About Us

Ecko Logo

Ecko Logo

Last Updated: Thu 2 Dec 2021

Loch Eck Orienteers is the orienteering club for Argyll and Lochaber, Scotland. The club covers the whole of Argyll and some of Lochaber, but the majority of members are in the Lorn/Oban area. We have an increasingly active junior section and cover all ages of adults, including some that compete at international level, but we also welcome all newcomers to the sport.

The club email address is info@ecko.org.uk

Links with local schools have been established with the help of Active Schools, LiveArgyll and Adventure Oban

We offer a monthly programme of events including coaching, introduction to orienteering for newcomers, monthly TOC's (Temporary Orienteering Courses), virtual orienteering and a monthly event.

We have in the past entered a number of relay teams at major events like the British Champs, Scottish Champs, CompassSport Cup and InterClub Relay but this is dependent on numbers available. We encourage our members to travel to events outside of Argyll and so details of these now appear on our event list.

Maps

Argyll offers some of the finest orienteering terrain in the country and people travel long distances for the chance to run on it. EckO embarked on a large mapping programme a few years ago, and we now have 25 areas mapped. This mapping project will allow the club to continue the provision of local orienteering for local people. All maps are printed on waterproof paper and pre-marked with the course.

One of the Argyll & Bute orienteering partnership achievements was to get an orienteering map produced of every school in Argyll.

Coaching & Training

We have several qualified coaches and frequently run sessions to help people develop their orienteering skills. This includes planning, organising and computing skills as well as out in the forest. Some members are also involved with after school coaching sessions. Once our juniors are confident on an Orange (TD3) course we encourage them to join SWAT (Scottish West Area training) to further develop their skills and meet their orienteering peers. This is also open to any adult who wishes to take advantage of this opportunity. If juniors wish, this can be used as a stepping stone to SCOTJOS (Scottish Junior Selection)

Communications

Our website and facebook are now the main means of communication. People can sign up to our mailing list and receive emails about club news and events.

History

EckO was formed in 1984. In the Dunoon area there were two prominent orienteers - Hilary Smith and Jean Ramsden. They provided the driving force for the inauguration of the club.

In the first six or so years of the club membership was healthy. At that time there were many outdoor education centres in the area. Staff working in the centres were attracted to the sport and had already supported events run by staff at Ardentinny Centre in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. A crisis came in the mid 1990’s when club membership had dropped. At an A.G.M. the current membership voted to continue as a small club, with the main aim being the provision of local events for local people in the Cowal area.

There was a change in the clubs member base, with lots of new active members that lived near Oban and fewer participants in the Cowal area. This has lead to the majority of events being held near Oban.

August 2011 saw the largest Orienteering event in Scotland being held near Oban, the Scottish 6 Days. EckO was one of the central organising clubs, and our members filled a number of the key roles. 3600 people took part on some of the finest technical terrain that Scotland can offer.

Over the last few years, EckO has continued to offer quality orienteering for the Scottish Orienteering League (SOL) and has maintained a healthy presence in the Scottish 6 Days.

Throughout the recent COVID pandemic, EckO has adapted well and continued to function and provide events and coaching as allowed. We now have a membership that reaches from the Cowal Area, through Lorn and up into Lochaber.

Notifications

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Ecko Top

Ecko Top

...and Andy

...and Andy

Warning bears at large!

Warning bears at large!

Éowyn showing Louis how it's done

Éowyn showing Louis how it's done

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Related pages to About Us

Membership Information

You do not need to be a member of a club to participate in orienteering however we would really encourage you to join either EckO or another orienteering club once you have had the chance to experience an orienteering event. (see below for a list of benefits!)

Privacy Policy

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes rules and safeguards on those who hold and process personal data, i.e. data relating to living identifiable individuals.
In the interests of being open and fair, the club wishes to inform members of the data held and how it is used.

EckO & GDPR

EckO has always aimed to respect and protect the personal data of all our members, noting that the vast majority of your orienteering relevant data is collected by British Orienteering or Scottish Orienteering and shared with appropriate and approved EckO members.

Club Constitution

Loch Eck Orienteers Constitution (2021)

Committee Meeting Minutes

Find out what the committee have been talking about.

Annual General Meetings

2024 Agenda

2023 AGM Minutes

2022 AGM Minutes

2021 AGM minutes

2020 AGM minutes

2019 AGM minutes

2018 AGM minutes

2017 AGM minutes

2014 AGM minutes

2007 AGM minutes