Covenanters Wood

ESOC local event in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Sat 09th Sep 2017

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

Results

Organiser’s Comments

Today was the day that the ESOC Juniors took over and ran the show. Well done - what a fantastic event you put on.  It made the task of organising easy to have so many happy smiling volunteers undertaking all the jobs – from registration and map sales, to running the start and directing people at the finish and assisting with the computing. We even had a junior planner – well done to Ben for some super courses which made the best of a small area.  The rain threatened a few times but never came to anything – so it really was a perfect day to go the woods.  After the orienteering, juniors were also spotted den building and playing on the rope swing over the burn – only a few people went home soaked! Apologies as there were a few gremlins in the computing but these have all been sorted now. We hope you enjoyed the event.

Planner’s Comments

I hope you enjoyed the courses as this was my first time of planning an event. In some ways it was a help that it was an area I know well but that also made it difficult to view the woods from other people’s perspective – using the map rather than local knowledge. I decided early on that the only way to get a green course which didn’t look like a spider’s web of crossing lines was to have butterfly loops from a central point.  I hope you liked visiting the tree from different directions. It is hard to assess how it went, but well no one died,  so that was a positive and everyone returned safely. I would like to look at route choice on the courses so I would appreciate if you would put your route on routegadget.

Club President, Ewart writes:  Immense thanks to all the ESOKids who helped at Covenanters Wood today.  You were professional in all tasks and were very welcoming and helpful to the competitors.
Thanks too to Judy for masterminding everything and to Ben for his work in course planning.

Apologies for the issues with the results at download. Everything has been sorted and the results below are correct.

These are the simple results

These are the winsplits 

This is the link to routegadget

There's a few more photos on our Facebook page.

General Information

This area 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. An updated map is attached 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: NT225686
• 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 is 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 electronically, print off and bring with you to the event. This will save a lot of time and the typewritten forms are 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.

If you would like to simply print off a pdf version of blank Registration Form complete in ink and bring with you then you are welcome to do so. 

Thank you in advance for helping us by completing the form legibly 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 either a Green course or another type of course suitable 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 1996 or earlier)
British Orienteering members - £4
Non-members - £6

Juniors (born 1997 or later)
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £3

Students
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £3

Family Groups (Adults + children)
British Orienteering members - £4
Non- members - £6

Note: A family group for the above entry fee purposes comprises up to a maximum of 2 adults and up to 3 children. 

Extra adults are £1 each and extra juniors are 50 pence each. 

SportIdent (SI) electronic timing will be used.  If you have your own SI (dibber) please bring it with you. We'll have SIs 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.

PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE INFORMATION: Please note that participants who are not members of an orienteering club automatically have Public Liability insurance cover provided byBritish Orienteering's insurance policy for their first three "taster" sessions. Thereafter, if they wish to continue with this cover, they should become a member of an orienteering club, such as ESOC, which includes membership of British Orienteering and Scottish Orienteering. Details of how to join ESOC are here or pick up an application form at this event. There are many benefits of being a member of an orienteeering club and one of these is lower entry fees at most events.

Contacts / Officials

Email: 

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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