Up Close with Giants: A Rain-Soaked Day at Doune Hillclimb

Scotland welcomed us the only way it knows how—with buckets of rain. Our visit to Doune Hillclimb was marked by heavy downpours that swept across the paddock and track more than once. Fortunately, the weather never turned cold, and the action on the hill more than made up for the soggy conditions.

Gould GR59 returning from the top of the hill.

Doune is a unique place. Tucked into a steep, wooded hillside near Stirling, it’s narrow, technical, and completely unforgiving. It demands absolute precision from drivers who hurl their machines between wooden rails, armco barriers, steep hillsides and trees with barely a twitch of hesitation. Watching from just a few metres away, you get a visceral sense of how serious these cars and drivers are.

We had the chance to meet and chat with a number of British Hillclimb Championship competitors, all of whom were incredibly generous with their time and happy to share their stories, setups, and advice. The atmosphere in the paddock was open and welcoming—serious competition, yes, but with a healthy dose of camaraderie and good humour.

A real highlight was speaking with Willem Toet—a name that might ring a bell for Formula 1 fans. Willem was responsible for the aerodynamics of cars like the Benetton B192 through B195, and later contributed to designs for Ferrari and Sauber. He’s also no stranger to the British hillclimb scene, having competed in the past and now lending his knowledge to the development of some of the current crop of top-level cars. Getting to talk motorsport engineering with someone of that calibre, trackside and in the rain, was a rare and memorable experience.

While Motor Supplies is based quite literally on the other side of the world, events like Doune remind us that the passion for motorsport transcends geography. If you ever find yourself in Scotland with a spare weekend and a love for fast cars and fearless driving, Doune Hillclimb is well worth a visit.

We’ll be drying out for a while—but we’re very glad we went.