Posts for December, 2024

Outsider Events are excited to bring to you a bigger and better 5th edition of Blair Castle Trail Weekender on the 30 May – 1 June 2025.

The 2025 event features a wider range of trail races and exciting edition of our evening talks, and range of live music on the Saturday evening…Plus, the first feature of the Atholl Trail Half Marathon!

Staged within the grounds of the iconic Blair Castle on the Atholl Estate, this weekend of trail running has races from Kids, 7km right up to the 60km ‘Full Tilt Ultra’.

All respective races start at the event village based in the grounds of Blair Castle which nestles at the base of the Cairngorm national park.

From here on out, depending on your choice of race, runners either loop round past Hercules Gardens and back to the start, fork off up the winding Glen Tilt or head toward the 1009m high summit of Ben Dearg. Which trail will you take?

The Grantown-on-Spey Triathlon is held in the picturesque capital of Strathspey set in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. The annual event attracts competitors with all levels of experience, but is mainly targeted at novices of all ages competing as individuals or in teams.

Swim
300 metres (15 lengths of a 20 metre pool)
Cycle
16 kilometres (10 miles) circuit round the Grantown Braes through some spectacular Highland scenery
Run
4.8 kilometres (3 miles) through the Anagach Woods

Join us for a cycling event and a fun and inclusive weekend in a great natural environment.

The Cateran Dirt Dash bikepacking event takes you in two days through the stunning surroundings of the Cairngorms National Park to enjoy the dramatic scenery in the Cateran Ecomuseum.

It’s the perfect way to experience the rugged beauty of Scotland’s only museum without walls. This event has a shorter route than the Dashes in Yorkshire and Dunoon; it’s the perfect introduction to bikepacking in Scotland.

Glenshee likes to keep us on our toes. Historically, there has either been not enough snow or too much snow. However, there is no denying when Glenshee is good, she is very good.

If conditions allow, we do plan to hold the British Skimo Championships on Saturday 1st March 2025 at Glenshee.

For those in the know, there seems to be little point in advertising a course because it always changes. Who knows where we will go but there will be multiple ascents and descents. There is very likely to be more than one lap with a harsh cut off time – dictated by the fastest racer of the day. The final course will only be known on the day but the maps below will give some idea for ideal conditions. The fastest racer is declared the winner.

We will plan to race on Saturday 1st March but if the conditions are unfavourable we will race on the Sunday. We will not reschedule this race if we have to cancel.

The event is to be based from the beautiful setting of Mar Lodge, three miles to the west of Braemar. With an excellent choice of terrain the area is superb for ultra running with many well maintained trails, tracks and paths leading you into the heart of the mountains.

​The Cairngorms Ultra Trail takes you on a journey through this wild & majestic landscape right in the heart of the Cairngorms. The route provides some stunning, remote, mountainous scenery. This will be a unique experience in a wild massif.

Experience extensive views across to the vast plateau around the Cairngorms’ most dramatic corries & summits, including Ben Macdui, Braeriach & Cairn Toul, the UK’s second,third & fourth highest mountains

Visits both the major Cairngorm Lairig passes – the Lairig an Laoigh and Lairig Ghru

Through the magnificent Caledonian pinewoods of Glens Derry, Luibeg & Quoich.

Highland League: Strathspey Thistle FC v Brechin City FC, Seafield Park, kick-off 2pm (note early kick-off time). Parking at ground and at Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club, by their kind permission. Overflow car parking at Burnfield Ave. car park (200m). Snack bar, raffle drawn at half-time, team-sheets, merchandise. Weather permitting – please check website and all social media for latest updates.

Highland League: Strathspey Thistle FC v Buckie Thistle FC, Seafield Park, 2pm (note early kick-off time). Parking at ground and at Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club, by their kind permission. Overflow parking at Burnfield Ave. car park (200m). Snack bar, raffle drawn at half-time, team-sheets, merchandise. N.B. Weather permitting – check website and all social media for latest match updates.

Highland League: Strathspey Thistle FC v Keith FC, Seafield Park, 2pm (note early kick-off time). Snack bar, raffle drawn at half-time, team-sheets, merchandise. Car parking at ground and at Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club, by their kind permission. Overflow parking at Burnfield Ave. car park (200m). N.B. Weather permitting – please check website and all social media for latest updates.

The experience of running in the snow at night in the Scottish mountains makes Snow Running a unique event in the UK Hill Running Calendar.

Format: Hill running circuit around Glenshee ski station on the compact piste snow, run at sunset and into the winter night. Short (6.5km) and long (11.5km) courses for range of abilities.

Designed as a challenging but fun event. You can run it as an opportunity to simply experience the challenge of the snowy hills at night or as a fierce mountain competitor chasing the trophy!

Participants must have done sufficient training and have an optimal level of health and physical condition, plus experience of undertaking activities in mountain conditions.

Highland League: Strathspey Thistle FC v Wick Academy FC, Seafield Park, kick-off 3pm. Parking at ground and at Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club by their kind permission. Overflow parking at Burnfield Avenue car park (200m). Hot snacks, half-time raffle draw, team-sheets, merchandise. N.B. Weather permitting – check social media for latest match updates.