Soldiers and civilians test driving skills in off-road competition in Scotland

154 (Scottish) Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (The Scottish Transport Regiment) held their annual driving competition, known as Exercise Mudmaster, at several locations across Central Scotland over the weekend.

This year, the over 100 miles route ran from Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and finished in Glasgow after weaving across some of the most difficult terrain for off-road driving, testing both the proficiency of its reservist soldiers in driving, as well as navigation and recovery skills.

Over 200 service personnel took part in the exercise, drawn from across the UK using a variety of Land Rovers, MAN trucks and motorbikes. As well as a test of teamwork, the crews - made up of up to three people per vehicle were judged on their road safety awareness and proficiency in road driving and navigation.

This challenging competition gives our soldiers the chance to prove their expertise under demanding conditions and against the best teams from a number of Off-Road Clubs

MAJOR URQUHART 154 (SCOTTISH) REGIMENT ROYAL LOGISTIC CORPS

The Army Reserve Regiment, which is equipped with the latest MAN Support Vehicles, recently supported NHS Scotland with ambulance and logistics specialist drivers as part of Operation Rescript, the Army’s response and support during the Covid pandemic.

What makes the annual Mudmaster competition unique as a military driving event is that since 1991 it has been run jointly with the Scottish Land Rover Owners Club, who would claim to be experts in off-road driving. The event allows civilian drivers the chance to pit their wits against some of the best drivers in the Army in a challenging cross-country competition.

Major Donald Urquhart, Senior Planning Officer of 154 (Scottish) Regiment said, “This challenging competition gives our soldiers the chance to prove their expertise under demanding conditions and against the best teams from a number of Off-Road Clubs from around the British Isles including from as far afield England, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Our Reservists relish the opportunity to perform to the highest standards as both soldiers and drivers; this is particularly relevant as we currently support 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade and are soon to also support 4 Light Brigade Combat Team to deploy on operations anywhere in the world.”