The Castle Douglas ace was fastest through all five stages, bringing his Subaru Impreza home more than two and a half minutes ahead of Lanarkshire driver, Alick Kerr, also in a Subaru, who posted his best ever SRC result.

Last year's championship runner up Mike Faulkner took the final podium spot a further 20 seconds back in his Mitsubishi Evo 6.

Competitors were faced with a mix of snow, ice and gravel - at times all on the same stage - making tyre choice critical.

There was no holding back Armstrong, however, who was determined to push for the win, having finished third last year - his first attempt at the Snowman in 19 years.

With co-driver Kirsty Riddick, he was 23 seconds up on Kerr after the opening Meall Mor test, and following what many acknowledged to be the most difficult stage of the day, Millbuie, had extended his advantage to more than a minute over last year's winner Reay Mackay, with Kerr a further three seconds adrift.

From the end of SS3 Torr Achilty, there was to be no change to the top three of Armstrong, Kerr and Faulkner.

Said a jubilant Armstrong at the finish ramp in Inverness: "It's been fantastic - we were so close 12 months ago, and I thought there was no reason why we shouldn't go for the win, so it's all gone to plan.

"Compared to last year, the stages were actually more difficult by not having so much snow on them. There was more ice, and you were also going a lot quicker. But all in all, a great day, and it's set us up well for the season ahead - we need to nail the first two or three rounds."

There were mixed fortunes for the Borders competitiors who made the trip north.

Berwick co-driver Christine Sanderson partnered Craig McMiken from Newton Stewart to 11th overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.

Duns driver Dale Robertson, co-driven by Paul McGuire from Tranent finished 15th overall in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 despite problems on the fourth stage. They had been running as high as seventh overall and set the third fastest time on the third test but on stage four they suffered a puncture and had to stop to change the wheel losing around four minutes.

The Duns crew of Gary Pearson and Robbie Mitchell took their Peugeot 205GT1 to 46th overall and third in class while Ross Hunter (St Boswells) and Eildon Hall (Jedburgh) finished 45th overall in their Honda Civic.

The St Boswells crew of Sean and Iain Robson were 54th overall in their Peugeot 205 GTi.

Former Duns driver, Jim Aitken - brother of former world ladies champion Louise Aitken-Walker - was back at the wheel and finished 66th overall and first in class in a Nissan Micra.

The changeable conditions and grip levels - with sheet ice and snow followed by gravel on some high-speed sections - caught many drivers unaware and one crew to fall victim to the conditions were Douglas Brydon and David O'Brien from Duns in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.

After setting the fourth fastest time on stage three the Duns crew were caught out by sheet ice on the flying finish of the fourth stage and they slid off the road and hit a tree forcing their retirement.

The Earlston crew of Warren Fairbairn and Derek Miller also succumbed to the conditions on the same stage in their Mitsubishi Evo 3.

Sarah Hunter (St Bowells) and Gary White (Melrose) were caught out on the second stage rolling their Peugeot 205 GTi.