An era nears its end
In 1959, Roy Peplow put the British big singles’ noses out of joint when his 199cc Triumph Tiger Cub (RUE 923) became the first ‘tiddler’ to outright win the SSDT.
Over the next three years, Gordon Jackson and Sammy Miller waved the flag for the big singles, then Arthur Lampkin won in 1963 riding a factory 250cc BSA C15 machine. Sammy Miller took another – and the last – win for a British big banger, winning in 1964 with his famous, special 500cc Ariel (GOV 132), then shocked the world the following year, winning on his self-developed Bultaco (669 NHO) two-stroke to end the British big singles’ dominance forever.
The ‘Scottish’ began in 1909 as a five-day, approximately 1000 mile long, reliability trial. There were no observed sections or outright winners, but gold medals awaited all who completed and satisfied the requirements of the organising Edinburgh MCC. Endless punctures, heavy rain, strong winds, frame smashing potholes and machine reliability did for many, leaving only Messrs Salveson and Thomson (both 499cc Triumph) to collect their richly deserved gold medals.
In 1910, the SSDT became a full six-day event and the following year the Edinburgh and District MC was formed and ran the first ‘official’ event. With more and more riders earning gold medals, additional tests, including braking and machine condition were introduced
