Tag: 2026

The 2026 Annual General Meeting of the SOA will take place online on 14th September at 7pm. The link for the meeting and all information in respect of the AGM can be found in the AGM Booklet below together with the link to the finalised 2025 SOA Accounts.

Got experiences you think are worth sharing, want to meet members from other clubs or find out what others think about the hot topics in a format where chat is not restricted by start times, download queues or volunteering requirements. With a free lunch on offer and a guarantee of home made cake the Club Networking days really are a chance for our members to come have lunch and chat about all things orienteering.

After a summer break we resume our 2026 Community Conversations series. In September, Monday 7th September 7.30pm, we are focussing on Permanent Orienteering Courses and the learnings from clubs which could ensure they have an impact.

It is now just a 6 weeks until the World Masters Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships in Moray. There are 4 days of competition following the registration day on Tuesday 8^th September.

Each year SOA organises a day for club members from across Scotland to come together to share experiences and ideas around developing orienteering. These days are very much for everyone (not just committee members) – if you’re interested in orienteering and supporting your club, then please do come along.

This year we will be running two in-person Club Networking days this year, to widen opportunities for club members across Scotland to participate. 

• Saturday 12th September – Dunblane (Braeport Centre)
• Saturday 19th September – Boat of Garten (Community Hall)

Anyone is very welcome to attend either one (or both!)

SOA Safety Director, Tim O’Donoghue, reflects on managing risks during urban orienteering, and suggests some steps for individual orienteers and clubs to take, to reduce risks from collisions.

Urban events in a variety of formats have become an established part of orienteering over the last 15 or so years, to the extent that in alternate years the World Championships focus on sprint style events, normally in an urban environment.  The level of technical difficulty is frequently lower than in traditional orienteering terrain and the emphasis is on speed – speed of decision making and running speed.

In February, SOA awarded development funding to Roxburgh Reivers to support an innovative club development project.

The project stood out as an excellent example of how relatively small amounts of targeted funding can help clubs address local challenges, trial new ideas and create long-term benefits for their members and communities.

We wanted to highlight the project, not only to showcase the work of Roxburgh Reivers, but also to encourage other clubs to think about how they could adapt similar ideas in their own areas.

The SOA Development Fund will reopen for applications in September, and we are encouraging all clubs to begin thinking about potential projects and proposals ahead of time.

This year’s focus is clear: we want to support initiatives that help grow and expand our sport amongst adults aged 20-40.

The Scottish Orienteering Association is seeking a Senior Development Officer to join our SOA staff team. Are you passionate about orienteering and want to play a role in developing the sport? We are offering an opportunity to join our enthusiastic team and the opportunity to play a role in making a real difference to the sport and our clubs in Scotland.

Scottish Orienteering is excited to introduce a brand‑new Junior Volunteer Awards Scheme, created to recognise and encourage juniors who are taking their first steps into volunteering. Juniors will be able to collect points and earn prizes for their volunteering in four different categories; planning, organising coaching and IT/results/timing. These awards are not about being the best at a role — they are about having a go and learning!