Sunday 30th July 2023

Today is a long distance event

Day 1 at Lossie is a long-distance race in classic Moray dunes terrain. The course terrain varies from fast runnable mature pine forest with subtle contour detail and occasional denser areas and the Green, Blue and Red Start courses enjoy legs in the intricate tree-covered dunes. This area was heavily fortified in World War two and, protected by the trees, many of the defences have survived. These include concrete anti-tank blocks, pillboxes, the ruins of a coastal gun battery and the concrete foundations of a military camp, where the soldiers who built and manned the defences lived.

Photo © Richard Webb (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Day 1 of Moray 2023 begins with a long distance event for your fresh legs. Lossie Forest, to the east of Lossiemouth town offers technical orienteering and is the most easterly of the areas to be used for this 6 Days event. Parking and access to the forest has been arranged with kind permission of Innes Estate and Forestry and Land Scotland.

The north-western and northern part of the mapped forest consist of intricate open dunes with marram grass and pine forested dunes, together with new pine tree growth and denser gorse sections in part. The main pine forest area has an extensive path and track network.

Mapping updates were undertaken during summer 2022 to take account of damage from Storm Arwen (thankfully not extensive) as well as recent felling in the northern forested dune area which resulted in the thinning of trees and a number of new extraction lanes.

Lossie Forest was last used by the 6 Days for the opening day of Moray 2013 and the most recent large event was a SOL (Scottish O League) event in October 2021.

Location


Gallery

A selection of images from the race area…

Image Caption: War Defences

Image Caption: Map Extract

Image Caption: Forested Dunes

Image Caption: Map Extract

Image Caption: Forested dunes

Image Caption: Anti-tank blocks

Preliminary Details

Thanks to the landowners who have made today’s event possible…

Forestry and Land Scotland Innes Estate, Elgin

Important Information

Organising clubs:
Inverness Orienteering Club (INVOC) supported by Roxburgh Reivers (RR), Solway Orienteers (SOLWAY) and St. Andrew’s Orienteering Club Glasgow (STAG)
Organisers:
John Tullie (RR) & Marsela McLeod (INVOC)
Planners:
Iain Shepherd (INVOC) & Jon Shepherd (INVOC)
Controllers:
Clive Masson (TAY) & Graham McFadyen (STAG)
Maps:
Deeside Orienteering and Leisure Maps (Jon Musgrave)
Directions:
Follow the A96 east out of Forres to Elgin and then through Elgin as if travelling towards Aberdeen. On leaving Elgin at Barmuckity roundabout take the first left onto unclassified road towards Elginshill. At the next junction turn left onto the B9103. After 0.5 miles turn right onto an unclassified road (Urquhart / Milltown / HGV Test Centre). After 0.4 miles turn left into Milltown Airfield. If travelling west on A96, carry on to roundabout at Barmuickty and turn right.
Parking:
Milltown Airfield, Lossiemouth, IV30 8NE
Arena:
Adjacent to parking with a 1.5km walk to the forest edge.
Starts:
Red, Blue and Green starts are co-located 1.5km from the edge of the forest (3.0km in total).
White start is 800m from the edge of the forest (2.3km in total).

Terrain:
Open and forested dunes
Finish:
There is a single finish is at the edge of the forest which is 1.5km from the arena.
Dogs:
Dogs are permitted in the parking areas only provided they are under control, on a lead and cleared up after.
BOF Registration Number: 81094

Estimated Course Lengths

Course Class Length (km) Climb (m) Start
1 M10B W10B 2.0 20 White
2 M10A M12B W10A W12B 2.7 25 White
3 W12A W14B 3.4 40 White
4 M12A M14B 3.9 45 White
5 W75S W85 2.0 25 White
6 M85 W70S W80 2.4 30 White
7 M75S M80 W65S W75L 2.6 30 White
8 White 2.0 20 White
9 Yellow 2.7 25 White
10 Orange 3.4 40 White
14 Light Green 3.8 45 Green
15 Green 4.7 55 Green
16 W14A W16B 3.8 45 Green
17 M14A M16B 4.8 60 Green
18 M70S W55S W60S W70L 2.5 40 Green
19 M65S W50S 4.0 50 Green
20 M75L W45S W65L 4.2 50 Green
21 M60S W40S 4.5 55 Green
22 W18S W20S W35S 4.7 55 Green
23 M55S W60L 5.1 60 Blue
24 M70L W55L 5.4 65 Blue
25 M18S W16A W21S 5.5 65 Blue
26 M50S 5.8 70 Blue
27 M45S W50L 6.0 70 Blue
28 M40S M65L 6.0 70 Blue
29 M20S M35S W45L 6.3 75 Blue
30 M60L W40L 6.7 80 Blue
31 M21S W18L W20L W35L 7.1 85 Blue
34 M16A W21L 7.3 90 Red
35 M55L 7.6 90 Red
36 M18L M50L 8.5 100 Red
37 M45L 9.0 105 Red
38 M40L 9.2 110 Red
39 M20L M21L M35L 9.2 110 Red
40 W21E 9.3 110 Red
41 M21E 11.8 140 Red