Saturday saw the conclusion of this year’s World Orienteering Championships.  The first World Championships since the sprint events had been separated off, it took place in southern Norway near the border with Sweden.

There’s less than one week to enter the 2019 Scottish Orienteering Score Championships, as entries will close on Monday 26 August, less than a week before the Sunday 1 September event.

Sportscotland has launched its annual Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards and Scottish Orienteering is encouraging all clubs and individuals to nominate any outstanding people within our sport who should be recognised for their efforts.

The days, weeks and months of training are complete; maps have been poured over and endless potential courses analysed, but now there is little more the athletes from all over the world can do to prepare for the World Orienteering Championships which start in Sarpsburg, Norway on Tuesday 13 August.

School children across the Strathearn region have been inspired to get involved in orienteering and take part in their first mainstream event, thanks to the Strathearn Schools Project and the Scottish 6 Days.

Grandtully has previously been connected with canoeing the rapids but there was a new type of downhill race with the final day of Strathearn 2019 in close proximity to the river. For yet another day the weather held out and the Middle Distance race was a fantastic finale to what has been a hugely successful Scottish 6 Days.

Craig a Barns was the birthplace of Scottish orienteering and has seen many excellent events since 1962, so was the perfect venue for Day 5 of Strathearn 2019.

The Scottish 6 Days promised a variety of terrain types and a few surprises.  Culteuchar & Dron was very different from the previous few days and offered fast running over closely cropped grassland before descending into the woods.  And what a finish – who would believe 2,500 orienteers would end up in someone’s back garden?

With a day off from the competition of the event, orienteers enjoyed days of Sprint Orienteering, TrailO, and many other attractions across Strathearn and beyond. For others it was a case of setting up for the next few days – expect a surprise with the Day 4 race arena.

Beautiful weather, a stunning race arena and some of the best orienteering terrain in Scotland.  Today’s event near St Fillans had it all, with the added attraction of a World Ranking Event Middle Distance race (and Middle Distance for us all which was a welcome relief after two tough days).