Flying Scotsman 2026 - Leg 3

The final day of competition, just 142 miles left to go, and nine competitive sections split over five regularities and four tests before the 2025 Flying Scotsman Champion can be crowned. Time to consolidate a lead or push like hell to gain a few places and perhaps bag a trophy for your efforts. Whichever path you choose, now isn’t the time for mistakes. Ladies and Gentlemen, please prepare to disembark, your final station stop on this service is Gleneagles.

There was plenty left to scrap over, as well, with the competition still tight. At the head of the field Theo Hunt and Jimmy Galliver started the day with a 23 second gap to Mike Dreelan and Miles Fieldhouse. The prodigal sons of the Scotsman have returned with a vengeance this year, aiming to complete their unfinished business from 2024, but newcomers Dreelan and Fieldhouse have been pushing the lads in the ‘Nash hard since the start.

Both cars would need to watch their tails, too, with the chasing pack ready to pounce on any mistakes. There were 7 different marques inside the top ten, different cars, years and engine sizes all fighting with each other, all hoping the days competition would play to their particular strengths.

The day began with a test on the Dreelan estate, a final blast up the hill to say goodbye to the place, with a just a few miles to settle the adrenalin before heading straight into a regularity. That would set the pattern for the morning, with the competition coming thick and fast, despite a short break at Fasque House, the former home of William Gladstone.

The leaders had extended their lead on the final test, eking out the advantage as they had done two years ago. There must have been some nerves heading into the mid-morning regularities, as it had been at this point in 2024 that the wheels had come off their challenge for the win. Surely history wouldn’t repeat itself. If it was in the back of their minds, they weren’t letting it affect their performance on the regs, nailing the timing points with 2’s and 3’s and the occasional zero. The chasing Alvis was matching them though, and in many cases besting them, with a perfect score on reg 3 keeping the pressure on.

There was a curve ball for everyone just before lunch, as the planned tests around the perimeter track at Perth Racecourse had to be delayed, due to a triathlon event over-running. Pick the pun out of that. To compensate the lunch break was bought forward, leaving more competition after the midday break than is usual on this rally, with three tests and a regularity to contend with for the competitors. Four more chances to make up time or avoid a mistake.

As they have been throughout the event, Theo and Jimmy were an almost unbeatable combination on the final tests, as Theo drifted the Nash around the sections with ease, driver and machine completely at one. There would be no cruel twists this year, they were flying, and the car would not let them down and as they crossed the line they knew they had done enough. The results confirmed as much, with Theo and Jimmy taking their first win in this competition by 1 minute and 19 seconds, at the 7^th time of trying. Theirs is a popular victory, lighting up the competition from day one as they always have. The win no doubt all the sweeter, after having the victory snatched from their hands by fate two years ago.