Over the past few years the SOA has organised a Club Networking Day with the aim to provide the opportunity for clubs to come together and exchange ideas.
This year we are responding to feedback and holding two events – one in the north and one in the south – to make the events more accessible:
● Saturday 12th September – Dunblane (Braeport Centre)
● Saturday 19th September – Boat of Garten (Community Hall)
April’s Community Conversation had a theme of marketing and outreach to newcomers. SOA comms & marketing Director, Katherine Ivory, started the session off with an overview of three practical tools that are being used to promote orienteering to wider audiences, leading into discussion about the new SOA leaflet for newcomers.
Communications work never stops, with continuous needs around sharing information and encouraging interest. Given the limited resources for this within the volunteer-driven orienteering community, what can help make things as efficient and effective as possible?
Read More…Congratulations to Morag McLuckie (Moravian Orienteering Club) and Katja Neumann (MAR Orienteering Club) who have both successfully completed the Scottish Certification in Coaching Orienteering (SCCO) Lead Coach qualification. They are the first candidates to successfully complete this new course which is the advanced level of the Scottish Orienteering Coach Education Pathway. Both agree that it was an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience, if a little demanding! We are delighted to have them as part of the Scottish Orienteering team of coaches and look forward to hearing more about their coaching experiences.
This week saw the retiral of our Coaching and Volunteer Officer, Suzanne Robins-Bird who joined SOA, initially on a short term contract, in November 2021. We are very grateful for everything she has accomplished during her tenure including finalising the course content, with the support of the tutors, of the SOA coaching qualifications, aligning the SOA coaching qualifications to the Scottish Coaching Certificates, extending the volunteer education provision and her push to celebrate the efforts of volunteers within our sport. We are very glad that Suzanne will continue as one of the SOA coaching tutors and know that she is looking forward to having the time to get involved with delivery of development work for her club Inverness Orienteering Club (INVOC).
The JK 2026 Sprint event saw the presentation of the 2025 BOF Volunteer of the Year Award to one of our members – Terry O’Brien BEM of St Andrew’s Orienteering Club of Glasgow (STAG). The Volunteer of the Year award recognises an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to supporting the delivery of orienteering activities with passion, energy, and enthusiasm. Well done and thoroughly deserved Terry!
The JK 2026 saw the presentation of the BOF 2025 Mapping Award, with three Scottish club members receiving an award.
Awarded for the best map produced by an amateur mapper for the map he produced of Palacerigg Country Park and Glenhead Wood, Cumbernauld.
Read More…Massive congratulations to the Scottish orienteering community for coming together to host a hugely successful JK over the Easter weekend.
With all the complications of a closed road event in Perth city centre on a bank holiday, followed by the stunning but challenging locations of Rannoch Forest and Tullochroisk on successive days. The many months of preparation by our Planners, Controllers and Organisers were put to the test in the most demanding of circumstances as Storm Dave blew in bringing rain, hail and snow.
Read More…The SOA would like to join with others in sending our deepest condolences to the family of Neil McLean, passed away on 26th March 2026 in Turriff Cottage Hospital. It seems too short a time since his last event at the start of December, just before his illness was diagnosed.
Fifty years ago in 1976 Scotland held the first British World Orienteering Championships in Morayshire. Almost to the day half a century later the first British World Masters Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships is to take place in some of the same beautiful terrain used in 1976. (Mountain Bike Orienteering is referred to by the acronym MTBO). With entries now open and there are other many ways to get involved – keep reading to find out more…
Scottish clubs won four titles, including both Elite races in the 2026 Jan Kjellstrom Relay at Tullochroisk, near Kinloch Rannoch.
It was a big day for the students of Edinburgh University, who hold both Trophies for the first time in their long history at the same time, but not without a serious challenge from fellow-Scots. James Hammond, Charlie Rennie and Euan Tryner captured the big prize for the students, although silver medallists INT (Alistair Masson, Aidan Smith and Luke Fisher) had the quickest times on two of the three legs. EUOC were home in 92.15, with INT a close 2nd (92.49).
Read More…