Best Betting Sites & Apps for the Scottish Grand National – 2023 Guide

A list of the best new UK betting sites for betting on the Scottish Grand National recommended by our experts of the best bookies for horse racing.

The Scottish Grand National takes place at the Ayr Racecourse in Ayrshire and, like the Welsh Grand National, it is sponsored by Coral betting site. It is a Grade Three National Hunt steeplechase that horses five years or above can enter, and it is run over a distance of four miles, with 27 fences to jump.

This handicap race is Scotland’s take on the Grand National, and it is run every year in April during the Scottish two-day Grand National Festival. In the following article, we will tell you all you need to know about betting in the Scottish Grand National.

Author: Annsley Payne , Last Updated on 13.09.2023

Top 10 Scottish Grand National Betting Bookies & Offers in the UK

Reviews of Scottish Grand National Best Bookmakers

Allow us to explain how we choose and decide which bookies to features in our reviews. Before we even focus on the bonuses and other quirks of a sportsbook site, we need to be certain four things are present:

• The bookie is fair: We check if the bookies have been added to a UK Gambling Commission blacklist for previous unfair treatment to its members or for violating other fairness policies before we introduce the site to our readers.
• The bookie is safe: We verify that your personal information is protected by 128-bit SSL. Money may be transferred or deposited without concern about data breaches or online threats. When making bets with the sportsbook, you can just enjoy watching the games without having to worry about your sensitive information getting into the wrong hands.
• The bookie is legit: We check and look up the sportsbook license to make sure it is active and has been distributed and approved by the necessary regulatory organizations before we share the website with you.
• The bookie is credible: The sportsbook follows responsible gambling guidelines and displays the legal gambling age as well as provides tools for responsible gambling to its members as per dictated by the regulator.

Betting with William Hill

William Hill is a betting company that has been around for close to 90 years, making it one of oldest horse racing bookies in the world. What has enabled them to become so popular? Well, their live streaming service is one of the best around – they stream more than 10,000 races each year and even have a live streaming schedule, with plenty of horse races to watch. To add to this, they have very good odds and offer new members a great William Hill Bonus. The table below shows how we rank the William Hill betting site:

Pros of horse racing betting at William Hill

• They provide live streams for some of the biggest horse races in the world
• They have very good horse racing odds, which means you will get a tidy profit if your horse has a good run and finishes where you predicted
• They provide regular horse racing betting tips

Betting with Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes sport is an extremely popular betting site for horse racing, but why is this so? Well, like William Hill, they have a very good live streaming platform and stream thousands and thousands of races every year. Additionally, they have a wide variety of sports markets, constantly provide their players odds that are competitive, and give new users a very sizable Ladbrokes Bonus. Their banking options and customer support will not let you down either. How do we rank the Ladbrokes betting site? We look at the advantages that this bookie offers its members.

Pros of horse racing betting at Ladbrokes

• They have plenty of free horse racing streams that their customers can watch
• They always offer their customers very good odds
• They provide valuable horse racing tips

Betting with Unibet

Unibet, at the time of writing has close to 11 million customers, which is very impressive if you ask us. The main reason why they have they have become so popular is the fact that they have an enticing Welcome Unibet Bonus, offer a wide variety of markets for the sports that they have available, provide customers with good odds, and have a an excellent live streaming platform (they show over 40,000 live events each year). Below you can see how we have ranked the different aspects of Unibet.

Pros of horse racing betting at Unibet

• They have a lot of horse racing live streams that their customers can enjoy
• They have plenty of horse racing markets that you can place your bets on
• They provide their customers with odds that are more than reasonable

History of the Scottish Grand National

The Scottish Grand National was first run in 1858, but back then it was called the West of Scotland Grand National, and it had 32 jumps, most of which were stone walls. The first race took place on a course close to Houston, Renfrewshire, and it was run here until 1867 when it was moved to the Bogside Racecourse after objections from the Free Kirk leader of Houston.

The first winner at Bogside was The Elk, who was the Duke of Hamilton’s horse. At the start of its history, the was three miles long and then it was extended to 3 7/8 miles and got the title it is known as today in 1880. The first Scottish Grand National was won by a horse called Peacock.

