- Mighty Thistle ~ 12km – TD5 - Technically & Physically demanding
- Big Thistle ~ 9.5km – TD5 – Same technical level but shorter.
- Medium Thistle ~ 7km – TD5 - As Technical the as the mighty but without the distance
- Small Thistle ~ 4km - TD4 – Slightly easier & shorter, suitable for progressing intermediates
- Baby Thistle ~ 2.5km – TD2/3 - Suitable for beginners
- Seniors - £8
- Students/Juniors - £3
- Electronic punching hire - £1
- £4 per person, per night
Organiser: SEDS
Planners: Doug Tullie & Rebecca Harding
Dates: 23 & 24 August 2014
Event Centre: Abriachan Forest
The Purple Thistle weekend returns once again to the calendar for 2014! This year the event is heading to the banks of Loch Ness and to a beautiful part of the country that will host the World Championships in 2015.
Competitors will get the chance to orienteer on two great Scottish areas, Battan and Abriachan; the former offering typically challenging highland terrain, the latter providing stunning views across Loch Ness and maybe a chance to spot Nessie! The areas are only two miles apart and are fantastic settings for Barebones orienteering!
For those of you who do not know of the barebones concept, it is all about taking the fuss out of event organisation as much as possible while still providing an event of the highest quality, with a great atmosphere and enjoyment for all - including the organisers! So all that is left for you is the things that matter for a quality orienteering experience (maps, courses, controls and electronic punching) and a bunch of likeminded people out to enjoy a weekend away from it all in a beautiful part of the country.
The event will be based at Abriachan Forest (website) on the northern side of Loch Ness and Battan Forest. Abriachan is a mere 4 miles outside Inverness, and only two miles from Drumnadrochit and an array of ‘Nessie’ themed tourist attractions! The Event campsite is between the two orienteering areas, just 2km from both days, so if you choose to stay there you can put your car keys away for the weekend! The Event will also have indoor facilities on Saturday, in the Abriachan ‘Forest Classroom’, and Abriachan Forest has an adventure playground and other outdoor attractions to keep children (and big kids!) entertained. There will be a BBQ social at Abriachan on Saturday evening.
If you are camping then car parking is included in your camping fee, otherwise it will cost £1 per day - another great reason to stay onsite! Camping cost is £4 pppn and will be based at Craggan Vallie farm with thanks to Andrew McMillan. Facilities will be toilets and running water. On Saturday there are toilets, adventure playground and indoor facilities at Abriachan. Book your place alongside your entry over on the Oentries website.
The Races 2014
Saturday 23rd August - Abriachan
Planners: Douglas Tullie & Rebecca Harding
A relatively new orienteering area, Abriachan has steeply wooded slopes surrounding a detailed open hilltop which offers stunning views over Loch Ness. Situated on the ‘Great Glen Way’ the forest is managed by the Abriachan Community Trust. The area will offer a great mix of fast running on the open hill and a tough technical challenge on the steep slopes.
Link to a RouteGadget of a previous Abriachan event, with map and courses.
Saturday 24th August - Battan
Planners: TBA
A classic Scottish area! Battan offers a mixture of terrain types and technical challenges; Scandinavian style hill tops with rock detail and marshes alongside more typical Scottish terrain. A great place to finish a weekend of Barebones orienteering!
Link to a RouteGadget of a previous Battan event, with map and courses.
As usual we will probably be providing 5 main courses each day (perhaps with the addition of an all controls score course), with one sure to suit any ability. The following is a rough guide to help you choose, day 2 courses will be approx ~10% shorter than stated:
Entries are available online only via www.oentries.com, closing on August 16th.
Entry fees per day:
Camping fees:
Profits from the event will be going to support the Scottish Elite Development Squad
A BYOB BBQ will take place on Saturday evening at the Abriachan Forest Classroom.
