Nessie News - Day 1
Welcome to Achagour, Sunday 2nd August
PDF download of Nessie News for Day 1
Location
Nearest town: Nairn
- Postcode: IV12 5VF
- Lat/Lon: 57.48809,-3.76089
- Google Map
- Streetmap (OS)
- Bing Map (OS)
- OpenStreetMap
Information for Day 1
Starts: Blue/Red exits Race Arena to the east through the overflow car parking field so care needs to be taken in this field. Exit the field onto the closed section of minor road heading east before entering the forest.
Distances between locations
White/Green exits to the north of the field close to the Finish.
Competitors starting from Green, Blue and Red Starts use a mandatory crossing point over a public road whilst on their course. Competitors starting from Blue/Red Start also cross a second road. Please take care on the route to the red/blue start. The road remains open to traffic. When walking past homes that are beside the road please be respectful to the residents who have requested that competitors do not walk on the cut grass verges or sit on garden walls.
Care should be taken when crossing roads, and competitors MUST follow marshalls' instructions.
Safety Information: High voltage transmission lines run through the length of the parking field and Race Arena. As a result some areas will be marked as Out of Bounds
String course: Route to String course is buggy friendly approximately 50m from Arena along the way to the Blue/Red Start. The courses themselves are not buggy friendly due to some steep slopes. Thanks to Tunnocks, and to Walkers shortbread for today’s prizes
Special Info: As this is Day 1 the queues to collect race bibs from the Information tent are likely to be considerable. Please factor this in to your calculations for planning your day.
Food and drink. Restricted space today so there will be no food marquee and a limited number of traders and caterers. More tomorrow at Strathfarrar. NO EXIT until 12:30.
Thanks go the following landowners
Anthony Laing of Belivat, Christopher Laing of Moss-side, Stewart and Cindy Mackintosh of Achagour, and to Robert Hoskin of the Lethen Estate. Thanks also to Melvyn Waumsley of the Inverness Field Archery Club
We are running near local habitation so please be considerate to the residents.
Information for Day 2 : Strathfarrar (3rd August) IV4 7JT
Travel: From Inverness follow A862 10 miles to junction with A831 SW of Beauly. Turn L and follow A831 9 miles to Struy Bridge. Turn L into parking field.
A831 is narrow for last 2 miles. Watch for buses coming towards you.
Last arrival by 12:30. No Exit before 12:30
General Event Information
- Blank maps and Courses 1, 2,8 & 9 will be on display at Assembly each day No shadowing of juniors on age class courses
- MIDGES are not expected but you can check daily on the forecast http://midgeforecast.co.uk/
- TICKS and LYME disease. Look out for ticks on yourself and others. Lyme disease is unpleasant but avoidable .
- The torso and legs shall be covered, and it is recommended that a whistle is carried.
- “No BIB - No Go” (including colour coded courses). Bib has start time (PS=punching start) , start colour and course number
- Tape colours used this week will be (green, yellow, white, red for routes to start, yellow/black = danger, red/white = Out of Bounds/ crossing points, white = taped routes in terrain
- It is the competitors’ responsibility to pick up the right map and to arrive at the start at the right time (start times will not be changed at the start)
- Courses close at 16:30 each day (controls will be removed after this time)
- Double enjoyment on the hill? Can you help collect controls? If so please go to Information at 4p.m.
- No drinks stations or water at the finish will be provided
- You must report to download even if you do not finish / retire
Celebrations & Commiserations
If you’d like to send congratulations, commiserations, thanks etc, leave a note with the details at information or send an email to by 15:00 for inclusion the next day (space permitting).
Souvenirs
The 6 days 2016 souvenir calendar (Nairn) will be on sale for £5 at information. Also available a Nairn postcard @ 50p for those wanting souvenirs of the day.
Cover of 6 days 2016 Souvenir Calendar (Nairn)
Achagour
Achagour is a totally new area for most orienteers. The area has a very Scandinavian feel in parts. A few elite competitors will have crossed into this area on Day 6 of Moray 2013
About Nairn
Once called Invernairn - Gaelic for the mouth of the River of the Alders – the community saw the establishment of a Christian cell as early as the 4th century. There was a settlement long before the town was granted the burgh’s first charter by Alexander 1 in the 12th century.
King James of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland , visited the town and is said to have later remarked that the High Street was so long that the people at either end spoke different languages Scots and Gaelic. The landward farmers spoke Scots and the fishing families at the harbour end, Gaelic. Nairn was a town of two halves in other ways. The narrow-streeted fishertown surrounds a harbour built by Thomas Telford while Victorian villas stand in the 'West End'.
The vision of one man was responsible for turning the impoverished little market town and fishing community of Nairn into a thriving health resort in the 19th century. Dr John Grigor arrived in the town as a young ship’s surgeon in the early 1800s. Locals marked his lifetime of work in Nairn’s development by commissioning an imposing bronze statue in his memory. His statue stands in a leafy corner of Nairn at Viewfield, in front of the Georgian mansion house which is home to the Nairn Museum .
The tourism industry remains one of the key components of the Nairn economy. Nairn is known as a world class golfing destination and has an expanse of sand beaches that were used extensively in training exercises for the Normandy landings during World War 2 attracting the attention of two German spies who were arrested at Nairn station.
Things to Do
Forres Golf Club are delighted to offer a special discount to participants in the Scottish 6 Days. Their normal green fee of £39.00 will reduce to £19.50. To book a tee time, just phone 01309 672250 with your name and entry number to receive this special offer. The offer is available from Friday 31st July to Friday 14th August.
Social Tonight Sunday - ‘Culloden Battlefield – Past, Present and Future’
Learn about the turbulent period in Scottish history leading to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s defeat at the 1746 Battle of Culloden, and its aftermath. This illustrated talk by Andrew Mackenzie, an expert from the National Trust for Scotland will explain how the battle shaped Scottish society, allegiances and religion, and how technological advances in archaeology such as aerial sonar scanning continue to unearth fascinating new discoveries in the area.
Eden Court Playhouse Cinema. 7pm . Tickets £3 at Information Tent or on the door.
Visit a Castle - if you are in the mood to visit a castle on your way home today then you have the choice of Cawdor Castle to the west and Brodie Castle to the East. Once you have rejoined the A939 at Littlemill you will find signs for Cawdor, for Brodie continue to Nairn turning right to the A96 heading east to the village of Brodie and follow the brown signs from there.
On a much smaller scale is the Ardclach Bell Tower, and the nearby church. This is a 15 minute walk from today’s car park (see below). It was built by Alexander Brodie in 1655, not as a bell tower, but as a watch tower to protect his lands from attack. It was never needed for the intended purpose, and became the bell tower for the now-derelict church that nestles in the valley below.
The bell tower is open to the public and offers a stunning view over the Findhorn. Although it's a Historic Scotland property it is one that's rarely discovered by visitors to the area. As the approach road to the Bell Tower is single track and a cul-de-sac it would be easiest to walk from today’s car park, head towards the red/blue start, turning right at the disused Church.
Things to do East of Inverness