The Scottish Inter Club Championships which is held over twelve geographically distributed events over the course of the year allows clubs to compete against each other to see who can gain the most points from their club members performances at events. The Scottish Inter Club Championship consists of two sections, large and small clubs, based on the number of members a club has and these are then split into Senior and Junior sections so there are four awards at the end of the year with two Trophies on offer for the Senior sections and a variety of sweeter prizes for the Junior sections.

In 2025 there were events ranging from the Edinburgh University Orienteering Club (EUOC) Big Weekend in January through to the last event in November in Glasgow, The Tinto Twin Day Race hosted by St Andrew’s (Glasgow) Orienteering Club (STAG). Full details of all the events can be found on the Scottish Inter Club Championships Page.

Each year, as part of the Junior Inter Area Weekend, we hold a dedicated Junior Feedback Session, where our junior members have the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. This session is an important part of the weekend and is part of why we encourage everyone to come together at the overnight accommodation.

Each year a Junior Inter Area event is held over one weekend, generally in October. The event consists of a relay event followed by an individual event with juniors from the three Scottish orienteering areas – East, North and West – coming together to compete as a team representing their area. The Saturday night offers the opportunity for juniors to all stay in a youth hostel or other accommodation, socialise, renew old acquaintances and meet new ones from outwith their own clubs/areas.

With each area taking turns to host the event, 2025 was the turn of the West area to organise and play host to Scottish juniors. And so the Scottish juniors descended on the Stirling area on the last weekend in October to see whose area would raise the Trophies and claim the sweet treats on offer as prizes!

After my late plea we have had a couple more nominations who deserve a mention.

Scarlett Kelly – FVO

Scarlett is one of our key volunteers, across a range of activities.

Event planning: Scarlett has planned three top level events for us in the last 12 months, at night, in a Sprint and at the Club Championships. Her attention to detail and preparation are second to none, as she planned, scoped, revised and replanned course legs at Kippendavie to ensure the best possible experience for more than 200 competitors. The event was also used as the 2024 Scottish Student Championship, and Scarlett won wide praise from her age-peers for the quality of her event.

Coaching: As a member of the GB junior team, Scarlett has a considerable personal training workload, but, having come out of our Junior Stars programme herself, she takes a strong view that it’s the duty of elite athletes to put something back into the sport. She’s one of our principal assistant coaches in the Orange training group, and regularly shadows and mentors other youngsters in training, having already taken her first step on the coaching ladder with a formal qualification.

Mapping: There are very few junior mappers in the UK, and, as far as I can see, no junior women who make maps. Scarlett, during a training run, spotted the potential of Tullibody village as a potential Sprint area and surveyed the area for mapping, producing work of a very high standard. She already has a second map in the pipeline.

Being a role-model: Scarlett is at all times a positive role model for other young orienteers, both in the level of her training and in her application to racing. She can be trusted to do her very best, regardless of the physicality of the terrain (the rougher and greener the better) or the weather conditions. Scarlett was involved in the medal presentations at the World Championships in 2024, and she reprised this role this weekend as she handed over medals at the Scottish Score Championship, in her role as the “invited VIP”.

Emily Atkinson – ELO

Emily has had run for Scotland and Great Britain. She finished first at the JEC sprint and top placed GBR relay team. She regularly helps at club events with Download, start and collecting controls. She helps newcomers at events, describing what to do and is always fully involved in all aspects of club events. She has planned several events for the club including the Scottish Urban League 2 in February 2025. Test ran the courses ahead of SOL 3 which was on a brand new area for orienteering. Sorry Emily we don’t have a photo of you.

Well done to everyone nominated for phenomenal contributions to the sport through out the year. The winner is being decided and the presentation will be made at the JIAs today.

Last month we announced we were excited to be able to offer two exciting opportunities to work with us as Scottish 6 Days Assistant Co-ordinator or as the coordinator for the Scottish Elite and Development Squad (SEDS).

We are calling on all those who may be interested to forward to us their CV and a covering letter by close of play 31st October.

Full details of the positions being offered can be found via the following links:-

SEDS position further details

Scottish 6 Day Job Opportunity

Forth Valley Orienteers brought the Scottish Orienteering Championship season to a close in the shadow of the Falkirk Wheel with the Scottish Score Orienteering Championships. Unfortunately autumnal weather meant there was no sun to cast any shadows but they did get the delights of contrasting the feat of 21st century engineering against the roman history of the Antonine Wall while they got wet! They even got the option to use the Roughcastle Tunnel as a route choice which is 180m long and forms part of the canal tow path.

This year it was the turn of Wales to host the Junior Home Internationals (JHIs) where the four home nations come together to compete for the glory. Having held aloft the Trophy at the Junior Home Internationals hopes were high on the long bus journey down that the double could be achieved like last year where on Jon Musgrave’s last year as Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad coach they raised both the Junior Inter Regional Championship (JIRCs) Trophy and the Junior Home International Trophy.

Scottish Orienteering is excited to launch a brand-new Junior Photo Competition – and we want you to be part of it! This is your chance to showcase the spirit of orienteering through your own lens – whether it’s about fun, adventure, beautiful places – or something else! Read on for what we’re looking for and how to enter – the closing date is 30 November.

The SOA AGM was held online on 22nd September.

Jonathan Molloy of Forth Valley Orienteers was elected as Chair and Andy Kitchin of Interlopers was elected as Performance Director.

This month the Junior European Championship (JEC) took place in Stirling and the Trossachs. Many of you will have seen the many British Orienteering Federation posts but for those of you who didn’t there were some Scottish junior performances and of course our amazing volunteer efforts which deserve to be highlighted. Not only had the volunteers lead by the lead organiser, Jason Inman of Forth Valley Orienteers (FVO) taken on the challenge of hosting JEC with races for spectators but they had also adding the Veteran Home Internationals (VHIs) to the mix.