ORGANISERS of the Jim Clark Rally are confident the race will return to the roads of the Borders this spring.

And they have pencilled in the weekend of May 24 and 25.

The rally has not taken place since the tragic deaths of three people in 2014.

Elizabeth Allan, 63, Iain Provan, 64, and Len Stern, 71, were all killed as a car left the road near Coldstream.

Major reviews have since taken place into safety surrounding closed road rally events as well as a fatal accident enquiry.

The Scottish Government is now looking at a return for both the Jim Clark Rally and the Isle of Mull Rally by bringing legislation into line with the other parts of the UK.

A spokesman for the Jim Clark Rally told us: "We have been maintaining contact and continued working with Scottish Borders Council and Police Scotland in hopeful anticipation that rallying could return sooner rather than later.

"Arrangements and plans are already in place to facilitate a quick resumption of the sport on completion of the parliamentary process.

"Potential rally competitors, officials, volunteers and fans right across the UK are therefore advised to 'pencil in' two important dates, May 24 and 25 2019, and plan their routes to the eastern Scottish Borders.

"With a bit of luck and goodwill, it should soon be possible to allow all those interested to confirm their diary date in ink."

The recently concluded Public Consultation by the government on the new proposals proved there was an overwhelming desire for a return with 98 percent of all replies being positive.