The dates of the 2010 Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association Rally of Scotland are confirmed as Friday 15 - Sunday 17 October

Running a month earlier than in 2009, and on a Friday - Sunday format, this year's event will again be decided by three days of competitive driving over timed Special Stages on closed Forestry Commission Scotland gravel roads in Stirling and Perth and Kinross. The route will also feature a ceremonial start, central service park and ceremonial finish.

In 2009, Scotland staged the final round of the prestigious Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) over the weekend of Friday 20th and Saturday 21st November, forming a centrepiece event within the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations. The event, secured by EventScotland, the national events agency, working in partnership with International Motor Sports together with Stirling and Perth and Kinross Councils, was first announced in October 2008 by Scotland's First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP.

The route took in some of Scotland's most iconic and historic landmarks across two of Scotland's most picturesque constituencies: Stirling and Perth and Kinross. The ceremonial start took place in the grounds of Scone Palace in Perth which is the former coronation site of Scotland's kings and queens. The event also visited the Service Parks at Blair Castle and Stirling City Centre before the ceremonial finish on the esplanade of Stirling Castle.

Praise for the inaugural 2009 RACMSA Rally of Scotland

Alister McRae - "Rally of Scotland is pretty special for a Scotsman. Seeing the Saltires at the side of the road gives you a big boost and, of course, these are some of the best stages in the world. I have good memories of last year's Rally of Scotland. It was my first IRC round for the Proton and Proton's best result of the year. I'm sure this year will be a great event - maybe the sun will even come out!"

Kris Meeke - "This year's Rally of Scotland will be very special to me for lots of reasons. For starters it's my home event and as the defending IRC Champion it will be great to be back competing in the UK. Secondly there's some unfinished business from last year when I finished in front only to be denied the victory a few days later….but I had really enjoyed the rally; the stages were spectacular and among the very best we have in the IRC. This year, as the penultimate round in the championship, it should be even more competitive and exciting. There should be a lot still to play for."

Guy Wilks - "Last year's Rally of Scotland was my first event in a Skoda Fabia S2000, so winning was a very special moment in my career. The stages in Perthshire and Stirling are fantastic. Each one is a real challenge - very fast in places, a lot of surface and camber changes, blind crests, steep dips and beautiful scenery. It's a rally which rewards the brave. It's absolutely flat-out in places and if you are totally committed you can push very hard."

"It might only be the second year of the Rally of Scotland, but it has quickly established itself as a favourite in my rally calendar. Scone Palace is a wonderful location to start the rally and it's a great stage for spectators. All the forest stages are fantastic too. You wouldn't want for a nicer opening stage than Craigvinean, as it's really fast and flowing, Drummond Hill is a legendary stage, Errochty is open and very fast, Achray is incredibly picturesque and Loch Ard is a real sting in the tail."

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