Covenanters Wood

ESOC local event in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Sat 17th Sep 2016

Info updated: 12th Mar
Type of event: Local
Type of terrain: Parkland, Woodland

Results

The results are here. You can see winsplits here.

Organiser's comments

The new map of Covenanters Wood and the lovely sunny afternoon would have given a good event in themselves.   But this was a special one, our Junior ESOC Event.  The enthusiasm and competence displayed by the ESOC Juniors on the Start, on Registration, on Map Sales and Dibber Hire and on Finish & Download, together with the hundred-per-cent back-up from all their families, and the background support of a small core team of regular helpers gave us an event to be proud of.    Well done everyone. 
It was great to see "everyone" coming to enjoy it.  Some local people, some regular orienteers, some first-time families, every age from under two to over eighty; runners, walkers, blackberry-pickers; there was even a burn to play in afterwards.......the Covenanters Wood was a good place to be this afternoon.
 
Janet Clark,  Organiser      0131 225 7771    
 
 

General Information

This is a new area for ESOC local events.  It originally formed part of the greater Dreghorn Barracks map and also a previously used map of the North Pentland Hills which included both the Barracks and Covenanters Wood. A picture which is typical of the area and also an updated map have now been attached to this item so you can get an idea of what to expect.

Dress: Please check the weather forecast on the day and dress appropriately.  This event is in a wood on the edge of the city.

Terrain:  Mainly a wooded area, steep in parts, with a river running through.  There is a good network of paths and a few ditches and streams. 

Other Users: Covenanters Wood is 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: Dogs are allowed but should be kept under close control at all times.

Course Closure Time: Please note that courses have a closure time of 4pm after which controls will start  to be brought in.

Nearby military operations: Covenanters Wood adjoins Dreghorn Barracks and it is very common to hear loud gunshots and other general military operations in this area of Edinburgh.  Dreghorn Barracks is a fully working military operation and there are army and public vehicles entering and leaving at all times.  The entrance to Dreghorn Barracks is close to the start and finish.  There are no military operations in the wood and we don't expect there to be Army personnel around in the wood during the event.  It is however very common for military personnel, in uniform, walking through the wood or in this general area of Edinburgh.  Please advise any juniors of this in advance.  

Location

Nearest town: City of Edinburgh

• Grid Ref:
• Postcode: EH13 9PH
• Latitude: 55.90522
• Longitude: -3.23677
• Google Map (aerial) - Bing Map (OS)

Directions

The entrance to the wood which will be used for this event will be close to the main gate of Dreghorn Barracks, Redford Road, Edinburgh.  The postcode given is for nearby houses in Dreghorn Park.  This is for general area guidance only, please don't turn into or park within Dreghorn Park.  Parking will be on the main road, Redford Road which is wide near the wood. The part of Redford Road closest to the start and finish is near the flashing 30mph sign.  Please take care when entering and exiting your car as the road is busy. 

Although there is no parking restriction there, it would be helpful if you could avoid parking directly outside the Barracks.

It is possible to get to this event by public transport.  Service 16, Lothian Buses, stops very close to the event.  This is a very regular service.  Check Lothian Buses website for more information.  The closest stops are the 2 immediately after the roundabout at Dreghorn Link. The first stop is just before the wood and the second one is just after it.

Registration & Start Times

REGISTRATION: This will be close to both the start and finish.

Registration will be from 1.30pm to 2.30pm for newcomers to orienteering and will run from 1.30pm to 3pm for experienced orienteers.

It is not necessary - or possible – to pre-enter for this event.  Everyone is very welcome, just to turn up.  Whether you are a newcomer or have been to a lot of events, please try to come and start early if you think you might take a long time over your course.

Registration Form - We know how time consuming, and occasionally frustrating, it can be for our competitors to have to complete the Registration Form outside in the cold and wet of a Scottish Saturday afternoon so we have produced an ESOC REGISTRATION FORM for you to complete and print off and bring with you to the event. This will save a lot of time and the forms easier to read!!  Apologies to those experienced Saturday attendees who feel they don't need the sample at the top of the page but it will be very helpful to our newcomers and properly completed, legible registration forms are a huge help to those manning our computers during and after the event.

Thank you in advance for helping us by completing the form and bringing it with you.

If you would like a little more advance information about the registration process at a local event why not read our QUICK GUIDE TO REGISTRATION?

NOTE: Current members of an orienteering club who have their own registered SI-Card can continue to come to Registration and go through the speedy entry system.  If in any doubt whether this applies to you then you could read the quick guide as above for more information about the registration process.

START AND FINISH: These will both be close to Registration. Start times will be from 1.30pm to 3pm.

COURSE CLOSURE TIME: 4pm.  Controls will start to be brought in from this time.  Please make sure you arrive in plenty of time to register, get to the start and complete your course before controls begin to be brought in.

Course Information

As usual for ESOC local events there will be White, Yellow and Orange courses for beginners and improvers. In addition, there will be a Green course for experienced orienteers.   

Explanation of colour courses

• White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
• Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
• Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
• Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
• Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
• Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
• Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
• Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.

Entry Details

Seniors (born 1995 or earlier)
British Orienteering members - £3
Non-members - £5

Juniors (born 1996 or later)
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £2.50

Students
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £2.50

Groups (Adults + children)
British Orienteering members - £4
Non- members - £5

SportIdent (SI) electronic timing will be used.  If you have your own SI-Card (dibber) please bring it with you. We'll have SI-Cards for hire free of charge but there is a £30 charge 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.

Contacts / Officials

Phone Janet on 0131 225 7771

Safety and Risk

A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.

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Image Gallery

Click the image for a larger version.

Bonaly Burn from the bridge at the NE edge of Covenanters Wood