Tayside Orienteers Woodland Challenge

A new way to experience four of Tayside's finest woodland areas - try our permanent orienteering courses!

What's it all about?

We've been busy putting in permanent orienteering posts at four of our best and most accessible woodland areas, and we invite you to try them out and explore some of the most beautiful parts of Perthshire into the bargain.

Photo: The Woodland Challenge at Hermitage

We've suggested three courses for each area - Trail, Discovery and Challenge - you choose the most appropriate one, based on length and difficulty. Because the markers are always there, you can try out the courses whenever you like - it's a great way to try out orienteering without the pressure of a competition.

For more experienced orienteers, the Woodland Challenge courses can be used as the basis of a training exercise - do as many courses as you want to build up the physical and technical challenge.

What to do?

It's easy! Firstly, download a copy of:

Then:

Choose which of the areas (see below) you'd like to visit.
Buy a map and instruction sheet (from a list of local establishments - see below).
Go to the area of your choice (directions are on this page).
Choose which course you'd like to follow (you could do more than one!)
Have fun!
Check all the marker codes you find against the master list of codes.
Tell us how you got on - send an email to sloan758 @ gmail.com with your name, the area you visited, course you completed and time, and we'll display your result on this page.
And if you have any comments, want to know more about orienteering, or would like to join Tayside orienteering club, contact Angela Dixon adixon @ watt64.freeserve.co.uk or Dave Prentice dave_prentice @ btinternet.com

The areas

1. Kinnoull Hill, Perth

Directions: From the old bridge in Perth go uphill, bearing right at the first junction. For the main start (S1) continue straight on to the Jubilee car park. For the start S2 take the second turn right where the houses end and continue to the car park.

2. St Magdalene Hill, Perth

Directions: The area is above Craigie on the South side of Perth. From the Glasgow Road, turn onto Needless Road, then Darnhall Drive, going uphill to the top of Glenlochay Road and the car park. From the Edinburgh Road, travelling out of Perth, just past Tesco turn right into Gleneagles Road, then left into Glendevon Road to its top.

3. The Hermitage, Dunkeld

Update 21 February 2012: After recent by high winds, there are a number of fallen trees at the Hermitage that are blocking forest paths and tracks, and as a result, use of the course at Hermitage is not recommended. The Forestry Commission have indicated they will be clearing away these fallen trees in the next few weeks, so we will update this web page when we know this has happened.

Directions: Turn off the A9, 1 mile North of Dunkeld, (signed 'The Hermitage'). Turn immediately right up a forest road and follow it to a car park in a small quarry just before a locked gate (for start S1) Or use the lower National Trust for Scotland car park (for start S2).

4. Knock of Crieff, Crieff

Directions: At the Crieff Hydro Hotel, go past the Stables and up the hill, passing the lodges on your left. Start S1 is the small car park on your right. For Start S2, after a further 150m branch right on an unmade road to the car park.

NB: Only Trail and Discovery courses are available at the Knock at the moment. We're working on having the Challenge course ready soon...

Map pack stockists

You can buy map packs at the following places:

St Magdalene Hill and Kinnoull Hill:: Perth Tourist Office in West Mill St, Craigdon Mountain Sports, Banks of Perth.
The Hermitage:: Birnam Institute, Station Rd, Birnam and The Ell Shop, the Cross, Dunkeld.
Knock of Crieff: Crieff Hydro Hotel, Activity Centre; Strathearn Community Campus; Macrosty Park Pavilion

Map packs cost £2 for Kinnoull Hill and .50 for the other areas.

If you have any problems or queries regarding this page or its contents, contact David Sloan - email: sloan758 @gmail.com