Balmedie is a challenging but fun area to orienteer in. There is a wide network of paths winding through the dunes and the occasional bit of scrub, old pillboxes or boulder to supplement the innumerable re-entrants and knolls. Intricate and concentration-sapping but oh so satisfying when you nail it!
This event is a Score event. For those unfamiliar with that term it means you don’t have a set course to follow but instead you are given a map with numerous controls scattered throughout the area and you have a set time limit in which to visit as many controls as you can, in any order you wish.
Each control is worth a certain amount of points, as indicated next to the control description on the side of the map, and it pays to take a couple of minutes to look closely and plan a route before dashing off to hoover them up.
Keep an eye on your watch though as points will be deducted for every minute you are late back.
There will also be a Scout Orienteering Competition taking place. Entries for that are being handled separately. Click here for details.
Location
Parking in the north main car park at Balmedie Beach
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Registration is adjacent to parking – look for our banner
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Registration and Times
Registration: 10:30 to 11:45
Starts: 11:00 to 12:15 (no mass start)
Courses Close: 13:30 (i.e. be back at Registration by then so we know everyone’s safely back)
Scout prize giving: about 13:00
Courses
| Score course for Scouts and Juniors/Beginners/Groups | TD3/Orange standard 45 mins time limit Penalty of 10 points/minute |
| Score course for Adults The ‘adult’ course has all the controls so is suitable for anyone from TD3 upwards. | TD3-TD5/Green standard 50 mins time limit Penalty of 20 points/minute |
Map and terrain
1:7,500 and due to the predominantly sand dune terrain the contour lines have been thickened slightly to make them stand out.
Entry
Pre-entries for non-Scouts will be available through Fabian 4 entry system opening 1/6/26 (a direct link to that will be posted here asap.)
Senior £7, Junior £4
There will be limited Entry on the Day from 10:30 – 11:45
Contactless card/phone or cash accepted
Facilities
Toilets in the car park
Cake stall available until 12.00. Fund raising to attend World Scout Jamboree 2027 in Poland. Cold drinks, snacks & home bakes. (Cash only)
Sand Bothy open from 12.00 onwards. Selling ice cream, hot and cold drinks, and snacks to take away.
Officials
Planner: Tim Griffin
Organiser: Adrian Will All offers of help gratefully accepted, click here.
Notices
Safety – A risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
Privacy – when entering our events your name may appear in the results section of this website or in newspaper reports. Grampian Orienteers data privacy policy
Photography – In line with the policies of British Orienteering, the organisers of this event request that any person wishing to take photos or video showing children should register their details with event volunteers before taking any such photos or videos. The event organisers reserve the right to ask people to refrain from taking photos or video and may, if such warnings are ignored, refer the matter to the police.
Health – Full leg and torso cover is required in wooded areas due to ticks.
Insurance – Participants who are not members of either British Orienteering or Scottish Orienteering are not covered by their respective public liability insurance. By entering this event, you acknowledge that you are taking part at your own risk. For example, if you were to accidentally injure a member of the public or damage property during the event, you would not be covered.
GRAMPIAN ORIENTEERS 