River Dee Novice MapRun
River Dee Novice MapRun
MapRunF is an orienteering smartphone app that allows you to take part in virtual orienteering courses which are set up all across Scotland. Maroc has now set up a special set of novice courses in accessible locations across Deeside suitable for anyone to try.
Orienteering is a great socially-distanced, fun, outdoor activity that can appeal to all ages and different types of people. You can use the MapRunF app as a focus for a family walk (a bit like geo-caching), an exercise to practice your navigation skills, or as an opportunity to run hard and see how competitive you can be against other people.
Mar Orienteering Club has set up a series of Novice MapRun courses in parks and recreational areas all along the Dee and we would like to invite anyone and everyone to have a go at completing the courses.
You can download the MapRunF app (v 4.8.8 or above) to your smartphone from your phone app store. The novice courses can be found in the MapRunF event directory under the following folder: UK/Scotland/Aberdeenshire/Mar Orienteering Club/River Dee Novice
Should you wish, you can print off a paper copy of the course maps to use for navigation, allowing you to tuck your phone safely away in a pocket to record where you have been. Copies of the course maps can be downloaded from the links provided below, and further information about the courses and How to Use MapRunF is available on the Scottish Orienteering website. Further information about each course is also available there, including an interactive map showing the locaion of the course start points.
The following novice courses are available:
1. Burnett Park, Banchory. The course starts by the sports pavilion in the Burnett park and follows a route around the park and out into some neighbouring streets, before finishing back by the pavilion again. It is a straight line distance of 1.4km, but you will need to go a bit further than that to reach all of the control points.
2. Torphins Park. The course starts at the edge of the car park next to the pavilion and criss-crosses the park before taking a loop out through some fields and back through the village. It is a straight line distance of 1.5km.
3. Aboyne Green. The course starts near the car park by the play area. After criss-crossing the green it goes through some back streets and then down to the river bank, before returning across the green. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km.
4. Ballater Station. The course starts by the Old Royal Station and then heads round the edge of the Games field before returning through some quiet back streets to the station square. It is a straight line distance of 1.2km.
5. Potarch Green. The course starts on the edge of the car park and heads out along the Deeside Way, before looping back on smaller paths through the woodland to the Green. The Green is a great place for a family picnic or barbecue. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km.
6. Tarland. Starting and finishing at the public car park the course makes a loop around the village taking in some back streets and alleys on the way. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km.
7. Deeside Activity Park. The course takes you on a pleasant loop around the private grounds of the Activity Park, round the loch and through some woodland. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km. Deeside Activity Park has a farmshop selling local produce as well as a restaurant currently serving a takeaway menu.
8. Burn o’ Vat. This course takes you on a route through a beautiful section of birchwood on the edge of the Dinnet Muir National Nature Reserve. It is a straight line distance of 3.0km.
9. Banchory School. This course starts in the main parking area for the school before heading round some quiet streets and footpaths in the east of the town. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km.
10. Aboyne NW. This course follows footpaths and quiet roads, as well as a section of the old railway, around a new housing area in the NW of the village. It is a straight line distance of 1.7km.
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