Orienteering
Orienteering is a map-based adventure sport that involves navigating around a course of control points in an outdoors setting. The control points are marked on an orienteering map and the challenge is to use the map to decide the best route to complete the course, either simply for enjoyment or, if you like a bit of competition, in the quickest time. You can run, jog or walk as you like – orienteering is for everyone who enjoys being outside!
Braidburn Valley Park has a permanent orienteering course with 21 control points around the park. The orange and white control point plaques are mounted on low wooden posts (see image). The control points have a number at the top left-hand side and two letters at the bottom right.
The courses start near the main entrance to the Park at its north end, just off Greenbank Crescent. The park involves familiar terrain with few challenges (just watch out for slippery mud on the slopes if wet) so is a great place try out orienteering and highly suitable for school or youth groups and families.
Braidburn Valley Park – Orienteering Maps
Courses are available of varying lengths and navigational challenge. There are three shorter courses of around 1km and three longer ones of around 1.8km.
To download course maps, visit
https://interlopers.org.uk/go-orienteering/permanent-areas-2/permanent-areas,
or access the Braidburn Valley courses page directly via
https://interlopers.org.uk/index.php?page=braidburn-valley-park.
You can also access these using the Maprun smartphone orienteering app, which enables you to orienteer using your phone. The app will show you the course map and uses GPS technology to confirm you’ve reached the correct control (visible on the ground with the marker post too, for Permanent Orienteering Courses), as well as give you a time that you can compare with other people who’ve done the course. More information on smartphone orienteering visit
https://www.scottish-orienteering.org/get-involved/pocs/
Information on orienteering map symbols can be found here:
https://www.maprunner.co.uk/resources/Maprunner-map-symbols-2017.jpg
Want to find out more about Orienteering?
There are Permanent Orienteering Courses and Mapruns all over the country, including others in Edinburgh (e.g., Craigmillar Castle Park) as well as in West Lothian around Livingston (e.g., Dechmont Law and Almond Park). You can download maps from local club websites, or the British Orienteering Portal at https://www.goorienteering.org.uk/permanent-orienteering-courses
To find out more about orienteering contact Interlopers, or another local club in the area. The Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club (https://www.esoc.org.uk/) is also Edinburgh-based, and East Lothian Orienteers (https://www.elo.org.uk/), Kingdom of Fife Orienteers (www.kfo.org.uk) and Forth Valley Orienteers (https://fvo.org.uk/) are also active nearby too.
More information can also be obtained from Scottish Orienteering, https://www.scottish-orienteering.org/get-involved/what-is-orienteering/.