Balgone SNC
Saturday 1 February 2025
The Loch at Balgone cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Keith Burns - geograph.org.uk/p/2959761
A family-friendly event in the afternoon followed by the Scottish Night Championships in the evening.
Balgone is a relatively new area for orienteering in East Lothian and was professionally mapped for us in 2022 – the Scottish Night courses will be using more distant areas of the estate. It is a wooded area with two lochs and plenty of spectacular landscape features.
We are very grateful to James Grant-Suttie and the Balgone Estate for permission to map and use this beautiful area for orienteering.
Families and beginners are welcome to join us during the day when we will have a range of courses to suit everyone. In the evening there is a novice course which is suitable for newish adults. The other courses are open only to more experienced orienteers.
It is possible for adults to complete a day and night double – the orange course in the afternoon followed by a similar course (novice) at twilight.
Type of event:
A local level event for families in the afternoon and the Scottish Night Championships in the evening for experienced orienteers.
Terrain:
- Daytime courses are limited to the path network around the two lochs.
- Longer courses also venture along the wooded corridor of the John Muir Way and include some steeper terrain along the great escarpment which runs east to west.
- Please observe any out of bounds areas including private gardens of houses in the estate.
Other Users:
The area is used by the general public including horse riders, cyclists and families. Please respect their right to be there at the same time as you are orienteering.
Dogs:
Dogs should be kept on leads as there are ground nesting birds in the area
Catering:
TBC
Toilets:
There will be toilets at registration / download.
Accessibility:
The courses are down a steepish slope from car parking so accessibility for buggies is difficult.
Location
Nearest Town: North Berwick
Grid Ref: NT563824
Nearest Postcode: EH39 5LB
Directions
Parking and assembly will be at Balgone Barns just north of the competition area.
Approach from the west only – this is the Balgone road junction near Carperstane at Grid Ref 556 824. This route will be signed from the crossroads on the B1347 at Grid Ref 549 828.
Drivers should not use the access lane from the north although anyone walking or cycling from North Berwick is welcome to use that route.
There will be a parking charge of £3 per vehicle – this will be charged to the driver in online entries.
Public Transport
The nearest public transport links are at North Berwick and you can walk, run or cycle south along the John Muir Way to Balgone.
Nearest Defibrillator:
Registration
Registration & Start Times
Registration
This will be online in advance. Entry on the Day at Registration near the car park is only available in the afternoon – look for the ELO flag.
If would like advice before going out or if you think you will take over an hour please arrive and start early.
Start and Finish:
Start times are from 3:00 pm till 4:00 pm in the afternoon.
For the Night Champs start times will be allocated between 6:00pm and 7:00pm.
The start is located southwards on a footpath across a field then down a steepish slope.
Finish is located not far from start, and the return to Download is around 600 metres uphill.
White and Yellow maps will be available at the start area.
Courses Close:
The courses will close at 5:00 pm in the afternoon and the night courses will close at 9:00pm. You should aim to start your course with plenty of time to complete it.
If would like advice before going out or if you think you may take a long time please arrive early and aim to start between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
You must report to the Download point, whether you complete the course or not, so that we know you are not lost or injured in the area.
Course Information
Map
The map is printed at 1:7500 with 5m contours.
Timing
SportIdent (SI) electronic timing will be used – we will have SIs for hire free of charge but there is a £30 charge if lost. Units, apart from start and finish, will be set for contactless punching.
Courses
There will be White, Yellow, Orange, Night – Novice, Course 1, Course 2, Course 3, Course 4 and Course 5 courses.
| Course | Length / Ascent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| White | TBC / TBC | For competitive 9-10 year olds and 11-12 year old beginners. Follows paths with a control at each choice point. |
| Yellow | TBC / TBC | For competitive 11-12 year olds and 13-14 year old beginners. Follows line features with controls after choice points. |
| Orange | TBC / TBC | For competitive 13-14 year olds and beginner adults. Controls near paths or line features. |
| Night – Novice | TBC / TBC | Suitable for improving orienteers. A more challenging course where a headtorch will be required. |
| Course 1 | TBC / TBC | |
| Course 2 | TBC / TBC | |
| Course 3 | TBC / TBC | |
| Course 4 | TBC / TBC | |
| Course 5 | TBC / TBC |
More details about the colour coding is available on the Scottish Orienteering website.
Organiser:
Michael Atkinson
Planner:
Duncan Edmondson
Night Entry Charges
Entry is cheaper if you are a current 2025 member of a club affiliated to Scottish or British Orienteering.
Please ensure that your membership has been renewed for 2025.
| Entry Type | British Orienteering member | Scottish Orienteering member | Non‑member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors | £11 | £12 | £13 |
| Juniors | £4 | £5 | £6 |
| Novice Course (adults only) | £6 | £7 | £8 |
Afternoon Entry Charges
Entry is cheaper if you are a current 2025 member of a club affiliated to Scottish or British Orienteering.
Please ensure that your membership has been renewed for 2025.
| Entry Type | British Orienteering member | Scottish Orienteering member | Non‑member | Late Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors | £4.50 | £5.50 | £6.50 | +£2 |
| Juniors | £2.50 | £3 | £3.50 | +£1 |
| Pair of Seniors | £6 | £7 | £8 | +£2 |
| Pair of Juniors (no accompanying adults) | £3.50 | £4 | £4.50 | +£1 |
| Junior and Parent | £4.50 | £5.50 | £6.50 | +£1 |
| Family Groups (one or more children accompanied by one or more adults – we would generally encourage families to split up into pairs!) | £6 | £7 | £8 | +£1 |
Safety and Risk
A comprehensive risk assessment has been carried out by the organisers, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
Competitors should carry a spare torch and a mobile phone. An emergency phone number will be printed on the maps for use in emergency.
- Crags. There are high crags in the area, but courses have been planned to avoid these, and TD1-3 courses stay on the low level.
- Lochs: All courses go around the two lochs, but controls will all be placed away from the edges. Blue and Brown courses also go past another pond.
- Barbed wire: the longer courses may go near to a broken barbed wire fence. Where sections have been found they will be marked with black/yellow tape and/or laid flat.
- Traffic: there could be occasional vehicles on the tracks. Cyclists and horses could be encountered where the John Muir Way is within the area.
- Livestock: Horses, deer and hares frequent the area. Check for ticks after your run, and wash hands before handling food. Bird-scarers may be in operation near the start which sound similar to gunshots – the estate is aware of the event and there is no shooting taking place.
- Rough terrain: Participants on TD4 and TD5 courses are advised to wear studded shoes and wear full body and leg cover.
- Severe weather: In the event of severe weather the organisers reserve the right to cancel the event.
Medical Conditions:
If you, or anyone in your group (including juniors), have a medical condition that first-aiders or health professionals should know about in the event of accident or illness during the course of the event please print off the Medical Form, complete it fully and bring it along to the event. You should complete a separate copy for each individual who has a medical condition. Please leave the completed Medical Form at Event Registration. If it is not in a labelled sealed envelope, it will be put in one and will be opened only in an emergency. It will be shredded immediately after the event if you do not claim it back.
Privacy
When entering our events your name will appear in the results section of this website and may appear in newspaper reports.
We may also take photographs at the event for publicity purposes – please let us know if you do not want us to use your photograph in this way.
Read our privacy policy.