Speyside Stages: A Record Win and Positive Climate Action

Cat Lund
4 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

The 2025 McDonald & Munro Speyside Stages brought a strong start to this year’s Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship.

The Scottish Rally Championship season burst into life in Elgin this weekend, with the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages kicking off what promises to be another season of intense competition. Held on Saturday 26th April, the rally once again delivered a well-organised and popular day in the forests of Moray and Aberdeenshire.

Crews were met with dry, bright spring weather and a mix of fast and technical gravel stages that rewarded commitment and precision. A big turnout of spectators filled the Cooper Park ceremonial start and lined the stages throughout the day, reinforcing the event’s reputation as one of Scotland’s most enjoyable rallies to take part in – and to watch.

Carbon Positive Motorsport ambassador David Bogie, co-driven by John Rowan, extended his record-breaking run of victories on the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages, by securing an incredible 12th victory on the event.

David Bogie celebrating his 12th win on the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages.

Setting the pace early on in their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, the pair maintained control throughout to take a commanding win. It was a typically polished drive from the multiple Scottish champion, who fended off a strong field that included both SRC regulars and visiting crews.

John Wink & Will Atkins suffered from an overshoot which dropped them to eleventh place, and 10th SRC crew at the finish.

John Wink, paired with Will Atkins in their Hyundai i20 R5, finished 11th following an overshoot

Several more Carbon Positive Motorsport ambassadors were also competing, each helping to promote sustainability within the sport by offsetting their rally-related carbon emissions. Jock Armstrong, supported by co-driver Owen Paterson in his Škoda Fabia Proto, had a clean run to sixth overall, while John Wink, paired with Will Atkins in their Hyundai i20 R5, suffered from an overshoot, dropping them to just outside the top ten at the finish.

Brett McKenzie and Barry Young, competing on home ground in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, delivered an excellent 16th place finish – their highest result on a Scottish Rally Championship round.

Brett McKenzie and Barry Young finished an excellent 16th. Photo Credit: Laura Mair

Rounding out the list of CPM ambassador finishes were Niall Cowan Jr with co-driver Gail Whyte, continuing their campaign in the ever-popular MG ZR. The crew brought the car home to finish 35th and second in class.

Photo credit Ari Glass

Once again, the event took important steps to reduce its environmental impact. Working in partnership with Carbon Positive Motorsport, 200% of event-related carbon emissions were offset, covering organiser mileage, event infrastructure, and all competing vehicles that chose to opt into the voluntary offsetting programme. This growing uptake reflects the increasing awareness across Scottish rallying of the role we can all play in reducing emissions and protecting the natural environment that hosts our sport.

Paul Glass, Founding Director of Carbon Positive Motorsport, commented: "Thank you to all our ambassadors for promoting our initiative, and those competitors who voluntarily offset their carbon emissions from the event. However, a special mention must go to David Bogie for not only his incredible suppor, helping our initiative continue to grow, but also on his well-deserved victory. His win this year is just an incredible achievement. To win the event 12 times, and this year against such formidable competition, must be a record for any rally.

David Bogie and John Rowan on their way to the rally win.

"Once again, a huge well done must also go to the event organisers and sponsors for the quality of the event organisation and stages. We were delighted to continue our work with the rally. In the four years we have worked together, the event has enabled over 27,000kg of Co2 emissions to be offset, largely through our local carbon offsetting project, located at Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.

Carbon Positive Motorsport will deliver the offsetting for the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages through our dual approach to carbon offsetting. Immediate emissions are addressed using verified Carbon Reduction Units from the La Primavera afforestation project in Colombia – a BioCarbon Registry-accredited initiative that restores native woodland and benefits the local community.

At the same time, longer-term offsets are being delivered through UK-based woodland creation and peatland restoration projects, including schemes near Loch Ness that are certified under the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. These efforts help create long-term carbon sinks, enhance biodiversity, and restore vital ecosystems.

The carbon offsetting project at Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.

As the 2025 Scottish Rally Championship continues, there are opportunities for everyone involved in rallying to take practical climate action. Whether you’re a competitor, team, or event organiser, Carbon Positive Motorsport offers a simple and credible way to measure and offset your rally-related emissions.

You can choose to offset your entry at participating events, or visit our website to calculate and offset your fuel use, travel, or logistics at any time. Every contribution supports verified international carbon reduction projects and long-term UK-based nature restoration — helping to make motorsport part of the solution.