As ever the closed road action on the 39th running of the Tour of Mull went down to the last stage with 9 seconds separating the top two crews as the battle between the local aces came to a crescendo!

It’s October so it must be the 2300 Clubs running of the "best rally in the world" the Tour of Mull. The Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland plays host to one of the most gruelling and demanding stage rallies of the year. 160 crews take on the challenge of 153 stage miles run mainly in the dark on closed surface roads that have more crests and turns per mile than anywhere else in the world.

Last years winner Neil MacKinnon lead the field off to the first stage, the notorious Glen Aros and Hill road, not run for the last 5 years at just over 14 miles long the Glen road is quick and flowing, blowing off any cobwebs the competitors had before the start and then turns to the hill road with its tight and twisty sections which are ready to catch out the unprepared with scenery akin to the moon!

Calum Duffy in his DEN prepared Ford Escort aimed to take advantage of the first stage as he lives at the half way point in Dervaig and was quoted before the event saying that “stage records would tumble”.

At the end of stage one he had to play second fiddle to another MacKinnon! Paul MacKinnon son of 14 times winner Neil. Paul in his Pye prepared Gpn N+ Subaru Impreza who had notified his intentions on last years rally stormed in to the lead beating Duffy by 7 seconds.

This trend continued through the first night with Paul MacKinnon leading by 15 seconds at the end of leg one with father Neil reduced to a spectator after oil pressure problems before stage three.

Just behind the fight for the lead the story of the event was Kris Hall, son of Dougi Hall long time competitor on Mull in his 2.0 Fiesta was in to 5th place from a starting position of 49th!!. After a strong showing last year in a 1600 Peugeot 205 Kris was storming the little Fiesta in to an amazing position.

And what of the other Mull regulars? Daniel Harper and Chris Cambell former winners on the Tour of Mull now in their MiniSport prepared Mini where up to third with a great trouble free run, James MacGillivray and Ian Fraser in their immaculate Ralloy MkII Escort where taking things easy and where in fourth place.

John Cope and Rob Fagg in their WRC Impreza struggled to match the pace of the front runners after a poor tyre choice on the first loop of stages hampered their run and the Irish pair of Wesley Patterson and Martin McGarrity in their amazing MkII Escort pulled out after Martin fell ill.

As daylight dawned the battle at the front resumed with Calum and Iain Dufffy unable to overtake the young MacKinnon. That said the battle was such that both took stage record after stage record leaving the rest of the field to pick up the pieces.

As Duffy pilled on the pressure trying to force a mistake from the rally leader, Paul showed composure and none of the mistakes that ended his challenge last year.

Through the daylight stages the power of the WRC machinery showed as Cope made up places passing young Kris Hall and Harper. Another new name to the top three was Willie Bonniwell in his Gp A Impreza. Although a regular on the Island and only a hop from his home town of Oban, Bonniwell has previously show his pace on the event only to end in a crash, sometimes a spectacular one!

As the event returned to the darkness on the last leg on Saturday night the crews readied for the notorious 22 miler stage of Loch Tuath and Calgery Bay. This stage has settled the event in the past but with the battle as hot as ever at the front there was no time for mistakes.

As Duffy cleared the stage 14 seconds faster than the stage record set by Neil MacKinnon in 2006 only to see that Paul MacKinnon had completed the stage in a time off 20:02, knocking 22 seconds off the recorded! At the last service Duffy had settled on second place and fitted a safe tyre choice, but as every one knows Mull always has the last laugh.

The final stage of the event is a reverse of the first stage Hill Road Glen Aros and two miles in Paul MacKinnon’s event nearly came to an end. A spin in to a ditch cost him half of his lead and with his car damaged he still had 12 miles still to cover with Duffy closing fast.

As Duffy came across the marks on the road from Paul's off he sensed a win could be closer than he though and launched the Escort down the Glen road in pursuit of the Impreza, although he had also had trouble and nursed the 
Escort with a wrecked wheel.

Spectators on that last stage have all said that what followed was classic Mull. Flat out driving down the most challenging roads in the world, amazing speed from two locals desperate for the win, such was that both navigators lost their places in the notes testament to the speed down that final stage.

And at the end?? Navigators compared times drivers compared damage on the cars and it was all a bit confused...............

As the event closed those behind the charging front pair also had their dramas. Bonniwell held on to record an excellent just deserved third place holding the Escort of MacGillivray at bay. Tristan Pye and Kirst Riddick in their Impreza matched last years result with another 5th overall surviving a number of incidents with the giant killing Kris Hall and Richard Millener just 21 seconds behind in their Fiesta.

Those losing out on the last night included Harper in his Mini who retired with suspension problems and Cope who put his Impreza off the road on the 22 miler stage 13.

Other notable finishes went to John and Peter MacCrone in their Peugeot 205, Bear Cub drivers in past years proving that the Bear Cub rally project, an attempt by local Steve Davis and others to get young talent in to rallying was proving well founded.

And Tugs Sherrington and Sam Bould proving that the early years learning the roads in their Escort has proved dividends as they swapped to a Mitsubishi Evo and broke in to the top 10 with 9th overall.

So what of the battle for the top positions?

The Time cards will tell that Paul MacKinninon finished the 39th running of the Tour of Mull 9 seconds in front of Calum Duffy to take his first win on the Isle on Mull.
But those who where there will say it was much closer that that!!!!!!!!!

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