THE CAPE WRATH

CHALLENGES

A Totally Unique Experience

May 11th to the 17th 2008

Monday Day 1  

 Half Marathon or 10K

 

  • Start points: Loch Eriboll 13.1 miles, or 10k from the hamlet of Laid.

  • Transport: from the village hall to start points

  • Kit can be left in the bus and collected at finish at village hall

  • Time: Leave hall 10 am

  • Finish: Durness Village Hall

  • Distance optional

This is a road run designed to go round the top and along Loch Eriboll

The map shows the whole course and like all maps refers to the Ordnance Survey map for this region – Sheet No 9 – Cape Wrath (Durness and Scourie)

  You can leave the decision until registration on Sunday evening. 

 

  

Comment and safety;

1.   This is a road run so footwear should be normal running shoes.

2.   For many this will be their first experience of running on single-track roads. The local police wish you to note that in such circumstances it is not a question of running on the left or the right but of using your common sense and behaving sensibly- as 99% of all car drivers do. Traffic flows will be far lower than you are used to but up here the rule of the road is to use the passing places and to GIVE WAY.   And that includes runners!

Remember that this is NOT A RACE – the aim is completion- not competition.

Loch Eriboll  

Lying to the east of Durness, Loch Eriboll is some 10 miles in length, varies from 100 – 400 feet in depth and is the most northerly deep water sea loch in Britain. The nature of its rocks and water make it a rare and special place for both flora and fauna. Otters, seals and a huge range of sea birds all make this a place of special scientific interest. It is also a place of great human interest as well. There are several examples of very early settlements within the area (including in the adjacent Loch Hope) and the area has suffered from severe population depletions.
The sheltered and deep waters have been a haven for ships through the centuries- including HMS “Hood” and HMS Valiant. The names of these ships are written in stone on the western hilside of Loch Eriboll

In 1937, HMS Hood, the worlds biggest battleship anchored in Loch Eriboll. During its nine day stay sailors wrote the name "Hood" in stones on the hillside to the west of the Loch. This continued a tradition started some 10 years earlier by other ships and continued until the 1960's. The Hood was sunk in 1941 with the loss of 1400 lives. The two meter high stones bair mute testimony to the tragic event. The stones were restored by local school children in 1993 and 1999. A close relationship exisits between Durness and the HMS Hood Association.

HMS Valiant  launched 4th November 1914. Dick Haldane's father was a midshipman on her at the  battle of Jutland where she was one of the few ships in this action not to suffer any casualties.  During World War II HMS Valiant was badly damaged by delayed action mines. She later  joined the British Eastern Fleet in January 1944 and took part in carrier raids against Japanese bases in Indonesia. She was scrapped at Cairn Ryan and Troon between November 1948 and March 1950.

All participants in the half marathon will receive a certificate to commemorate their participation

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