Scottish Hill Climb Championship (1970-date)

Hillclimbing in Scotland had been in a parlous position in the late 1960s after the RAC withdrew the Bo'ness track's licence and insisted on significant safety measures at the daunting Rest-and-be-Thankful course. That would only have left the Fintray and Kinkell courses in Scotland, although plans were afoot for a new course at Rumster. Lothian Car Club secured the use of a new course on Lord Doune's estate, designed for hilllcimbing by Ray Fielding and Carse Hill was soon recognised as one of the UK's top courses.

To encourage the growth of hillclimbing in Scotland, Lothian CC led efforts to develop a Scottish championship, which began in 1970 with rounds at Doune, Fintray, Rumster, Kinkell and Rest-and-be-Thankful.

The initial class structure included two classes for racing cars (split at 1300cc), two for sports racing cars (split at 1600cc), three for production sports cars (split at 1300cc and 1600cc), and two for touring cars and "Improved" touring cars, split at 1000cc. Improved Touring Cars were renamed Special Saloon a couple of years later. The 1000cc class would be a haven for Imp-engined cars that would evolve from the recognisably Hillman Imps of 1970 to the Davrians of later in the decade and the spaceframe Maguire Imps of the early 1980s.