Scottish Six Days Trial - History

History

The first Scottish motorcycle trial was held in July 1909. Originally, the trial started in Edinburgh, going to John O'Groats before returning to Edinburgh. It aimed to be the most challenging motorcycle trial ever held. By 1912 the event was known as the "Scottish Six Days Open Reliability Trial" and by 1914 rules were agreed together with a marking system and time penalties for machine faults. The outbreak of the First World War halted competition but the Six Days Trial returned in 1919. Problems with following the route were solved by marking the course with yellow ochre from a barrel mounted on a car (a system which stayed in place until the mid-1970s, when the present system of marker arrows and orange flags for off road sections was introduced). The scoring system was updated in 1926 to allow for condition, hillclimbing and brake testing but the event was still a test of motorcycle reliability. From the 1930s factory teams became more prevalent and in 1932 the results system was further amended to identify an outright winner. In 1938, Fort William was chosen as the central point of the trial although, it still started and ended in Edinburgh. The outbreak of World War II stopped competition until 1947, when 108 competitors took part. In 1977, the event broke its link to Edinburgh and the event started and finished in Fort William. This was due to the Gathering of the Clans taking up accommodation in the Capital. The organisers were forced to move the start and finish to Fort William, but it proved a popular move. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Scottish Six Days Trial grew in popularity and was established as the most important event for trials motorcycles.