The dates set the schedule for the WRC’s return to the UK and Scotland’s first full round of the championship. It will arrive less than a year after Elfyn Evans, co-driven by Scott Martin, sealed the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship Drivers’ title at last week’s Rally Italia Sardegna, becoming the first British driver to take the crown since Richard Burns in 2001.
Rally week begins on Tuesday 28 September with the first of two days of reconnaissance – or recce – when drivers and co-drivers will cover the route at controlled speeds, making and refining the pacenotes they will rely on when the stages go live.
The pace rises on Thursday morning with shakedown, the crews’ full-speed pre-event test and their final chance to assess car set-up before the rally gets under way. The event start follows later that day. From Friday to Sunday, the world’s leading rally crews will tackle the main competitive legs, with Sunday bringing the rally to its conclusion.
Rally Scotland will be headquartered at The Event Complex Aberdeen, with Rally HQ and the Service Park based at the venue. Competition will take place on closed forest gravel roads across north-east Scotland.
Hugh Chambers, CEO of Motorsport UK, said: “This is an exciting milestone. With the dates confirmed, fans, teams and everyone involved in Rally Scotland have a clear target: 28 September 2027 in Aberdeen.
“Over six days, culminating on 3 October, the World Rally Championship action will be back in the UK, attracting a global audience to the best of Scottish gravel roads. There is a huge amount of work ahead, but this is another important step in making Rally Scotland a reality.
“Elfyn Evans becoming Britain’s first WRC Drivers’ World Champion in 25 years gives the championship’s return to the UK even greater significance, and gives fans another reason to look forward to Rally Scotland in 2027.”
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn, said: “The Scottish Government is delighted to have played a role in bringing the World Rally Championship to Scotland from 2027-2029 with funding of more than £6 million.
“This event will showcase to a global audience what Scotland has to offer and will attract thousands of visitors, teams, and fans from around the world, bringing significant benefits to both the north-east and national economies.
“Scotland has a strong track record of delivering major events, and with the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Tour de France Grand Départ and The Open in 2027, and UEFA EURO 2028, we are building on that reputation. This adds another major event to that list.”
The confirmation follows the BBC’s recently announced three-year WRC broadcast agreement, which will bring live coverage of every championship round to UK audiences from 2027 to 2029, including extensive live coverage of Rally Scotland.
Further route, ticketing, volunteering and spectator information will be announced in the coming months.
