Flying Scotsman Rally 2026: route, schedule and list of participants

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One of the world’s finest events for pre-war cars is just around the corner: the Flying Scotsman. In a week’s time, participants will once again gather for this iconic rally through the Scottish Highlands, where engineering, history and landscape come together. The team of PreWarCar.com will be on site this year and will provide daily reports from the road. In this article, we introduce the event: what it is, how the schedule and route are structured, and which cars will line up at the start.

The rally:

The name “Flying Scotsman” originally comes from the iconic British steam locomotive of 1923, designed by Nigel Gresley. It became world-famous as one of the first trains to reach a speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). The rally builds on that legacy, combining pre-war engineering with the dramatic scenery of the Scottish Highlands, across a route of approximately 600 miles through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the United Kingdom.

The rally, organised by HERO-ERA, is exclusively open to cars built before 1948 and is renowned for its demanding navigation, regularity sections and tests.

The schedule:

Thursday 23 April 2026
On Thursday, scrutineering and documentation checks take place in the late morning and early afternoon. The programme begins in the late afternoon with the prologue.

Friday 24 April 2026
On Friday morning, the first participants depart from Gleneagles heading north, with the competitive element starting immediately. Through a series of regularities and tests, the route heads north-east along the northern reaches of the Cairngorms, featuring well-known sections from previous editions, towards the overnight halt in the Aberdeen area.

Saturday 25 April 2026
From Aberdeen, the route continues north and west through regions familiar from the Granite City Rally. This leg takes in remote roads and climbs, where changing weather conditions may play a role, before returning to the overnight halt in Aberdeen.

Sunday 26 April 2026
The final day is devoted to the return south towards the finish. The route follows a varied selection of roads through the southern Cairngorms, before the rally concludes in Gleneagles, where the event comes to a festive close.

The participants:

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