Rest and Be Thankful Speed Hill Climb

Rest and Be Thankful Hill Climb is a disused hillclimbing course in Glen Croe, Argyll, Scotland. The first known use of the road for a hillclimb was in 1906. The event used to count towards the British Hill Climb Championship.

In 1952 Motor Sport described the course: "The three danger spots on this course which is 1,425 yards long, and rises over 400 feet, are Stone Bridge, Cobblers Corner and the hairpin bend at the finish and of course there is always the occasional sheep that has to be driven off the road." [1]

On 1 July 1961 Jackie Stewart drove a Ford 105E-engined Marcos at an event here. He said: "it's a special place for me, the cradle of my life in motor racing." [2]

In 1970 Motor wrote:

"The Rest, the famous Scottish Rest and Be Thankful Hill climb, will be used for the last time this year. Like many long established venues, time has overtaken it from the safety angle. A lot of money needs to be spent on barriers and banks and the Royal Scottish Automobile Club who run the National Open Hill Climb there say it will cost far too much; so this year it will only be used by clubs for restricted events and then no more." [3]

The venue has also been used for rally special stages and classic car events. The "Friends of the Rest" are working to revive the course (2009).


In September 2018 a project to establish a Scottish Motorsport Heritage Centre at the Rest and Be Thankful was granted official charitable status. The Scottish Charity Regulator OSCR has approved the project which would pay tribute to the Scottish motorsport heroes of the past – and present. It’s planned to be established near the classic hairpin at the top of the Rest which has been an iconic motorsport location for many years in hillclimb, international rallying and motorbike events. The project is the brainchild of Douglas Anderson, the Dundee man responsible for the return of the Monte Carlo Rally to Scotland over recent years. His vision is that the centre, on the dramatic hillside, would breathe new life into the popular stopping place and bring tourism spend and jobs to local communities as well as acknowledge the Rest as one of the most important motorsport locations in Scotland. "The location of the proposed building at the Rest and Be Thankful, Argyll, has great significance in motorsport terms because of the famous hill climb races and international rallies,” said Douglas. “It was seen as the ultimate test for drivers in many ways because of the steepness and conditions and many greats like Jackie Stewart raced there. It is therefore the ideal place to celebrate Scotland's impressive motorsport heritage. "The idea is to mark that connection within a permanent exhibition space but the project itself is much more than that. The building would be a multi-use facility which could be used by the local community for film, business and cultural events and there would also be retail and a restaurant area." "There would be jobs in the construction phase and full and part-time local jobs when complete.” The concept has already been given the backing of F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, multiple British Touring Car Champion John Cleland and veteran Scottish rally driver Jimmy McRae.

Rest and Be Thankful Hill Climb past winners
Year Driver Vehicle Time Notes
1906 Broome White Mercedes 60 h.p. 2m 19sec [4] Distance about 1 mile.
1949 Raymond Mays E.R.A. 68.00 sec [5] 9 July; 1,800 yards.
1950 Dennis Poore Alfa Romeo #65 57.60 sec [6] 1 July.
1951 Dennis Poore Alfa Romeo 56.32 sec [7] 7 July; 1,425 yards; wet.
1952 Ken Wharton Cooper 54.23 sec R [8] 5 July; 1,425 yards; fine.
1953 Michael Christie Cooper-J.A.P. 1,100 c.c. 55.81 sec [9] 4 July.
1954 Michael Christie Cooper 1,098 c.c. s/c 63.87 sec [10] 3 July; 1,425 yards; wet.
1955 Tony Marsh Cooper #96 56.12 sec [11]
1956 Tony Marsh Cooper 1,100 c.c. 53.75 sec R [12]
1957 Tony Marsh Cooper-J.A.P. 56.31 sec [13] Showers.
1958 David Boshier-Jones Cooper-J.A.P. 53.82 sec [14]
1959 David Boshier-Jones Cooper-J.A.P. 55.45 sec [15] 4 July.
1960 David Boshier-Jones Cooper-J.A.P. 52.05 sec [16] 1 July.
1961 Tony Marsh Lotus-Climax 1,500 c.c. 54.04 sec [17] 1 July, wet to sunny.
1962 Tony Marsh Marsh Special 52.52 sec [18]
1963 Peter Westbury Felday-Daimler 2.6-litre s/c [19] 29 June.
1964 27 June.
1965 Peter Meldrum Lotus 20-Allard s/c [20]
1966 Peter Boshier-Jones Lotus-Climax 1,200 c.c. 50.88 sec [21] 2 July.
1967 Tony Marsh Marsh Special [22] 2 July.
1968 Martin Brain Cooper T81B F1-1-67-Chrysler V8 7.2-litre [23] 29 June.
1969 David Hepworth Hepworth Traco FF Chevrolet 4.5-litre 53.07 sec [24]
1970 Ted Clark Lotus 51 55.26 sec [25] 16 May. Round 2 of the inaugural Scottish Hillclimb Championship.
Jim Dickson BVRT Mini 58.63 sec [26] 12 September. Round 5 of the inaugural Scottish Hillclimb Championship. Final hillclimb event at the Rest and Be Thankful.

Key: R = Course Record.

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See also

Footnotes
  1. Motor Sport, August 1952, Page 361.
  2. Jackie Stewart, Winning is Not Enough: The Autobiography, Headline Book Publishing, 2009, ISBN 9780755315390, Pages 69-70.
  3. Motor, 20 June 1970, Page 58.
  4. T.R. Nicholson, Sprint - Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899-1925, David & Charles, 1969, page 78. See also:
  5. Motor Sport, August 1949, Page 319; Split Seconds: My Racing Years by Raymond Mays "ghosted" by Dennis May, G.T. Foulis & Co. Ltd. 1952, Page 291. Also picture Page 161.
  6. Motor Sport, August 1950, Page 370.
  7. Motor Sport, January 1952, Page 11.
  8. Motor Sport, January 1953, Page 10.
  9. Motor Sport, January 1954, Page 7.
  10. Autosport, 9 July 1954, Pages 52, 54; The Autocar, 9 July 1954, Pages 54-55.
  11. The Motor, 13 July 1955, Pages 928-929.
  12. The Manchester Guardian, 9 July 1956, Page 2; Motor Sport, January 1957, Page 15; The Motor Year Book 1957, Temple Press, Page 202.
  13. Autosport, 5 July 1957, Page 11; Motor Sport, January 1958, Page 22.
  14. Motor Sport, January 1959, Page 31.
  15. The Autocar, 14 August 1959, Page 30; Motor Sport, January 1960, Page 20.
  16. Motor Sport, August 1960, Page 641.
  17. The Autocar, 7 July 1961, Page 35; Motor Sport, January 1962, Page 32.
  18. The Autocar, 6 July 1962; Autosport, 6 July 1962, Pages 24-25. Arthur Owen, Cooper, won the R.A.C. Championship class.
  19. Motor Sport, September 1963, Page 678.
  20. Motor Sport, September 1965, Page 745.
  21. The Autocar, 15 July 1966, Page 169. Peter Boshier-Jones: "failing by 0.80 sec to beat the record he himself established in the 1964 event."
  22. Motor Sport, August 1967, Page 702.
  23. Motor Sport, June 1968, Page 42.
  24. Motoring News, 10 July 1969, Page 24.
  25. Motor Sports Extra Vol.1 (1970-1984), ed. Jack Davidson, Page 63.
  26. Motor Sports Extra Vol.1 (1970-1984), ed. Jack Davidson, Page 63.
  • Friends of the Rest:

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