Lauriston Castle
ESOC local event in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Sat 12th Sep 2015
Info updated: 18th Feb
Type of event: Local
Type of terrain: Parkland, Woodland
Results
Today could have been a disaster. The big blue rain areas on the weather charts looked very threatening. It began to rain when we were setting up, and we thought probably nobody would come.
However....... You know the rest of the story. Lots of people trying orienteering for the first time. Lots of fast runners trying to knock seconds off the leading time. Lots of small children with their families. Lots of bigger children bravely going it alone. A large and efficient team of helpers making it all run smoothly; especially at the clearing up stage. Meeting old friends; making new ones. "Sport for all" in a nutshell.
Special thanks to Hugh Duffy for Planning his first event, and to Ewart Scott for expert Controlling.
Our next Saturday event is at Holyrood Park on 10th October. Details on the ESOC website. Please come again!
Janet Clark Organiser 0131 225 7771
General Information
Dress: Please check the weather forecast and dress appropriately. Even though this is a city area, it is close to the Firth of Forth and can be windy. It's a great place for a picnic after your run if the weather is warm.
Terrain: The area is the grounds of Lauriston Castle which is best described as 'parkland'.
Other Users: There will be other people using the castle grounds and some parts of the grounds are out of bounds to orienteers (even though others may be using these areas). Specifically,croquet will be in progress on their pitches, so please be careful not to disturb the players by running too close to the pitches (which are marked OOB on the map).
Dogs: Dogs are now allowed at Lauriston Castle.
Course Closure Time: Please note that courses have a closure time of 4pm after which controls will start to be brought in.
Things to at Lauriston Castle: There could still be brambles in the wild hedges so bring a container 'just in case'. There are also picnic tables near the small car park so if the weather is good this is an ideal opportunity for a late summer picnic after you've finished your orienteering course.
Location
Nearest town: City of Edinburgh
- Grid Ref: NT203758
- Postcode: EH4 5QD
- Latitude: 55.96886
- Longitude: -3.27878
- Google Map (aerial) - Bing Map (OS)
Directions
Head for Cramond Road South. Parking for the Lauriston Castle event will be signed off Cramond Road South. Car park is however likely to be very busy on the day of the event so best to park in surrounding streets; Lauriston Farm Road or Barnton Park, both off Cramond Road South just south of the main entrance to Lauriston Castle. Postcode for the event is EH4 5QD It is possible to come to this event by bus, service 41 is probably the closest. Check Lothian Buses website for more information.
Registration & Start Times
REGISTRATION: This will be from 1.30pm to 2.30pm for newcomers to orienteering (note this change of time for newcomers) and will run from 1.30pm to 3pm for experienced orienteers. Registration will be close to the small car park just inside the main gate. 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.
START AND FINISH will be very close to the small car park just inside the main gate. Start times will be from 1.30pm to 3pm.
COURSE CLOSURE TIME IS 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 gto be brought in.
Course Information
There will be White, Yellow and Orange courses and a course for more experienced orienteers. The course for more experienced orienteers will be a "Spanish Score" course; ie all controls to be found, winner is shortest time. This is an excellent area for those who are new to orienteering (remember to arrive to register by 2.30pm) and a good training area for more 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 1994 or earlier)
British Orienteering members - £3
Non-members - £5
Juniors (born 1995 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 please bring it with you. We'll have SIs for hire free of charge but there is a £30 charge if lost.
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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