INVOC Regional Event Carse of Ardersier
Info: New entries for this event closed on Tuesday 24th June 2025.
| Senior BO Member | £10.00 | |
| Senior SOA Member | £11.00 | |
| Senior Non-Member | £12.00 | |
| Junior / Student BO Member | £5.00 | |
| Junior / Student SOA Member | £5.50 | |
| Junior / Student Non-Member | £6.00 |
Inverness Orienteering Club welcomes you to Carse of Ardersier Regional Event. Carse is a gem of a forest, we hope to see you there!
Many thanks to Cawdor estate for access to Carse Wood and to Mr Phillips for use of his field.
Terrain / Planner’s Comments: Carse Wood is a mature pine woodland with a grid network of wider paths and some more informal narrower trails which are often sandy. Off trail the understory is a mix of heather and blueberry with some impenetrable areas of gorse or new growth following previous felling.
The fairly sluggish heather makes running harder than might be expected on what is predominantly flat terrain.
Along the northern edge of the wood is some wonderful, contoured terrain that makes for both interesting running and navigation. The map has recently been updated with LiDAR used to update the contours.
Note the uncrossable stream symbol. This is only to be crossed at bridges and marked crossing points.
Maps: Pre-marked and printed on waterproof paper, scale 1:10,000 with 2.5m contour intervals.
Parking/registration/starts/finish:
- Parking will be in a field off minor roads. Please approach from the Nairn direction.
- Nearest Postcode: IV2 7QX; Grid reference: NH 804559; What3Words: https://what3words.com/star.graceful.unpacked
- Parking will be £2 per car – please bring the correct change
- Please keep dogs on a lead around the site.
- There will only be orienteering flags/signs for the last couple of junctions – either look at a map or
follow GoogleMaps. There are also signs for “Bowhunters Archery” showing the turnoff from the
A96 and onto Nairn Road. - Assembly will be in the parking field. Registration will be open from 10:30 - this will be where
enquiries/entry on the day/download/first aid will be located. There will be a car key drop. - There will also be the INVOC junior squad cake stall – remember some change to buy cake!
- The start will be approximately 630m from the assembly, a flat easy walk on a path. There is a minor road crossing enroute to the start.
- The start will be open between 11:00 till 12:30 – there will be no allocated start times, just turn up
when you are ready. Please be patient if you happen to arrive at a busy spell. - There are two finishes. White, yellow and orange will finish near the start 630m from the assembly. All other courses will finish adjacent to the assembly.
Toilets: A toilet will be available in the parking field.
Courses
There will be course for all ages and abilities - if you are not sure what course to enter, do not
hesitate to get in touch with the organiser. Subject to final controlling, course details are as follows. Climb is nominal on all courses.
| Course | Distance / Climb | Technical Difficulty (TD) |
| White | 1.7km | TD1 - Easiest and shortest course. All on paths or tracks. (Good choice for an absolute beginner) |
| Yellow | 2.5 km | TD 2 - Slightly less easy course. Follows paths or obvious features. (Good choice for a junior beginner) |
| Orange | 2.8 km | TD 3 - Slightly more challenging, some controls off path and options to cut corners (Good choice for an adult beginner) |
| Light Green | 3.6 km | TD 4 - Majority off paths, skilled navigation required |
| Short Green | 3.7 km | TD 5 - Hardest level of technical challenge |
| Green | 4.9 km | TD 5 - Hardest level of technical challenge |
| Blue | 6.8 km | TD 5- Hardest level of technical challenge |
| Brown | 8.8 km / 55m | TD 5- Hardest level of technical challenge |
Pre-entry Information: Please pre-enter here. Closing date: Tuesday 24 June at 23:59hrs. Some limited EOD will be available. Pre-enter to guarantee a map, there will be limited EOD.
SI Cards available for hire for £1. Limited number of SIAC Air for hire for £3.
Event timing: mixed punching – contactless and traditional punching. Start and Finish unit must be punched if using SIAC Air.
Safety:
- Courses close at 15:00. It is essential that you report to download after your run (even if you
do not complete your course) so we know you are back safely! - Carse woods is well used by members of the public, including dog-walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Please be
aware and courteous to other forest users. - Road crossing – the Light Green, Short Green, Green, Blue and Brown courses cross a very
quiet road, please take care crossing. - Please carry appropriate clothing if bad weather. Full leg cover is required. Please carry a whistle
(or phone) in case of emergency. - Remember to check carefully for ticks after the event
- Any competitor with a high-risk medical condition, please contact the organiser either in
advance (email below) or on the day at enquiries. - First Aid cover is being provided by qualified members of INVOC. The first aid kit will be at the
assembly area. The nearest hospital is Raigmore in Inverness.
Organiser: Laurence Cload
Planner: Iain Sime
Controller: Dave Summers
SiTiming: Nick Carter
View the Event Disclaimer / Terms and Conditions.
View the Event Cancellation / Refund Policy.
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