In 1965, the Bogside Racecourse shut down, and the Scottish Grand National was moved to Ayr a year later. The length of the race was increased to its current length. A number of winners of the Scottish Grand National have gone on to win the Aintree Grand National, one of the biggest horse races in the world. Music Hall was the first to complete the double back in 1922 and other horses that have won both include Earth Summit and Little Polveir. However, the only horse who has managed to win both in the same year is Red Rum, who achieved this feat in 1974.

In 1867, the prize money for winning this race was £100 and by 1906 it has increased to £440. In 1950, it went up to £1030 and then £5,436 in 1963, and in 2019 the winner took home £122,433. There was no race in 2020 due to the pandemic, while the purse was worth £150,000 in 2021.

5 Reasons to Bet on the Scottish Grand National

Wondering why the Scottish Grand National is so popular? Aside from having a well-known sponsor -Coral, it is also one of the biggest and most prestigious races in Great Britain. Here are five reasons why the Scottish Grand National is a great event to place your bets on.

Fourth Biggest Race

The Scottish Grand National is the fourth biggest race in terms of betting turnover in the UK. This means that plenty of viewers also like to place their wagers during this event. This makes the odds pretty competitive and can make for exciting betting events.

Second-Richest Handicap Race

For those unfamiliar, with horse racing, a handicap race is one in which the horses are given different weights by the handicapper. In order to have an edge against slower horses, a better horse will carry a bigger load. This presents bettors with an intriguing chance for exciting betting opportunities.

Biggest National Hunt Event

In Great Britain, horses must be five years old or older to compete in the Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase known as the Scottish Grand National. In essence, the numerous "bumpers" that must be overcome during the 4-mile run make this event unique to watch and e preferred choice among punters.

Leading Staying Chasers

This prestigious race sees plenty of the UK’s most renowned staying chasers in the field. Staying chasers are horses that compete in races over 3 miles long and jump over fences. You’ll only see the best of the best in a Scottish Grand National.

High Viewer Rate

The Scottish Grand National is watched by more than 1.2 million viewers every year, both on TV and across live streaming platforms. It makes for some good quality time with friends and family. A crowd of nearly 15000 people watch the game unfold at Ayr, Scotland, where it is held yearly.

Scottish Grand National Betting Tips

The Scottish Grand National is very entertaining to watch, but you can make things even more entertaining by placing bets on it. With regards to the Scottish Grand National, you can jump right in and place bets with no research, but if you have this as your main strategy when betting, then you should not get upset when you start losing bets. The same principle goes for the best Royal Ascot betting sites.

Below you will find some great Scottish Grand National tips that you should keep in mind whenever you bet on this race – some of the following tips can be put to good use in other races as well.

Check Out the Trainer

If a horse is to have a successful racing career, then it needs to have a good trainer. If a horse has a sub-standard trainer, then it is most likely that their performances will be under par and they will not win many races.

When it comes to the Scottish Grand National, Paul Nicholls is the trainer who has been the most successful in the more recent races. He won the 2016 and 2017 Scottish Grand National with Vicente, and is without doubt a very talented trainer. If you go to bet on this race and you come across a horse that has been trained by Vicente, then we highly suggest that you consider placing a bet on them.

Other trainers that have performed well in recent Scottish Grand National races include Rebecca Curtis, Nicky Richards, Hilary Parrot, and Lucinda Russell. These are jockey names that you should keep an eye on when you are looking to bet on this race.

Check Out the Jockeys

In our opinion, jockeys are not as important as trainers, but this is not us saying that jockeys are not important themselves, because they are. Jockeys have the important job of ensuring that the horse they are riding stays focused when running. Therefore, when betting on a race such as the Scottish Grand National, do not make the mistake of completely ignoring the jockey. You should look at past runs of the same race and see whether certain jockeys have dominated.

When you take a look at previous Scottish Grand National races, you will see the Sam Twiston-Davis has won two of the last five races. Other jockeys that have won this race recently include the likes of Adam Wedge, Sean Quinlan, and Tom Scudamore. Famous jockeys such as Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh have also won this race.

