In these times of lockdown, Scottish Orienteering has taken some significant steps to do things differently. We have taken a step back from the direct delivery of development activities and support of events but not from the essential work to support clubs. You will also have seen our fabulous daily puzzles to keep everyone’s brains active. We remain committed to our purpose and passion, while also safeguarding the future of our organisation and charity to ensure we are able to continue developing and promoting orienteering once the crisis is over.

The Score April issue is out now and available to download on the SOA website. It has been a real pleasure to put this issue together with the help of contributors from across the Scottish orienteering world. We hope you enjoy reading it!

Clubs in central and southern Scotland may be interested to hear that Phase 3 LiDAR data has recently become available.

At this stage in the year we would normally be opening the SOA club development fund for a first round of applications to help support the development of grassroots orienteering.

The SOA Board wishes to express their thanks to club committees and members for their speedy adoption of the suspension of orienteering events and activities and also for the enthusiasm shown in creating and sharing other avenues for keeping some focus on orienteering.

Congratulations to Sheila Reynolds our outgoing SCORE editor who bagged a 2019 CompassSport Newsletter Award with her final edited issues.

It has become inevitable with the ongoing spread of Covid-19 and subsequent Government measures to help control the outbreak, including school closures, that we need to cancel the 2020 edition of the Scottish Schools’ Orienteering Festival.

Information on changes to the planned programme for ScotJOS and selections for the JIRCS, JHIs and next year’s squad is now available on the Junior Squad page

We may not be able to get out orienteering, but we hope to publish a puzzle with an orienteering theme each day.

Hope you enjoy the first puzzle

All puzzles will now be available from the Puzzles and Challenges page of the SOA website at https://www.scottish-orienteering.org/resources/puzzles-and-challenges/

At a press briefing yesterday, following a COBRA meeting, Boris Johnston stated that ‘now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.’