.
“Trying to find time as a small business owner is not easy, as anyone involved in Scottish rallying will tell you; we’re all the same really.
“But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to do well. We’ve benefited from the experience and guidance of Andrew Wood Motorsport, with Andrew helping me with tyre selection, especially at the Snowman this year, and that’s made us more competitive.
“I know I’ve been fortunate get into rallying, through the pandemic and then with the changes at work. Would I have got into it if I hadn’t won the e-BRC? I’d like to think I might eventually, but that definitely gave me confidence, and the opportunity to own the business gave me some financial support to give it a go.
“It does make for a lot of early starts and very late nights, but everybody’s busy in our world – doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun, eh?”
