Barns Ness
Saturday 27 June 2026
Barns Ness Lighthouse - MrPanyGoff via Flickr
Please note the change of venue for this event to Barns Ness. Parking and registration is at the White Sands car park.
We will also have an earlier start window of 11:30am until 1:00pm and invite everyone to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy together on the beach afterwards!
Barns Ness is a great area for orienteering, consisting of a fairly narrow strip of coastal land about 2000m long and no wider than 400m in any place; typically it’s around 200m wide. The immediate coastline in the north is mainly stony beach and rocky foreshore, with intricate sandy dunes on the east facing side. A flat coastal plain extends south. The obvious man-made features include disused limekiln buildings, the Lighthouse (completed in 1901 by cousins of Robert Louis Stevenson) and an old quarry. The western edge of the area is bordered by a steep slope, rising about 15-20m above the coastal plain.
Orienteers of all abilities are welcome to join us on the day when we will have a range of courses to suit everyone and a sociable picnic afterwards!
Advance Information
Type of event:
Local event in the East of Scotland Orienteering Association (ESOA) series
Terrain:
- Courses use the path network due to restrictions due to ground nesting birds in the area.
- Runnability is generally good.
- Please use marked crossing points to cross fences.
- Please observe any out of bounds areas.
Other Users
The area is very well used by the general public including dog walkers and families. Please respect their right to be there at the same time as you are orienteering.
Dogs
The area is well used by dog walkers so dogs are welcome to come with orienteers. The ranger service would like dogs to be kept on leads because of the ground-nesting birds
Toilets:
Toilets are available at the White Sands car park, beside the entrance .
Accessibility:
TBC
Location
Nearest Town: Dunbar
Grid Ref: NT710773
Nearest Postcode: EH42 1QP
Directions
The Whitesands Bay car park is accessed by a minor road which leaves A1087 at NT669770. The A1087 runs from Dunbar town south through Broxburn past the cement works to the A1. Drive past the campsite on the left and on down to the barrier at Whitesands Bay. Turn left here and continue to the end of the track and park on the grassy areas. There is a East Lothian Council £3 charge for parking.
Public Transport
Dunbar is easily reached by public transport (buses and trains) but there is none available to the event area which is approximately 2km SE of the town centre – there is footpath the whole way, either along the coast or by the road.
Registration & Start Times
Registration
The link below is for advance entries. On the day Registration (and dibber collection) will be at the Whitesands car park – look out for the ELO flag and tent!
If would like advice before going out or if you think you will take over an hour please arrive and start early.
Start and Finish:
Start times will be from 11:30am to 1:00pm. We are not allocating start times.
The Start and Finish locations are less than 200m from registration.
Courses Close:
The courses will close at 2:00pm, so if you have not completed your course by then, you should stop and return to assembly.
If would like advice before going out or if you think you will take over an hour please arrive and start early.
You must report to the Download point, whether you complete the course or not, so that we know you are not lost or injured in the dunes.
Course Information
Map
The map is printed at 1:7500 with 2.5m contours.
Timing
SportIdent (SI) electronic timing will be used – we will have SIs for hire free of charge but there is a £30 charge if lost. Units, apart from start and finish, will be set for contactless punching.
Courses
There will be White, Yellow and Long Yellow courses.
| Course | Length / Ascent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1.8km / TBC | For competitive 9 year olds and 10-11 year old beginners. Follows paths with a control at each choice point. |
| Yellow | 2.3km / TBC | For competitive 10-11 year olds and 11-12 year old beginners. Follows line features with controls after choice points. |
| Long Yellow | 4.7km / TBC | A runners course which sticks to the paths – a chance for a fast orienteering time! |
More details about the colour coding is available on the Scottish Orienteering website.
Organiser:
Trina Rogerson
Planner:
Trina Rogerson
Entry Charges
Entry is cheaper if you are a current 2026 member of a club affiliated to Scottish or British Orienteering.
Please ensure that your membership has been renewed for 2026.
| British Orienteering member | Scottish Orienteering member | Non‑member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors | £4.50 | £5.50 | £6.50 |
| Juniors | £2.50 | £3.00 | £3.50 |
| Pair of Seniors | £6.00 | £7.00 | £8.00 |
| Pair of Juniors (no accompanying adults) | £3.50 | £4.00 | £4.50 |
| Junior and Parent | £4.50 | £5.50 | £6.50 |
| Family Groups (one or more children accompanied by one or more adults) | £6.00 | £7.00 | £8.00 |
| Second Course (white/yellow/orange) | £1.00 | £1.00 | £1.00 |
*Members of any orienteering club will receive a discount but please enter early so we know how many maps to order. You can cancel your entry up until the entries close and then you’ll receive a credit for your entry fees which you can use at a future event.
Safety and Risk
A comprehensive risk assessment (RA) has been carried out by the organisers, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
You are advised to wash your hands after finishing your course to avoid the risk of infection and to carefully check for ticks. The full Risk Assessment will be available for inspection at Registration.
Please note: If you participate and are not a member of British Orienteering or Scottish Orienteering then you are not covered by their respective public liability insurance. In that case, by entering this event you acknowledge that you are taking part at your own risk. For example, if you were to accidentally injure a member of the public or damage property during the event, you would not be covered.
Medical Conditions:
If you, or anyone in your group (including juniors), have a medical condition that first-aiders or health professionals should know about in the event of accident or illness during the course of the event please print off the Medical Form, complete it fully and bring it along to the event. You should complete a separate copy for each individual who has a medical condition. Please leave the completed Medical Form at Event Registration. If it is not in a labelled sealed envelope, it will be put in one and will be opened only in an emergency. It will be shredded immediately after the event if you do not claim it back.
Privacy
When entering our events your name will appear in the results section of this website and may appear in newspaper reports.
We may also take photographs at the event for publicity purposes – please let us know if you do not want us to use your photograph in this way.
Read our privacy policy.
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