SOL 2
Bonskeid near Pitlochry
Another Sunday and another seven ELO members trekking northwards. This week it was to Pitlochry for Round 2 of the Scottish Orienteering League organised jointly by STAG (from Glasgow) and ESOC (from Edinburgh).
The Bonskeid estate provided a very different challenge from SOL 1 at Gullane two weeks earlier. This time the terrain was steep wooded hillsides with boggy ground near the rivers which enclose the area – and few linear features to simplify navigation. Even with nearly 400 competitors the small area didn’t seem crowded as dense trees shortened the range of visibility.
Top ELO performances this week were by Godfrey Beddard doing the Short Blue course and Sheila Strain’s customary strong run on Short Green. Neil McMillan had to retire with a sprained ankle. Currently ELO’s top ranked orienteer is Jack Poole who maintained focus to successfully complete the Brown course and break his recent habit of mispunching.
And Robin Strain’s expertise was in demand after the event to surmount some glitches with the SI results system. This one-off delay just serves to highlight what a great results service we take for granted week in, week out – prompt, accurate and convenient.
Full results are available here