Organiser’s Foreword

In some respects the Galloway Hills has kept to a pretty regular pattern over the years, but those of us who have been involved with it for a long time are always aware of some particular feature which makes each year distinctive. Perhaps it was the year of a new sponsor, or a surprise winner, or a record entry, or even (though rarely nowadays) a last minute snowfall. Whatever it may have been, there is usually something to fix that event in one’s memory when reminiscing as veterans tend to do. Without doubt, the 2006 rally will go down in history as the year of the Great Gale. The forecasters had warned us well enough, but miraculously conditions on the Saturday were still reasonable and allowed our Irish competitors to cross on time. What followed during the hours of darkness on Saturday night and Sunday morning was truly exceptional, and marshals arriving to man the early stages were faced with devastation on a major scale. To the Clerk of the Course in Rally HQ each radio message brought yet another report of trees flattened and roads flooded, but a brave decision was made to carry on and in the end only the southern part of Dalbeattie Forest was declared totally impassable. In the circumstances it was a popular decision that the “Spirit of the Rally” award should go not to some significant performer in a rally car but to the best exponent with a chainsaw! The Joint Clerk of the Course concerned is a modest and retiring individual and we will not reveal his name, but his initiative at daybreak saved the situation and allowed the first stage to proceed while the remainder of the route was being assessed. Rumour has it that his efforts even extended to the public road, where he was equally effective if not entirely compliant with Health and Safety Regulations!

And so to 2007. We cannot predict what will be the most memorable feature of this year’s rally – that will emerge as the day progresses. All we can do as organisers is to ensure that all the component parts for a successful event are firmly in place. We are delighted to see the Armstrong family continue their support as principal sponsors, support which is all the more valuable because they are so actively involved and give us the benefit of their advice and experience as competitors in addition to their financial contribution. Stena Line are offering their usual concessions to our Irish competitors, some of whom will be taking advantage of the Special Award made in 2006 by the company to celebrate their 30 years of involvement with the rally.

This year for the first time, we hope to receive a team of marshals from Northern Ireland, and greatly appreciate the effort they are making on our behalf. Although we cannot guarantee them a smooth passage, they can rest assured that there will be a warm Galloway welcome awaiting them when they arrive. The same welcome of course applies to you all, whether this is your first attempt at the rally or you are one of the weel-kent faces who find a trip to the “Hills” a very agreeable way to round off your competition year.