What is Orienteering?
Orienteering is an exciting, outdoor adventure sport suitable for all ages and fitness levels that exercises both mind and body simultaneously. You will use a special orienteering map to navigate from start to finish finding predetermined checkpoints, called ‘controls’, on the way. There is no set route between the controls so the skill and fun come from trying to find the best (and fastest!) way to go. Orienteering can take place in a vast array of locations, such as parkland, forests, mountain fells and even indoors.
Why orienteering?
Orienteering engages both the mind and body, enhancing problem-solving skills and spatial awareness. Beyond its physical and mental benefits, orienteering is a social activity and is a great way to meet new people and get to know friends or colleagues better. Above all, orienteering is fun and a great way of exploring new places!
What attracts people to orienteering in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is a great place to start orienteering. The variation and range of landscapes means there is something for everyone. It has a very active orienteering scene with a variety of events and activities happening across the city each week. People love the challenge, variety and inclusiveness – orienteering events feature courses for all abilities from beginners to experts and age classes from toddlers right up to over 85s.
How can I get involved in orienteering in Edinburgh?
The Orienteering Edinburgh series is a great way to get involved initially as the events are aimed at newcomers and there is always a friendly face to answer any questions. Local orienteering clubs also organise events in and around Edinburgh throughout the year and these can be seen on the calendar. There is always a range of courses available so don’t worry about it being too hard or too long. We would advise you to contact the organising club or ourselves (edinburgh@scottish-orienteering.org) if you plan on attending an event for the first time. You can also see dates for events further afield on the Scottish Orienteering calendar.
Local orienteering clubs
We recommend joining a club after you have tried orienteering a couple of times. The most central clubs open to everyone are ESOC and INT, whilst EUOC is the club to join if you are a student. ELO is a smaller club (although covers a large area) and is ideally located for those out east of Edinburgh.
| Club Name | Abbreviation |
| East Lothian Orienteers | ELO |
| Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club | ESOC |
| Edinburgh University Orienteering Club | EUOC |
| Interlopers | INT |
The calendar page provides a list of orienteering events near Edinburgh.
Any tips for beginners on getting started?
We recommend checking out the Go Orienteering website. The videos on the basics of orienteering explain how events work and some orienteering skills which will make your navigation quicker. There are also coaches on hand at every Orienteering Edinburgh event to help get you started if you’re the type of person that prefers learning by doing.