Newtyle

Event Summary

Welcome to our final local league event of 2025.  This time we will be in Newtyle, a forest we last visited in 2014.  The map has been significantly revised for this event by Jon Hollingdale.  The event date has been brought forward by a day to Saturday 22 November to accommodate a change in the Scottish Orienteering Urban League calendar, which will see the final event and prize giving take place in Newhaven, Edinburgh, on Sunday 23 November.

The area was first mapped in the early 1980s and has been used for many regional and local events, as well as the Scottish Six Days (Moray 2003).  This area is now mostly owned by Forestry and Land Scotland, but in days gone by had been largely hill farms and crofts.  There is evidence of many of these still around in the area, Woodside being the most obvious.  The Dava Way long distance path runs through the area.  

Please note that there will be a £3 fee for vehicle parking, so please have your change ready on entry to the parking field.

Dog Rules:  Strictly on leads in assembly/parking field only, as there are livestock and horses in the fields adjacent to parking and also in the event area.  Sorry, no dogs allowed on courses due to sheep in a field some courses run through.

Local
SI AIR
0930-1100 hours
1000-1130 hours
1330 hours
87409
In Car Park
Online
SiEntries

Directions and Parking

Directions.  Near Rafford by Forres. There will only be one road sign on the Mannachie road from Forres to Rafford.  Use your orienteering skills (or satnav!!) to get the parking at Skene Meadows courtesy of Grant Nicolson. £3 per vehicle fee. Ten minutes walk to Start and five minutes back to assembly from the Finish.  The nearest postcode is IV36 2RR.

Open an interactive map in: 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/RLVFRHnbmz98d5aX9 

https://w3w.co/universes.lines.gourmet 

Assembly.   Assembly and event registration for limited EOD will be in the car parking field.  Please collect yellow course maps from registration before heading to the start.

Facilities.  There are no toilets at the event.  The nearest toilets are at Tesco in Forres or at Grant Park in Forres. 

Start and Finish

Start and Finish.  There will be a single start for all courses, which will be taped from assembly and take approximately 10 minutes to walk.  The route from the finish to assembly will also be taped and take approximately 5 minutes to walk.

At registration

Courses

Six courses on offer:

  • Yellow, 2.2km, 35m climb.
  • Orange, 3.1km, 45m climb..
  • Red, 4.1km, 70m climb..
  • Light Green, 3.2km, 50m climb.
  • Green, 4.4km, 70m climb.
  • Blue, 6.0km, 110m climb.

Map Scale:

  • Blue and Green Course Maps - 1:10000.
  • All other courses: 1:7500.

Terrain

Planner’s Notes 

We are offering six courses at this event, so there is something for everyone! The Newtyle and Phorp area was last used by the Club in February 2014, when we hosted a Regional event. Over the last ten years, there has been significant changes in the forest, so we have asked Jon Hollingdale to update the map for this event.

Recent thinning and extraction has left brashings and many extraction lanes which are not mapped. Bracken is dying down slowly but still is found throughout the area. Blue and Green courses in particular are physically demanding due to brashings and heather. Recent storms brought down some trees which are not mapped.

For clarity, some crags on the Blue course are marked with the single black line symbol (without a tag). On the Blue, Green and Red courses there is a taped route round the edge of a recently re-seeded grass field where sheep are currently grazing. This is marked as a taped route (dashed line) - please keep to the edge of the field and use the two wire fence crossing points marked. Do not climb or open the field gate. The electric fence is not on!

Entry Details

Entries are online via SI Entries only.  

  • Entries at normal prices will close at 23:59 pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025.  Online entries can also be edited/changed/cancelled until this closure, subject to map availability. 
  • Limited Entry on the Day subject to an additional £1 and map availability.  

Entry Fees: 

  • Senior (21 and older) BOF Member - £5.00.
  • Senior SOA-only Member - £6.00.
  • Senior Non-Member - £7.00 
  • Junior (20 and younger) and Student BOF/SOA Members - £3.50 
  • Junior/Student Non-Member - £4.50 

£1 discount if using own SI-Card. 

SiEntries

Final Details

Safety Information

  • Competitors take part in this event at their own risk.
  • Competitors must be aware of, and take care to avoid, other path users on the courses.
  • Competitors are advised that the area has several forest roads which are used by residents to drive to their homes.  Please be aware that there may be vehicles on the major tracks.  
  • Competitors are advised that the area has some steep slopes.  Please be aware of trip hazards, slopes and steps, uneven surfaces, litter and dog fouling, and low branches near control sites. 
  • Newtyle Forest could have ticks which may cause Lyme Disease, if not promptly removed.  Competitors are strongly advised to check themselves afterwards for ticks and remove them ASAP. 
  • Competitors must not climb or touch any machinery or log piles. 
  • First Aid will be available at Assembly.  The nearest A&E hospital – Dr Grays, Elgin.  

Event Officials

David Ritchie
Rob Parkinson
drhoneyhowe@gmail.com
David Ritchie and Rob Parkinson

Ticks and Covid

Ticks

Risk Awareness:   Please be aware that ticks are common across many of the areas we run in and can carry infections such as Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis.  Ticks are active in the UK primarily from March to October, but year-round vigilance is recommended.

Prevention Strategies:   

  • Wearing full leg and abdomen cover in the forest.  
  • Applying insect repellent to exposed skin and clothing.
  • Checking yourself for ticks after your run.  Common areas for ticks include behind the knees, underarms, hairline, and any pressure points.
  • Considering vaccination against TBE, if visiting high-risk areas in Europe or Asia.

Tick Removal and Symptoms:   Consider using a tick removal tool to ensure the tick is removed quickly and completely.   If a tick has attached, it should be removed as soon as possible.

Health Action:  If symptoms develop, such as a rash or flu-like symptoms, individuals should seek medical advice promptly and mention the tick bite, as not all doctors may be familiar with the conditions.

Key Resources:

 

COVID-19 Guidance (Updated March 2025)

If you have symptoms of COVID or have tested positive to COVID, then do not attend the event or activity to help avoid spreading infection.  

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