Jim Clark 60th Anniversary Celebration Weekend at Duns Castle
- Wee Walking Tours
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 6
Today, we briefly interrupt our ‘Golden’ Summer Blog Series in Aberdeenshire for a quick pit stop to Duns Castle to tell you all about our visit to the Jim Clark 60th Anniversary Celebration last weekend. So, join us- including our intrepid Golden Retriever explorers, Walter and Arthur- as we race to the Scottish Borders and honour a legend.
The Jim Clark 60th Anniversary Celebration was held at Duns Castle. Unfortunately, you can’t go inside the Castle as it is only an events venue and not open to the public. Nevertheless, it provided a lovely backdrop for the festivities. For those of you who may not know, Jim Clark was a Scottish car racing legend. We’ve previously written about him in our article that details a bit about his life as well as the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum. The Museum is also in Duns, and we highly recommend that you pay them a visit if you are interested in motorsport and in the area. The Jim Clark Trust run the Museum and organised the Celebration.
The Trust highlights that the event was held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of a very successful year for Jim Clark. In 1965, he won six out of the ten grands prix held that year to clinch his second world title. In addition, he won the Indianapolis 500 road race and was the first European to win the race since 1916! He also won the Tasman Series on circuits in New Zealand and Australia. His accomplishments were incredible, and he was one of the greatest drivers of his generation.
It was such a joy to attend the Jim Clark Celebration, and the weekend was fuelled by glorious sunshine. On display were several of the cars raced by Jim Clark during his career as well as other vintage cars (many of which were Lotus). Walter and Arthur set out on an ‘explore and discover’ mission, stopping to dutifully pose for photos.
Many of Jim Clark's cars and some other classics were put to the test as they raced through the Castle grounds.
The atmosphere was fun for all- humans and dogs alike! As we walked around the event, I found myself humming along to the delightful tunes sung by the Ragtime Dolls, and Walter also seemed to appreciate them.
Not surprisingly, Walter's and Arthur's noses eventually guided us to the area where all the food trucks were set up. Walter quickly made his feelings clear.😋There were a variety of delicious options to choose from, including our friends at the Haggis Box.
One of the highlights of the event was the attendance of Scottish racing legend, Sir Jackie Stewart. One of the most important causes that Jackie currently focuses on is his charity, ‘Race Against Dementia’. Be sure to visit their website for more information on the crucial research they are funding to fight this horrible disease that tragically affects so many worldwide.
Another famous Scottish (retired) race car driver, Dario Franchitti, also attended the event and drove Jim Clark’s iconic Team Lotus 49.
Here are some more photos from the Jim Clark 60th Anniversary Celebration Weekend:
We hope you have enjoyed this brief but picturesque visit to Duns Castle to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of one Jim Clark’s most successful years in racing. Be sure to subscribe to our blog as you don’t want to miss out on Walter’s and Arthur’s ‘Golden’ Summer Blog series! Walter already kicked off our Scottish Grand Tour of Aberdeenshire (and Morayshire) with his article on Crathes Castle.
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
