Scottish Night Championships weekend 2024Dumfries, 24/25 February
Credit: Crawford Lindsay
Solway Orienteers organised this weekend of orienteering - the 2024 Scottish Night Championships on Saturday, and the second event in this year’s Scottish Orienteering Urban League on Sunday.
The event centre for both events was in the Easterbrook Bistro, at The Crichton estate on the southern edge of Dumfries. This is an 85 acre parkland estate, which was a psychiatric hospital in the 19th century and is now run by a trust, with a hotel and conference centre, various businesses and several different higher education establishments now located in the old hospital buildings (plus some new ones), all set in beautiful grounds featuring many mature trees and gardens.
The Scottish Night Championships took place on Saturday 24 February. The longest courses included some controls in the streets of Troqueer, on the other side of the River Nith, before visiting Castledykes Park and then The Crichton estate. The shorter courses started close to the event centre, beside the Crichton Memorial Church. All courses then looped around the grounds, with fast running across the grass and along paths. The courses were quite long for a night event, as the navigation was fairly straightforward. The weather was fine.
There were 5 Scottish champions from ESOC:
- Megan Brown – W16
- Calum Robertson – M16
- Helen Bridle – WO
- Eleanor Pyrah – WHV
- Ian Pyrah – MHV
Other ESOC results:
- MV (5 competitors) – David McNeish 4th
- MSV (14) – David Robertson 9th
- MUV (17) – Crawford Lindsay 5th, Richard Oxlade 6th, Les Dalgleish 13th, Mark Kassyk 16th
- WUV (8) – Sally Lindsay 3rd, Margaret Dalgleish 6th
The results are available on the Scottish Night Championships results page of the SOLWAY website.
Most stayed on to compete at SOUL 2 the next day, in the Georgetown suburb of Dumfries. There was a half-hour walk to the start and back from the finish, along a ridge with fine views over the surrounding area. (Luckily the weather was good, though there was a cool breeze.) Georgetown is a modern housing estate, with some small connecting paths. The terrain was mostly tarmac, with some grassed areas, which were very soft and muddy.
ESOC results:
- MJ (2 competitors) – Calum Robertson 1st
- WO (7) – Helen Bridle 1st
- MV (6) – David McNeish 5th
- MSV (11) – David Robertson 10th
- MUV (15) – Crawford Lindsay 7th, Les Dalgleish 8th
- WUV (11) – Janice Nisbet 2nd, Margaret Dalgleish 4th, Sally Lindsay 6th
- MHV (4) – Ian Pyrah 2nd
- WHV (3) – Eleanor Pyrah 2nd
Results are on the SOUL 2 results page of the SOLWAY website, and Routegadget is here.
Further details about the 2024 Scottish Orienteering Urban League, including a list of this year's events and a link to the latest league tables, are on the SOUL page of the Scottish Orienteering Association website.
Other entries categorised under: Event Reports