Second place overall went to Northern Ireland's Connor McLoskey in an '05-plate' Ford Focus WRC, which he had tested for the first time on the previous day's shakedown.

The 22-year-old finished the day just two seconds adrift of Girvan, who - with victory in sight - had eased up on the final 14-mile Glentrool test.

McCloskey, with co-driver Francis Regan, was well satisfied with his day's work - which included wins on SS3, 5 and 6 and an equal first with Girvan on SS4.

Gretna's Mike Faulkner, with co-driver Peter Foy, finished a further 39 seconds back in their BSW-Timber backed Mitsubishi Evo 6 to secure the Group A title.

Faulkner admitted that a final podium place had looked doubtful as they were lying fifth overall going into the last stage: “We were sitting there knowing we had to get to the end safely – but I don't like being beaten either, so we just threw caution to the wind and went for it”.

Like many competitors Faulkner praised the quality of the stages: “I love
them - and that last Glentrool run is one of the best in the country for sure – a real driver's stage”.

Euan Thorburn of Duns ended the day an impressive fourth overall at the wheel of his dad Alistair's Subaru Impreza, and but for an error of judgement on the short fifth stage, could have pipped Faulkner for third.

With Claire Mole of Paxton on the notes, Thorburn was one of five drivers who beat the bogey time on the second stage. He then went on to post an equal third with Andy Horne on SS3, was third on SS4 and ended with a flourish on the 14-mile Glentrool test, second to McCloskey by seven seconds.

Oban's William Bonniwell and navigator Ian Fraser from the Isle of Mull brought their Subaru Impreza home three seconds adrift of Thorburn. It was their third fifth-placed finish of the season, and made up for the disappointment of a non-finish on the previous Speyside round.

Barry Groundwater of Stonehaven and Jedburgh's Jude Wylie brought their Mitsubishi Evo 9 home in sixth to take Group N honours, thirteen seconds ahead of Elgin-based Steven Clark in his Evo 4.

It was a baptism of fire for Clark's 'rookie' co-driver Neil Mullen on his first ever rally.

The 27-year-old from Carlisle had been selected from a short-list of those who were closest to guessing the total mileage covered by Clark on a recent charity drive to Cameroon.

And he won praise from Clark, who declared: “Neil has done really well, and by the second stage had got himself organised”.