14th -15th March 2020

Introduction

This will be the sixth Isle of Skye Go Tournament, held every second year.

The dates are just before the tourist season begins, just before everyone here gets busy again, and before pressure on accommodation develops.

The weather can be ‘interesting’ in March. Huge waves may be crashing on the rocks at Neist Point, but we’ll be playing Go in a comfortable hotel’s function room, in the centre of Portree, the island’s only town; experiencing the weather will be an optional extra. (With the notable exception of 2018, when a blizzard prevented half of the would-be participants from reaching Skye, the weather has been kind to us so far.)

Dates and Times

Friday 13th March

19:30   Small board competition

Saturday 14th March

09:00   Registration
10:00   Round One   
13:30   Round Two
16:00   Round Three

Sunday 15th March

10:00   Round Four
13:30   Round Five
16:00   Round Six
18:10   Results and prizes 

Format

The main tournament will be run on the McMahon system. Each player will get 60 minutes per game. There will be some, ’accelerated’, byo-yomi, , in the first five games but not in the sixth; this is to make sure the prize-giving is not delayed, for the sake of any players who choose the long drive south on the Sunday night.

The small board competition on the Friday evening will have the same format as before: on 9x9 boards, double round robin, four or five players in each league (depending on numbers entering), even games with 7.5 komi. There’ll be a prize for the winner in each league.

Cost

Participants can take part in the main tournament on one day or on both.

One day £7.50 (£5.00 unwaged)
Both days £12.00 (£8.00 unwaged)

There is a surcharge of £1.50 per day in the main tournament for anyone who is not a member of the BGA. This helps cover the costs the BGA (British Go Association) has in laying on, insuring and advertising the tournament; these would otherwise have to be met from the members’ subscriptions alone (currently £24.00 per year; £15.00 for concessions). Players from abroad, and the unwaged, are exempt from this surcharge.

Venue

The venue will be the Tongadale Hotel, in Wentworth Street, Portree, IV51 9EJ. Wentworth Street is short, and runs from Somerled Square, which is where the buses from Glasgow and Inverness stop, to the top of Quay Brae, the way down to the harbour. There is a (google) map on the Tongadale’s website.

In March there is no parking problem in Portree. Free, long-stay, parking is at Bayfield, 300 metres from the Tongadale (near The Portree Hostel), or park initially at the door of the Tongadale and one of us will show you where Bayfield is.

Travel

There are several City Link buses a day between Glasgow and Skye, departing from Buchanan Street Bus Station; some of these go via Glasgow Airport, some do not.

There are frequent shuttle buses from Glasgow Airport to Buchanan Street Bus Station, from where the Skye buses depart. Glasgow Airport is served from many destinations, including Easyjet flights from Stansted and Flybe from Birmingham. Note that Glasgow Prestwick (served by Ryanair) is a different airport; from there frequent trains, quite cheap, go to Glasgow Central, which is about a mile across the city centre from Buchanan Street Bus Station. Glasgow Central is also where trains from England arrive. There are frequent buses from Edinburgh airport to Buchanan Street Bus Station in Glasgow; the journey time is about an hour.

We do not recommend using the train service from Glasgow to Mallaig to link with a ferry to Skye in March. If a storm forces ferry cancellations it could take a day to get round to Skye by train and bus.

Inverness Airport has flights to and from London and Birmingham. There are shuttle services to Inverness bus station, and several buses a day from there to Skye; these are also Citylink services. There are also trains, on a very scenic line, from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, and buses from there to Portree.

Since the opening of the M74 extension the best way to drive to Skye from the south is by the M6, M74, M8 to the Erskine Bridge and then up the A82. This goes up the west side of Loch Lomond, and through Fort William; turn left onto the A87 at Invergarry, and cross the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. Driving from Glasgow to Portree usually takes over five hours.

Accommodation in Portree

The Tongadale Hotel has set aside a number of rooms for us. If you book in there please let them know you'll be taking part in the tournament.

There are two very similar, equally priced, bunkhouses in the centre of Portree, The SYHA Portree Hostel (formerly Bayfield Backpackers) and The Portree Independent Hostel.

There are many other places to stay, see Visit Highlands.

Food

The Tongadale Hotel will serve us with tea, coffee and soft drinks, and access to where we will be playing is through the hotel bar.

The Café Arriba, about 50 metres from the Tongadale, will be ready for us at lunch time, between 11:30 and 13:30.

Even pre-season there are quite a few other places to eat, from good restaurants to fish and chip shops. Both backpacker hostels have a kitchen for guests who want to cater for themselves.

More Information and Pre-registration

For more information contact Carel Goodheir or John Macdonald, details below.

Please send us the information as on the entry form: it will help us a lot if all or most of those intending to come to this tournament pre-register.

Alternatively, email us at carelgoodheir“at” gmail.com or write, if possible with the information asked for in the entry form, to:

John MacDonald
2 Holm Court
Portree
Isle of Skye
IV51 9TE

Or phone John MacDonald on 01478 611207 or Carel Goodheir on 01478 611763

Do not send money now, please, that will be collected on the day.