Not sure if this has been mentioned already (apologies if so) but I've been doing a few events organised by Orienteering clubs over the last year or two. My local one is Manchester District (or MDOC) and they put on a varied calendar and are open to people turning up if you drop the organiser an email. Many are open score type events of between 1hr/90mins and very accessible - you have to get as many controls as poss within a certain time. There is sure to be an orienteering club near you wherever you are within reason. Here's MDOC's events list:

http://www.mdoc.org.uk/mdoc_fixtures.htm

Its certainly not a lost art with these lot - many youngsters doing it with great skill and having a great time too. My 10 yr old boy and I have really enjoyed going along together for some 'cunning running'.

I dont think nav on fell races is generally hard - just that some people can't be bothered to learn very basic stuff. More about habit and patience (i.e not running off into the mist without mentally marking a reference point/glancing at the compass, and not always following whoever is in front without checking for yourself, just hoping they've got it right). Although I've been guilty of all that many times.