6-time Scottish champion David Bogie delivered a masterclass at the 2025 McDonald & Munro Speyside Stages Rally on Saturday, April 26, taking a commanding win and securing a record-breaking 12th victory at the event.
Co-driven by John Rowan and piloting the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the first time, Bogie immediately found his rhythm with the new car. Across eight fast-paced stages in Moray and Aberdeenshire, he set the pace early and extended his advantage throughout the day to finish with a total time of 37 minutes, 47 seconds clear of second place.
The day began with two runs around the popular spectator stage at Cooper Park in Elgin, where large crowds gathered to see the cars up close. These short, technical blasts through the park offered drivers an early opportunity to settle into a rhythm, with Bogie laying down the early marker by topping both runs before the crews headed out into the forests.
Reflecting on his victory, Bogie said:
"It’s a rally which has always been kind to me. There are some excellent stages and great competition, and it is definitely good to come away with a win."
He added:
"The stages suit me and I love this area of Scotland as well. It is an event I really enjoy and I will come back next year and try again."
The battle for second place brought plenty of drama. Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton had been Bogie’s closest challengers for much of the rally in their Volkswagen Polo R5, running strongly before suffering brake problems in the final stage. Thorburn was forced to back off, costing valuable time and ultimately dropping him to third.
Seizing the opportunity, Scott Macbeth and Dan Forsyth put in a consistent drive in their Škoda Fabia R5 to move into second, edging Thorburn by just six seconds at the finish.
In the G&M Mechanical Services 2-wheel-drive category, it was Dougal Brown who took the victory. Dougal and navigator Lewis Rochford were delighted to respond positively in their red Mk2 after a disappointing stage one retirement last time out.
The MG3 Rally Challenge at the 2025 Speyside Stages ended in a dramatic finish. Rian Walker, competing on gravel for the first time, was leading by a single second going into the final stage at Ben Aigan. However, Robbie Wood, also making his gravel debut, was faster in the final test, taking 10 seconds off Walker's time and securing the victory by 9 seconds. Walker finished in second, while Mark Constantine had a consistent run to claim third. Niall Cowan completed the finishers in fourth. Thomas Milne, who had been leading up until Stage 7, unfortunately retired after going off the road, and both Lauchlan Hunter and Max Crowther also retired from the event.
Once again, the McDonald & Munro Speyside Stages delivered a thrilling mix of tight competition, fast flowing stages, and a fantastic atmosphere — confirming its place as one of Scotland’s premier rally events.
Attention for SRC competitors now turns to the tarmac roads of the Jim Clark Reivers Rally on May 25, where a fresh challenge awaits on the fast and technical closed-road stages in the Scottish Borders.
As for the MG3 contingent, they next head to Greystoke Forest for round 4, the Greystoke stages.
