Your time, your pace, your adventure
Jogging round a Permanent Orienteering Course (POC) is the perfect way to get active, enjoying the scenery and green spaces with your family, or a chance to get outdoors for a competitive challenge! The combination of physical and mental exercise often in stunning locations is like no other, as you can find, navigate and complete courses at any time, at your own pace. A Permanent Orienteering Course is a set of posts (
controls) spread around a woodland or a park, together with a map showing where they all are. Posts are usually on obvious features such as path junctions and fence corners. Your challenge is to discover these controls, following a route drawn on the map. Each post or control will have a number and a unique letter on it. Controls should be visited in the order shown on the map. Match the control code with that shown on your map, and note down the the matching letter as proof you’ve been there. Navigation around a course is a great fun - you can run, jog or walk between controls from the start to the finish. Courses are graded from easier and shorter (Yellow) to longer and more challenging (Light Green).
Moravian Orienteering Club have Permanent Orienteering Courses at two locations: Quarry Wood, Elgin, supported by Forestry & Land Scotland, and Brodie Castle, west of Forres, supported by the National Trust for Scotland.
The equipment you need: a map with your course marked on it. You can download to view on screen or, if you prefer, print off the map(s) from either the web links below for each course or from the British Orienteering website (www.goorienteering.org.uk/), where you will find more information about permanent courses in the local area; a pen or pencil; a compass is optional but recommended. Do you have one on your mobile phone? Suitable clothing for the day, and maybe something to drink.
Quarry Wood Permanent Courses
These permanent orienteering courses have been set up as a partnership arrangement between Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) and Moravian Orienteering Club to give people new to orienteering an opportunity to try out the sport in Quarry Wood, Elgin. The easier courses (Yellow and Orange) are designed for people of a wide range of ages and abilities. Routes take in forest tracks and footpaths, which can be uneven in places. These courses are suitable for individuals, families and groups, including those in schools and colleges. The Light Green course provides an opportunity for people who are familiar with the sport to train, coach others and progress. If you are new to orienteering, try the Yellow course, and then move up to the Orange and then Light Green to enjoy more of a challenge. All courses start and finish at the entrance to Quarry Wood just east of the gate at Leggat Car Park IV30 8XT (NGR NJ174634, What3Words w3w.co/backtrack.poker.sending). Please note this is a fee paying car park, using the RingGo App once downloaded to your mobile phone. The distances shown for each course represents the straight line distance between the controls. The route people actually follow will often be longer!
Easy - Yellow Course (2.5 km)
Moderate - Orange Course (3.2 km)
Harder - Light Green Course (4.2 km)
All controls - use this map if you want to plan your own route
Control codes - note down the unique letter at each control and check against the control code list to see if you have visited each control.
Safety
- Some of the paths may be muddy and slippery; take care.
- Quarry Wood is not flat; be prepared for some steeper areas, shown by contours on the map.
- Watch out for mountain cyclists on the tracks and paths in the woods.
- The Yellow, Orange and Light Green courses stay entirely within the bounds of Quarry Wood.
- Do not enter the fenced off quarry areas, as there are steep quarry faces.
- If out on your own, let someone know your plans.
- Group leaders may advise that young people go out in pairs and that a whistle is carried, which may be used in the event of an accident or incident.
- In an emergency call 999 or 112.
- Whilst risks related to orienteering in Quarry Wood are very limited, you need to take responsibility for your own safety and well-being.
If you have any comments about using this course, or if you find any of the controls damaged or missing, please email: club@mor.scot
Brodie Castle Permanent courses
The Permanent Orienteering Courses at Brodie Castle and Estate (National Trust for Scotland) are series of marker posts spread around the Estate, shown on a map available from the Welcome Centre or available to download. Posts are usually on obvious features such as path junctions and fence corners. Your challenge is to find these controls, following a route drawn on the map. Each post will have a number and a unique letter and number on it. Posts should be visited in the order shown on the map. Match the post code with that shown on your map, and note down the matching number as proof you’ve been there. Navigation around a course is a great fun - you can run or walk between posts from the start to the finish.
Two courses are available:
Short - Castle and Gardens (1.0 km)
Longer - Avenue and Pond (2.3 km)
The start and finish for both courses is close to the Welcome Centre, where maps can be obtained. Opening hours for the Welcome centre can be seen here. The Estate is open when the Welcome Centre is closed, in which case you will need to download the map and view on screen or print out. Control codes - note down the unique letter at each control and check against the control code list to see if you have visited each control.
The equipment you need: a map with your course marked on it, available from the Welcome Centre or downloaded. A pen or pencil; a compass is optional - you could download one on your mobile phone. And of course suitable clothing for the weather on the day!
Safety: Some of the paths may be uneven, muddy and slippery; take care. If you are following the longer ‘Avenue and Pond’ course, take care crossing the road at the end of the avenue.
These permanent orienteering courses have been set up as a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and Moravian Orienteering Club to give people new to orienteering an opportunity to try out the sport. The two courses are designed for people of a wide range of ages and abilities. Routes take in the castle gardens as well as woodland tracks and paths. These courses are suitable for individuals, families and small groups. The shorter course is more suitable for buggies - the paths on the longer course are more uneven. The distances shown for each course represents the straight-line distance between the controls. The route people actually follow will often be longer!
If you have any comments about using this course, or if you find any of the controls damaged or missing, please email: club@mor.scot or inform the staff at the Welcome Centre.
Go Orienteering
If you are visiting other parts of Scotland or elsewhere in the UK on holiday, you can check out the location of other Permanent Courses by visiting the British Orienteering ‘Go Orienteering’ webpage, where you can find maps and information about courses in your area.