Scot MIDDLE CHAMPS FINAL DETAILS

This is a must read if you are coming to the event.

Final Detail Scottish Middle Distance Championships 

Hill of Alyth Saturday April 20th 2024

Venue:

Hill of Alyth 

Nearest town:

Alyth, Perth and Kinross

Parking/Assembly:

Car parking field north of Hill of Alyth after Balwhyme Farm

Newton of Bamff, 

Alyth signed from Bamff Road in Alyth.

NB Approach from the southwest side on the unclassified road. Turning into the parking field is difficult from the other direction. 

All vehicles must be in by 12:30.  No vehicle can leave before 1pm

A donation for the farmer will be collected at the entrance to the field.

Allow 20 minutes to the start from parking.

Please contact the organiser Fran Loots if planning to bring anything larger than a minibus. Email: 

Postcode:

What3Words

PH11 8LD (NB this is for the farm not car parking - do not go there but use it for general direction)

 ///activates.contoured.allies

Grid reference:

NO 2345 5108

Dog rules:

All dogs on leads and under control at all times. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the competition area. There are sheep in adjacent areas.

Start times                      SiEntries - Scottish Middle Distance Champs

Results and prize giving               We aim to have prize giving at 2:30pm.

Mobile signal is limited so we plan to have a screen to view results and also try to get them live here https://www.taysideorienteers.org.uk/latest-results/

Courses close at  3pm 

Facilities

Refreshments in Alyth and nearby golf course B984.

Loyalbank Hotel for a more expensive feeding experience.

There are limited toilet facilities at the event. Limited toilets via a comfort scheme at Cafe in the Square, 7 Market Square, Alyth, Blairgowrie, PH11 8AA 

NB these are not open until 11:30 am and information on other toilet facilities en route are here 

https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/19423/Alyth-Blairgowrie-Coupar-Angus-Kirkmichael-public-toilets

Detailed Directions / Parking

Alyth is off the A926 some 10km east of Blairgowrie in Perthshire.

Parking and assembly is on the north side of the Hill of Alyth W3W /// activates.contoured.allies

Entrance to car parking field, north of Hill of Alyth is after Balwhyme Farm Newton of Bamff, Alyth. Please approach from the southwest.

The entrance into the field is awkward from the east.

Due to small unclassified roads in the area, everyone is requested to approach from Alyth and exit that way too.

Signage will be from Bamff Road in Alyth. NB this is different from the preliminary information.

Heading west from Alyth on Bamff Road, turn right onto an unclassified road just before the Den of Alyth car park, follow this as signed to the parking on the right beyond the farm.

Please also avoid turning up the road to the farm. There is no need to use it at all.

All vehicles must be in by 12:30.  No vehicle can leave before 1pm

Please contact the organiser Fran Loots if planning to bring anything larger than a minibus. Email: 

Details about the area

Hill of Alyth was mapped over 10 years ago but has seldom been used for events. It was updated March 2024 by Stirling Surveys.

It is open ground but there is much impenetrable gorse to make navigation more interesting and challenging. Ways through the gorse have been mapped. These are high quality so if you get stuck in the gorse it is likely you are lost! 

Screening on the map shows areas where the gorse can be passed through.

Only significant patches or clumps of gorse have been mapped.

There is a good path network which has been mapped however deer tracks and illegal quad bike tracks have not as these are seasonal and are hard to seen in the late spring and summer when the grass has grown back.

NB power lines are not shown on the map except for course 8 (Orange M12/W12). 

Registration & Start Times

Start times 12:00 to 1:30pm

Registration will open at 11 am.

Course Information

1.     Men's Open,  M18, M20                   1:10000 Dist 5.8km Climb 200m TD5

2A.  Women Open                                     1:10000 Dist 4.6km Climb 180m TD5

2B.  M Vet(40+),  M16                                1:7500  Dist  4.6km Climb 180m TD5

3.    M Supervet (55+) / W Vet (40+)

       W16,W18,W20                                     1: 7500  Dist 4.6 m Climb 110m TD5

4.   M Ultra-vet(65+)  W Supervet(55+)     1:7500  Dist 3.4km Climb 140m TD5

5.   M Hypervet(75+) W Ultravet(65+)       1:7500  Dist 3.0 km Climb 130mTD5

6.    W Hypervet(75+)                                 1:7500  Dist 2.3km Climb 110m TD5

7.    M14 , W14 (Light Green)                    1:7500  Dist 2.5km Climb 90m TD4

8.   M12, W12 (Orange)                              1:7500  Dist 1.8km  Climb 80m TD3

9.    M10, W10  (Yellow)                             1:7500 Dist 1.6km Climb  80mTD2

10.  White                                                   1:7500 Dist 1.2km Climb 50m TD1

Allow 10 -20 minutes from assembly parking to the start. 

The start is 1km from the car parking field with 30m climb.The exit  is at the south end of the car parking field and follows a track then a rough path. The finish is adjacent to the start. Clothing can be left there at your own risk. There is no organised clothing dump.

Courses close at 3:00pm

As this is a championship event, juniors may be shadowed on junior courses, but must declare themselves as non-competitive. The shadower must run their own course prior to shadowing, or else declare themselves as non-competitive too.

Safety and other matters 

Full leg cover is mandatory. Please ensure you have sturdy footwear suitable for orienteering. Whistles must be carried. Cagoules may be mandatory in the event of poor weather. Currently it is looking fine.

There are some marshes which junior courses avoid. There are some crags but courses have been planned to avoid these. Any obvious barbed wire will be taped. The area has a lot of gorse but you do not need to go through it. 

Ticks which can carry Lyme Disease may be about so check when you return and remove them safely. Information on what to look for and how to remove safely are found here 

The area is crossed by the Cateran Trail and is also popular with mountain bikers - please give way to other users.

Medical forms and other relevant information can be left at registration along with car keys (keys left at your own risk).

First Aid will be adjacent to registration and a small kit located at the finish.

HEALTH - Please do not attend the event if you are unwell and have symptoms that relate to COVID. It is still with us!

Championship information

Scottish Middle Distance Champions will be declared (assuming there are eligible winners) in the following classes:

M10, M12, M14, M16, M18, M20,
M Open, M Vet(40+), M Supervet(55+), M Ultravet(65+), M Hypervet(75+),
W10, W12, W14, W16, W18, W20,
W Open, W Vet(40+), W Supervet(55+), W Ultravet(65+), W Hypervet(75+)

See eligibility info at the Scottish Orienteering website....... event resources

Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd in all the above classes, regardless of whether or not the competitor is eligible to be Scottish Champion. 

The following trophies are available.

Men’s Open (MO) Silver cup
Women’s Open (WO) Silver cup

Prize Giving at 2:30pm

Contacts / Officials

Organiser  Fran Loots    tel:07518958032

Planners Allan Downie and Grant Carstairs   Controller Richard Oxlade (ESOC)

 17th Apr 24   tayo comm

Categorized under: News