Creag Chionnich is on the eastern fringe of Braemar. It was used during Royal Deeside 2017 and only once since then for a Local event in 2021. In 2012 it was the venue for the Scottish relay Championships.
Creag Choinnich, the hill, dominates Braemar but the lower, gentler slopes comprise mature pine plantation with interesting contour and water features. Large and small crags are common on the intermediate slopes with heather and deciduous forest higher up. Runability is generally good.
Some clear felling and thinning have taken place since 2017 and the terrain remains highly variable and an ideal location for a Middle Distance race.
Creag Choinnich is used with the kind permission of Invercauld Estate.
Location
Preliminary Details
Important Information
- Organising clubs
- Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club (ESOC), Tayside Orienteers (TAY) & Roxburgh Reivers Orienteering Club (RR)
- Organisers
- John Tullie (RR) & Jayne MacGregor (ESOC)
- Planners
- Ewart Scott (ESOC) & Clive Masson (TAY)
- Controllers
- Dave Summers (INVOC)
- Directions
- The majority of competitors will approach the event on A93 from the direction of Ballater and turn right into the parking field.
- Limited traffic will approach from Braemar direction.
- Parking is in the main field to the west of A93 (Highland Games Parking) but the race arena including routes to the start/finish are on the east side of the A93.
- We will use temporary traffic lights for participants to cross the road to go to the arena/starts.
Competitors will not be allowed to arrive after 1230 hrs or leave before 1300 hrs. - Parking
- GR: NO 152 919
W3W: pining.coil.lecturers
Post Code: AB35 5XR - Arena
- 100m from the pedestrian exit of the car park to the arena.
- Starts
- All starts are located together roughly 1.4km (25m total ascent) easy walking from the car park and arena.
- Maps
- Previous maps by Deeside Orienteering and Leisure Maps (DOLM) based on LiDAR supplied by the Scottish Orienteering Association and photogrammetric plot by Stirling Surveys. Revised for Royal Deeside 2025 by DOLM 2024/25. © MAROC.
- View old map on Routegadget
- Terrain
- Fast running natural and plantation forest with steep, wooded areas combined with rougher open areas and considerable contour and rock detail. Parts of the plantation forest have been thinned recently leaving extraction lanes that have not been mapped for the purposes of clarity.
- Some deep heather and minor bracken may be encountered on some courses.
- Finishes
- The Finish and Spectator Control is in the arena.
- String and off-string courses
- The string course is 200m from the arena.
- Safety
- All courses cross a high deer fence either at the final control or at a marked crossing point.
- The longer courses will be close to the top of high crags which should not be approached.
- The lower portions of the forest contain pools which are mapped as uncrossable water features and must be avoided.
- Junior courses
- Courses 22 and 23 follow distinct paths, tracks and fences with some taping between controls.
- BOF Registration No.: 84583
- Special Information
- Courses 7M, 7W and longer have a spectator control in the Arena.
Provisional Course Lengths
| Course | Class | Length (km) | Climb (m) | Controls | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1E | M21E | 4.8 | 180 | 21 | Red |
| 2E | W21E | 3.8 | 150 | 17 | Red |
| 2 | M20L M21L M35L | 3.8 | 150 | 17 | Red |
| 3 | M40L M45L | 3.7 | 155 | 16 | Red |
| 4 | M18L M50L | 3.7 | 170 | 16 | Red |
| 5 | M16A M55L W21L | 3.5 | 155 | 16 | Red |
| 6 | M20S M21S M35S W20L W18L W35L | 3.2 | 100 | 14 | Blue |
| 7M | M60L W40L | 3.5 | 105 | 16 | Blue |
| 7F | W45L | 3.4 | 105 | 15 | Blue |
| 8M | M65L M40S | 2.8 | 90 | 12 | Blue |
| 8F | W50L | 2.8 | 85 | 12 | Blue |
| 9 | M18S M45S M50S W16A W21S | 2.5 | 60 | 15 | Blue |
| 10M | M70L | 2.7 | 85 | 13 | Blue |
| 10F | W55L | 2.8 | 85 | 12 | Blue |
| 11 | M55S W20S W18S W60L | 2.4 | 70 | 12 | Blue |
| 12 | Green W35S | 2.2 | 90 | 12 | Green |
| 13 | M75L W65L W40S | 2.2 | 100 | 12 | Green |
| 14 | M60S M65S W45S W50S | 1.7 | 80 | 10 | Green |
| 15 | M70S W70L W55S W60S | 1.9 | 65 | 11 | Green |
| 16 | M80 M75S W75L W65S | 1.8 | 65 | 9 | Green |
| 17 | M85 W80 W85 W70S W75S | 1.7 | 70 | 10 | Green |
| 18 | M14A M16B | 2.1 | 95 | 13 | Green |
| 19 | Light Green W14A W16B | 2.2 | 90 | 13 | Green |
| 20 | Red | 2.2 | 105 | 12 | White |
| 21 | Orange M12A M14B W12A W14B | 1.6 | 70 | 11 | White |
| 22 | Yellow M10A M12B W10A W12B | 1.5 | 65 | 10 | White |
| 23 | White M10B W10B | 1.2 | 35 | 10 | White |