Before you finalise a bet on this race, you need to take the time to find out as much as you can about the jockey that will be on the horse you want to place a bet on. You need to find out what type of form they are in and how they have performed on this racecourse in the past – if they have participated in the Scottish Grand National before,

Always Look at Previous Trends

Before you dive straight in and start making bets, you would be doing yourself a big favour by looking at what has happened in previous Scottish Grand National races. Looking at trends can help you pick a winner and make a nice profit. Therefore, we have provided you with some helpful trends for the Scottish Grand National.

• Nine of the previous eleven winners have been eight to eleven years old.
• Only one of the previous eleven favourites have won, while four favourites finished in the top 3.
• Three of the last eleven victors won their previous race, while ten ran a race in the last forty-three days.
• Six of the previous eleven winners had run at least one race at Ayr, while four had won at least one race at Ayr.
• Nine of the last eleven champions had at least seven runs over twenty-four furlongs, while nine had two wins or more across twenty-four furlongs.

Best Bonuses and Free Bet Offers for the Scottish Grand National

The world of sports betting, without doubt, is the most competitive industry out there, which is the reason why bookies have to offer enticing bonuses to customers. If they offer weak bonuses, potential new customers will just ignore them and sign up with a rival.

Bonuses can vary quite drastically between sportsbooks, so it is very important that you take the time to do a bit of research before you take the plunge and open an account with a bookie. We have provided you with some sports betting sites that offer top-quality bonuses in order to give you a helping hand. We are obviously not forcing you to open an account with any of the following sportsbooks, but you will certainly not regret it if you do.

10bet Sport Scottish Grand National Free Bet

If you decide that 10bet Sport is the site where you want to do your sports betting, you will be able to claim £50 worth of free bets. This free bet money can be used on whatever sporting events you like, but if you are signing up with the Scottish Grand National around the corner, we recommend you use some of it to bet on this race.

William Hill Grand National Free Bet

Should you decide that William Hill is the place for your sports wagers, you will be able to claim the William Hill welcome offer. All you need to do is make 3 qualifying bets of £10 when you first join the bookie, and you will be awarded an additional £30 to spend on sports bets. You may spend your free bet money on any athletic event you choose, but if you plan to bet on the upcoming Scottish Grand National, we advise you to use some of it on this race.

Ladbrokes Scottish Grand National Betting

Have you got your eye on Ladbrokes? Then you can claim a welcome offer when you deposit £5 within 14 days of opening your account. This will award your four bets worth £5. As always, you are free to wager the free money on any sports you like, even the Scottish Grand National!

Scottish Grand National Sign-Up Offer

So what’s Betfred’ Bonus offer? It’s one we really like, and we think you will as well if you also enjoy betting on casino games. They will give you £60 in bonuses after you have placed a £10 qualifying wager. You must be a new member of the website in order to receive the Betfred Welcome Bonus of £30 in free bets + 30 free spins on Justice League Comics. Applying T&Cs.

888Sport Scottish Grand National Betting Offers

Did you read our 888sport review and feel it’s the right sports betting site for you? You can enjoy an excellent welcome bonus. Simply deposit £10 into your account and enter the code “30fb”, and you will receive three free bets worth £10 each and £10 to spend at their online casino.

Reviews of Scottish Grand National Best Bookmakers

Which other factors should you consider while betting on horse racing?

Before we move ahead to look at some popular horse racing betting markets, we thought it would be very useful of us to remind you that bookmakers are changing their bonuses all the time as they have to think of ways to stay ahead of their competitors.

Therefore, there is no guarantee that any of the bonuses that you just read about above are the same ones you will find available on their bookmaker’s website when you go to open an account. We are really sorry if this is the case, but we do not always have the spare time to see if bonuses have been changed.

While we are here, another thing that is very important is that you take the time to read all the T&Cs before you accept a bonus. By reading the T&Cs, you will find out important information regarding wagering requirements, the number of days you have to complete said wagering requirements, whether there are deposit payment method restrictions, and what the min and max limits are when it comes to making a deposit. Read the terms closely as this significantly reduce the risk of you making an error that will see you forfeit your bonus.

