Entries categorised as: News
Highland O-Fest
O-Fest Prize Winners announced ... Congratulations to all
Day 4 - Daily Digest
What a fantastic area we all ran on today. We were under a lot of pressure with the overnight rain which made driving over the end of the trackway a bit hazardous. Too high for some low slung vehicles. We had always planned to use the WOC Relay area but we ran back into the field where they ran out. The crossing point was very obvious, as the estate had to take out a 150 foot high beech tree suffering from a fungal disease that can cause sudden collapse. I hope you enjoyed yet another bridge – not a 36 metre floating one but a springy 6 metre ditch crossing on the green and white start. One more bridge to go!
Day 3 - Daily Digest
The first of the really big days – a combined race arena encompassing both WOC and the Scottish 6 days. From an early stage we set out an event programme with a few key elements:
a. Minimise arena moves
b. Let S6D competitors have the chance to run on all WOC terrain
c. Provide locations that best met EventScotland’s The Perfect Stage ideals
The support received from Lord Moray and his staff at Moray Estates has been fantastic – the upgraded road, trees cleared, fences dropped, grass grown and cut, routes through the barley, routes through the oilseed rape and of course the superb backdrop of the castle now complete with flag. There’s now another tick in the I-Spy Scottish Castles book.
Training Restrictions
At the request of the landowner please could you avoid using Achagour for training. Thank you.
Nessie News - Day 5
PDF download of Nessie News for Day 5
Nessie News - Day 4
Competitors at the Scottish 6 Days must follow the official direction signs in from the north of Darnaway. The entrance via Redstone on clearly signposted Private Roads is Out of Bounds. Do not rely on your SatNav if travelling from the south – read a map and follow routes around to Forres or Nairn.
PDF download of Nessie News for Day 4
Highland O-Fest / Forres Sprint - Daily Digest
The traditional rest day has now grown arms and legs and this year we made a special effort to do our best to attract spectators to Darnaway to watch the WOC Middle race. Planner Graeme Ackland repeatedly voiced concerns that athletes might be running into an empty arena. Following the morning Sprint around Forres many competitors made their way through the golden gates and a mystery tour through the woods before emerging onto a ribbon of steel that arrowed its way through a waving field of barley.
Nessie News - Day 3
Competitors at the Scottish 6 Days and spectators at WOC 2015 must follow the official direction signs in from the north of Darnaway. The entrance via Redstone on clearly signposted Private Roads is Out of Bounds. Do not rely on your SatNav if travelling from the south – read a map and follow routes around to Forres or Nairn.
PDF download of Nessie News for Day 3
Road Works in Nairn
We've had reports of significant roadworks in Nairn that will affect travel during the Darnaway days (4th, 5th & 6th August, i.e O-Fest, Day 3 & Day 4). Please allow extra time for your journey if you are travelling through Nairn on your way to Darnaway.
Day 2 - Daily Digest
Glen Strathfarrar is best known to Munro “baggers” as a quiet and rather secretive glen, with strict access controls and only 25 vehicles allowed into the area on any one day (when not closed). Coupled with the fact there was a 35 metre river running through it with frequent and alarming rises of water from the Culligran Power Station it seemed that this would be the least likely venue for an event attracting over 5,000 competitors.
Day 1 - Daily Digest
After some recent mixed weather Day 1 of the S6D at Achagour proved warm and pleasant and there was a real festive feeling in the race arena. At the request of the planners who had concerns over forestry operations further north the race was on to find a suitable new site that would still allow access to at least part of the mapped area. The solution was to shift everything south a few kilometres, and with many thanks to Anthony and Christopher Laing we gained permission for a large flat field that then dropped away down to a very convenient location for traders tents and the organisational structure of entries, information, download, first aid and more.