Paul MacKinnon and co-driver Paul Beaton secured an impressive fifth victory on the Beatson’s Building Supplies Mull Rally, leading from start to finish across a challenging new route in the north of the island.

The Mull resident and co-driver Paul Beaton took victory by over two minutes in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 during the 53^rd running of the event.

The local hero produced a near-flawless performance across the 140 competitive miles to win by over two minutes from 2023 winner Fergus Barlow and co-driver Heather MacCrone, with Neil Roskell and Daniel Barritt rounding out the podium in third.

Organised by Mull Car Club, one of the UK’s most challenging stage rallies brought around 130 cars to the island, with each crew facing over 140 miles of high-speed action, split across fourteen special stages and three long, challenging legs, most of which were beneath the island’s night sky.

In true Mull fashion, mixed weather and slippery conditions set the tone for the weekend, but it was MacKinnon who immediately took control on Friday night’s opening five stages.

Heading into the darkness from Tobermory, the Skoda Fabia Rally2 driver went 11 seconds quicker than Scott MacBeth’s VW Polo R5 on the first test to set the early pace, a stage that would prove pivotal in shaping the rally.

Rivals hit trouble early on, which would only go on to aid MacKinnon’s bid. Barlow stalled his Fiesta Rally2 on the line, losing a chunk of time, while returning legends Calum and Iain Duffy spun their Fiesta just a few miles into the opener, dropping half a minute on their debut in Rally2 machinery.

From there, MacKinnon was untouchable, winning every single stage on the Friday leg in damp and demanding conditions to hold a lead of more than a minute overnight from Duffy, with Barlow in third.

Saturday’s daylight leg, the only one of the weekend, was expected to see a fightback from Duffy, contesting his first Mull Rally since 2022. But a puncture on the opening stage derailed his hopes of adding to his tally of nine event wins, costing over four minutes and dropping him out of contention.

Although Barlow and Duffy shared the stage wins across the day’s five tests, MacKinnon’s measured drive kept him comfortably clear, reaching the Tobermory rest halt on Saturday afternoon with a 2m 23s advantage.

Returning to the stages under darkness for the final leg, MacKinnon and Beaton dialled back the pace in a measured approach, relying on experience and composure to guide their Fabia Rally2 through the four demanding closing tests.

Crossing the finish line in Tobermory just before 2am on Sunday morning, they secured a resounding home victory, MacKinnon’s fifth Mull Rally triumph and first since 2022, and Beaton’s latest in a long line of successes.

MacKinnon commented, “It’s really good to get the win, and hopefully we can come back next year and have another go at it. The car was great from the start; when it feels right, it’s easy to gel with it. We were a bit rusty, but once we settled in, it was a pretty measured run from the second stage on. When you’re that far in front early doors, it can only really go one way, so I’m relieved to have managed it home.”

The first two-wheel-drive crew home was Stephen Thompson and Larry Higton in their Ford Escort Mk2, finishing an impressive seventh overall. However, many hailed Alan Scott and Rachel Matheson as the stars of the weekend, with the young duo’s stunning run to 10th overall in an MG ZR earning widespread acclaim. Despite limited experience and an underpowered car, Scott’s performance against vastly stronger machinery was described as “one that will be talked about for years to come.”