Popular Horse Racing Betting Markets for the Scottish Grand National

Above we have provided you with a plethora of useful betting tips and some quality bonus offers from bookies, and now we are going to take the time to have a look at popular betting markets for the Scottish Grand National.

Win bet: This really is the simplest bet you can make since your main aim is to choose a horse that will go on to win, If the horse that you bet on finishes in a position that is not first, you lose your stake. It does not get much simpler than that.

Forecast bet: When you are forecast betting, you choose two horses and then pick a position for them to finish in – first or second. Then, the two horses that you chose must finish the race in the order you selected. So, the horse you chose to come first has to finish first and the horse you chose to come second has to finish second. This is not a simple bet to get right, and this will be reflected in the odds being offered.

Reverse forecast bet: This is more or less the same as the above bet, with the main difference being that a reverse forecast bet does not require you to get the final positions spot on. You only have to pick two horses that are running and hope that they finish in the top two. Since this wager is not as difficult as the aforementioned forecast bet, the odds will not be as attractive.

Tricast bet: If you believe that Lady Luck is on your side, then you should think about placing a tricast bet. With this type of wager, you pick three horses and a position (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) for them to finish in. To win your wager, the horses that you choose have to finish the race in the exact positions that you chose. Due to the extreme difficulty of this bet, the odds will always be very attractive.

Each way bet: With each way bets, you are practically placing two bets at once. The first wager is that the horse you choose will go on to win, while the second wager is that the horse will place. When we say place, we mean that it can come second or third, although you will come across some bookmakers that have fourth and fifth included in their places. The odds that you will be given for a place are usually a fifth of the odds you were given for winning. A good way to look at this type of bet is as insurance.

Where to Find the Best Scottish Grand National Odds

The Grand National is another opportunity for punters to take advantage of the best odds available at online sportsbooks. The event will see the fastest galloping horses tutored by leading trainers and ridden by some of the world’s most talented jockeys. With the best tips at hand, what is left for players to do, is get the most competitive odds. However, odds change all the time because this is another way that bookmakers try to stay ahead of the game. A bookmaker that offers better odds than their rivals is one that will see plenty of customers open an account with them. A sportsbook that has some of the lowest odds around will not get many new customers and will find themselves going out of business pretty soon.

You should sign up with bookies that provide very competitive odds as this is how you ensure that you will always get the best value for your money. For instance, let us pretend that the Scottish Grand National is coming up and you want to place a bet on it.

You take a look at the horses that are competing and find one that you like the look of. You check out the odds that some bookies are offering for this horse to win and see that Bookmaker A are giving odds of 7.00, while Bookmaker B are giving odds of 7.50. If you place a £10 bet with Bookmaker A, you will make a profit of £60, while if you place a £10 bet with Bookmaker B the profit will be £65. You might not think a loss of £5 is much, but imagine if you lose £5 on every winning bet you make – it will soon add up.

So, what bookmakers do we recommend when it comes to Scottish Grand National odds? Well, the following three bookies are known for always having quality horse racing odds.

William Hill is among the top bookies for your bets on the Scottish Grand National. The brand started up many decades ago, making it one of the oldest online gambling establishments in the world. To bet on horse racing and over 30 other sports on this site, the first thing to do is create a gambling account. This opens the way to numerous bonuses and promotional offers from the moment a minimum deposit of £10 is made.

Navigation at William Hill is quite simple through its all-white and blue interface. The list of sports can be found on the left side of the screen and a search button enables you to find options rapidly. By clicking on horse racing, you can uncover the different ongoing and future events such as the National Hunt, Grand National, Royal Ascot and English Classic. Wagering can be done before the start of each race or at any moment before the game gets to an end using the in-play feature. The most popular markets to bet on here include the race winner, place, and match bets. To help you make the best of your gambling, William Hill offers enhanced and flash odds, bet boosts, and extra places on races.

