As the year comes to an end it’s always a good time to take stock, and a lot happened in Scottish Orienteering in 2024. The World Orienteering Championships (WOC) obviously stands out – the event was very visible and the energy and enthusiasm of the hundreds of volunteers who delivered the event smoothly and safely on each day was clear for all to see. Volunteers are usually visible at our events but there’s also a lot of less visible hard work that goes on behind the scenes. It’s just as important for our sport so I’d like to shine some light on it.
At the 2024 interarea weekend, we held a feedback session for our juniors to express their thoughts and opinions on orienteering for juniors in Scotland. They were given 4 topics to discuss: social opportunities, communication (juniors to SOA and SOA to juniors) and prizes. The overarching theme was that orienteering needs to be made more social for juniors by providing more opportunities for them to socialise outwith their clubs.
The 35th Tinto twin event and the 3rd Nox and Dies event held by St Andrew’s Orienteering Club (Glasgow) (STAG) was the final event of the 2024 Scottish Inter Club Championship.
The Scottish Inter Club Championships allows clubs to compete against each other over 12 events through the year. Events area selected to ensure a geographical spread and the event is subdivided into not only senior and junior divisions but also large and small clubs.
This year, the Large clubs senior division was retained by Forth Valley Orienteers (FVO) but it was a close rivalry with Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club (ESOC) who saw their best result at the Tinto Twin event but it was not enough to displace FVO from the top spot. Interlopers Orienteering Club (INT) were lying in third with the northern clubs Inverness Orienteering Club (INVOC) and Moravian Orienteering Club (MOR) having a tussle for 4th and 5th position.
With lots of calls on all our member’s expenditure at this time of year we are grateful to those who have renewed their SOA membership ( 2025 membership opened on 1st November) – either through British Orienteering or direct through SI entries. Did you know that you could give SOA an additional gift this festive period at no cost to yourself if you are a UK taxpayer?
If you are a UK taxpayer and have signed the gift aid form, the UK government will pay an extra 25p for every £1 of your membership fee?
Gift aid is a simple government initiative which allows you to increase the value of your donations at no extra cost to you. HM Revenue and Customs regards membership subscriptions as ‘donations. Therefore, the SOA can claim gift aid on your membership fees.
The Scottish Score Championships hosted by Interlopers Orienteering Club (INT) at Vogrie Country Park outside Edinburgh were the penultimate event of the 2024 Scottish Inter Club Championships. The last event of the 2024 season will be St Andrews Glasgow Orienteering Club (STAG) Tinto Twin Day Race being held on 24th November at Strathclyde Country Park near Motherwell (entries close this Monday -18th November).
The weekend of 9th November saw over 250 orienteers travel to Vogrie Country Park on the south east of Edinburgh for the 2024 Scottish Score Championships. The weather may have remained dull for the event but the area offered a variety of terrain from parkland to the steep sided valleys of the Tyne Water and its tributaries and a disused golf course.
The last weekend in October saw Badenoch and Strathspey Orienteering Club (BASOC) hosting the fifth and last Scottish Orienteering League event of the 2024 season at Alvie near Aviemore. The offering of a area not used recently in the Speyside area meant that over 320 competitors had the opportunity to experience a stunning location in the delightful autumnal colours.
As part of the ‘Increasing Participation’ project overseen by Clyde Gateway at Cuningar Loop Woodland Park in Glasgow, SOA held another set of 3 sessions in the October school holidays that targeted families looking for a fun, free activity for their kids. SOA are involved at the request of Clyde Gateway and SportScotland. SOA was one of four sport governing bodies asked to help Clyde Gateway in their project to increase local engagement with sport and wellbeing. SOA have tried to ensure that any activity undertaken links to the local clubs and we have been grateful over the years for the assistance of STAG (St Andrew’s Orienteering Club Glasgow) volunteers and for the use of the club map, without which these activities would not be possible.
Juniors from all over Scotland headed north for this year’s junior interarea competition that took place on the weekend of 26/27th November. The North, East and West fielded their strongest teams and battled it out over a relay on the Saturday and the individual on the Sunday, with West hoping to retain their title from last year.
The university club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Anyone that has been a part of EUOC past or present is invited to join us to celebrate 60 amazing years of orienteering, friendships and amazing memories. The main celebration is the annual AROS Ball which is being held on Saturday 9th November at Marchmont St Giles’ Parish Church (TBC). There will be ceilidh dancing 8:30-11:30 and food provided (TBC). It is sure to be a night to remember! There is also going to be an informal 2×2 relay earlier in the day in Bonnyrigg.
We know that this is short notice but would be great to see as many people (from as many eras) as possible!
