Corstorphine HillSun 22 Nov

The event will be based in the car park at the GTC, 96 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh EH12 6UT, including  Registration, download and bag drop,
Please note that there is no parking here for competitors.

There are plenty of options for getting there. Please use public transport or share cars if at all possible.

By Car: Please park in the residential streets in the general area of Corstorphine Hill (near Clermiston Road). Please do be considerate to local residents when parking. Please also be aware that you are likely to be parking in a very public place so if changing in your car please be sensitive to this. There is no competitor parking at the GTC (see Registration item below).

Edinburgh based orienteers are welcome to join the newly expanded ESOC car sharing WhatsApp group. Please contact email hidden; JavaScript is required for the joining link.

By Bus: Check the  Lothian Buses website to plan your journey. Many buses run along Corstorphine  Road eg 12, 26, 31, and Stagecoach buses 900, AIRX, X38 (Balgreen Road/Beechmount stop).

By Tram: The Balgreen stop is a 20 minute walk from Registration

By Bike: A variety of quiet cycle route maps throughout the city are available on the Edinburgh City Council Quiet Routes web pages. It will be possible to lock your bike close by Registration while you run. There will be a bag drop tent at Registration.

Terrain: Corstorphine Hill has plenty of contour features (as the name suggests), with detail in places. Some steeper slopes are often very slippery, whether muddy or icy, so shoes with studs or spikes are strongly recommended. The terrain is mainly forest, with some open areas. There are many crags and boulders, with only the larger ones mapped. There are many paths, and some smaller and less distinct ones are not mapped. Much of the undergrowth shown by screens on the map has now completely died down in winter, although some mapping indicates brambles that are still unpleasant (particularly in open areas).

Map: 1:5000 with 5 m contours. Peel Land Surveys 2019, extensively updated by Vicente Lopez 2023 and used for SoSOL in November 2023. A few minor revisions 2025. The dark green dashed line symbol is used to show the boundaries of patches of pine/fir trees in the forest.

The map will be printed on waterproof paper, the control descriptions will be printed on the map and there will be loose control descriptions at the Start. The map scale will likely be 1:5000 but the scale and size will be confirmed in the final details.

General safety - please also read the course specific safety notes

• Other Users: Corstorphine Hill is very well used by the general public, including dog walkers, runners and bikers. Please respect their right to be there at the same time as you are orienteering.
• Dogs: Competitor’s dogs are allowed and should be kept under very close control at all times.
• SAFETY NOTE RE DOGS: Please give any dog walkers you encounter whilst running on your course extra space ie don’t run too close, especially if their dog/dogs are off lead. This applies to all competitors, not just those running with a dog. We always need to respect other people's right to be there.
• Weather: Please check the weather forecast on the day and dress appropriately. This event is on the edge of the city, but the weather is unpredictable in January and could be very cold, windy and wet. We recommend full leg cover for all competitors.
• Although the long range forecast means there should be no ice, it will be muddy and slippery especially on the wetland boardwalk.
• Course Closure Time: All courses have a closure time of 3pm after which controls will start to be brought in (before it gets dark. All competitors should be back at Download by 3pm.
• You must report to Download even if you do not complete your course, so we know you are back safely, and we don’t have to mount a search for you.

Usual courses for a SoSOL ie Brown, Blue, Green, Short Green, Light Green, Orange, Yellow and White as per the guidelines here

Read more about Course lengths and Difficulty here

Pre-Entry via Racesignup is required for this event. Entries will open on Saturday 1st February and will close at 8pm on Friday 14th February. To be guaranteed a map of your chosen course you MUST however pre-enter by 8pm on Monday 10th February.

Late pre-entries - late entries may be available after 8pm on Friday 14th if there are maps remaining by emailing email hidden; JavaScript is required

Entry on the day (EOD) - will be accepted at registration (10.30am – 12:45pm) on the day of the event assuming maps are still available. Payment by cash, bank transfer or card.

The RaceSignUp page will display the number of maps available (as an entry limit) on each course from Tuesday 11th

START TIMES: Starts will run from 11am to 1pm. Please choose an early start time (if you think you might take a long time out on your course. You must be back at Download by 3pm when courses close.

1. Entrants can select a 15 min start block from the range available at the time of making the entry on Race Sign Up

2. Please arrive at the Start in time to start within your chosen time block. It is not however necessary for everyone to be there at the beginning of their chosen block.

3. Juniors may be shadowed, please make this clear in the comments field on the entry form

You can view an entry list for all competitors and their chosen start blocks on RaceSignUp (scroll down to Start List section).

Entry Fees: (TBC)

SportIdent (SI) electronic timing will be used with the course controls SIAC enabled. Start and Finish units must be punched normally

SI card hire can be requested via the entry form,

- Free standard SI card hire but there will be a £30.00 charge if lost.
- Hire of SIAC (touch-free) cards is £2.50 and a charge of £60 will be made if lost.

If you would like to buy your own SI-Card then a variety are available directly from SportIdent UK. The choice may be confusing, and it may help you to know that the SI-Cards which ESOC hires out are very similar to the most basic model shown on the linked page - the SI-Card 8.

REGISTRATION: Registration and Download  will be open from 10.30am until 12.45pm. [TBC]

Start times:

Starts will run from 11am-1pm with course closure at 3pm. You should be back at Download by 3pm as controls will start to be brought in by 3pm so if you think you'll take a long time to complete your course please enter early so you can choose an early start time.(see Entry section for more details).

We plan to have one toilet cubicle close to Registration, plus there are numerous options for calling in at a supermarket or shopping centre on your way to the event.

'Informal toileting' is discouraged as this is a busy area for the public.