BoyleSports is another veteran in the online gambling industry though not as old as the two sites discussed above. From a single-shop brand, BoyleSports has grown to host betting for over 30 sports including Rugby, American Football, Tennis, Golf, and of course horse racing. To start betting at this bookie, players must be 18+ and must be ready to provide relevant info including their name, address, and banking details for the creation of an account. This generally leads to a generous welcome bonus of £50 after a bet of £10 is placed.

From the Grand National to the Derby, BoyleSports has just what it takes to provide punters with the best racing markets all year round. Not only does the site offer competitive horse racing odds but also, it continuously provides updates on racing predictions and tips. For every horse racing event, daily markets are presented on all major single meetings with constantly updated odds until the race begins. Aside from live races, punters can also bet on virtual races. The most common market is the winning horse while other popular ones include the each-way, and horse to finish first. To spice up your moment of entertainment at BoyleSports, you can claim one of its promotions which includes Acca rewards and boosting your winnings up to 100%.

Ladbrokes is among the top bookies for your bets on horse races both in and out of the UK. The brand started up over a century ago as a land-based shop, making it one of the oldest gambling names in the world. To bet on horse racing and over 35 other sports on this site, the first thing to do is create a gambling account. This opens the way to numerous bonuses and promotional offers from the moment a minimum deposit of £5 is made.

This bookie has a user-friendly website that works swiftly on desktops, PCs, and mobile devices. Unlike most sportsbooks that solely focus on sports betting, Ladbrokes Sports brings rare betting options like fishing, TV shows, and politics. Under horse racing, events can be found for ongoing and future races. For each race, the site brings many markets including the winner, double, and treble bet. Ladbrokes also offers very competitive odds for horses that finish specifically in the first two places, be it a straight forecast or a dual or reverse forecast. You can also place each-way bets which have two components: a win and a place. In addition, there’s an option for ante-bets which means wagering is enabled weeks before the opening day of the competition.

Scottish Grand National Live Betting

When bookmakers made the transition to online back in the 90s, sports betting fans were not able to place live bets. For those who are new to the sports betting world, when we say live bet, we mean a bet that is placed when the event you are betting on has already started.

However, the 90s were a long time ago and a lot has happened since then, including a huge improvement in technology. As a result, you will not find a bookmaker nowadays that does not provide live betting options to their customers.

Sportsbooks know that punters love to place live bets, and that a bookmaker with no live betting platform is one that will not last in such a competitive industry. However, while most bookmakers offer a live platform, they are not all the same quality.

• At Ladbrokes, it is understood that most people are busy bees, which means it may not always be possible to place a bet before a horse race starts. The site is committed to bringing the best betting experience through its live betting feature to enable you to wager at any time after the start and before the end of a race. The in-play option can be sometimes more competitive than pre-race bets as it depends on observations made during the game. Another added advantage to this at Ladbrokes is the possibility to watch live races from your mobile device. This can help guide you on which live bets can pull through based on factors such as actual weather and horse form. Once you log into your account, click on the Watch Live option from the In-play button to access live-streamed races on your PC or mobile device.
• Just like the above site, William Hill makes it possible to place bets on the Scottish Grand National through its live betting feature. By clicking on the in-play tab from the homepage, the interface takes you to all races you can place live bets on. There’s also the WH radio service that lets you listen to live commentators while the free horse racing TV brings broadcast events online. As you watch the game unfold, stats are updated to help you compare the performance of each horse from one round to another. While this can be a good way to grab the best odds, note that the action here is fast-paced, meaning before you have the time to react the odds may change considerably.

If you love to place live bets on horse races such as the Scottish Grand National, then we recommend the following free bet bonuses:

• William Hill Sign Up Offer
• 888Sport Offer
• Betfred Sports Offer
• Ladbrokes Sports Offer

In this guide, we have given you more than enough useful information to help you have a fantastic Scotland Grand National betting session. Remember to do your research on trainers, horses, and jockeys, to know their form and always check if your favourite horse has raced on the event’s course before. With all that has been discussed, the rest is now up to you, good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions about Betting on the Scottish Grand National