Try orienteering at Cluny Hill, Grant Park, Forres!
Jogging round a Permanent Orienteering Course is the perfect way to get active, enjoying the scenery and green spaces with your family, or a chance to get outdoors for a competitive challenge! The combination of physical and mental exercise often in stunning locations is like no other, as you can find, navigate and complete courses at any time, at your own pace.
The Permanent Orienteering Courses at Cluny Hill are series of posts (controls) spread around the woods, shown on a map available from the Community Centre or available to download here. Posts are usually on obvious features such as path junctions and fence corners. Your challenge is to find these controls, following a route drawn on the map. Each post or control will have a number and a unique letter and number on it. Controls should be visited in the order shown on the map. Match the control code with that shown on your map, and note down the matching letter as proof you’ve been there. Navigation around a course is a great fun - you can run or walk between controls from the start to the finish. 
Three courses are available:
White – 1.1 km, easy
Yellow - 1.3 km, a bit harder
Orange – 2.3 km, moderate difficulty
The start and finish for all courses is at the western edge of the Cluny Hill woods (What3words: stolen.class.surveyed; OS grid ref. NJ 042 588), at the south-east end of the tree-lined avenue that runs from the road by the Bowling Green, opposite Anderson’s School. Maps can be obtained from the Forres Community Centre opposite Anderson’s School. Control codes - note down the unique letter at each control and check against the control code list to check if you have visited each control. All controls can be viewed if needed - use this map if you want to plan your own route.
The equipment you need: a map with your course marked on it, available from the library or downloaded. A pen or pencil; a compass is optional - you could download one on your mobile phone. And of course suitable clothing for the weather on the day!
Safety: Some of the paths may be uneven and slippery with projecting roots; take care not to stumble or trip. Do not go onto the roads that run round the woods. Out of bounds areas are marked on the map in olive green (for example the cemetery and private houses) or with a purple cross hatch (the grounds of the former Cluny Hydro).
These permanent orienteering courses have been set up as a partnership between Moravian Orienteering Club, Moray Council, Forres Footpaths Trust and Forres Heritage Trust to give people new to orienteering an opportunity to try out the sport. The three courses are designed for people of a wide range of ages and abilities. Routes are confined to the woodland on Cluny Hill; paths can be steep in places. The White course is suitable for individuals, families (with buggies) and small groups. The Yellow and Orange courses follow smaller paths with uneven surfaces. Distances shown for each course represents the straight-line distance between the controls. The route people actually follow will often be longer!
If you have any comments about using this course, or if you find any of the controls damaged or missing, please email: club@mor.scot or let leave a message at the Community Centre. If you enjoyed your run round the park visit www.mor.scot for more information about other permanent courses or orienteering events in Moray.
