Black Earnside Traditional Cache
allieballie: Visited this afternoon - both the cache and the plaque have indeed gone, therefore I am going to archive this one as it was the plaque which initially prompted me to place a cache here. Without the plaque this would just be a cache in a layby, albeit with a very fine view. However, since placing this cache several other ones have appeared nearby with good views along the river so that is another reason for not replacing this one.
Thanks to all who have visited this one and sorry to those who hadn't found it!
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A plaque to commemorate the site of one of William Wallaces’ successful battles - and a fine view too!
Alright, so I may have been feeling a bit emotional or hormonal or whatever when I happened to pass this lay-by and spot a plaque set into the wall, but when I read it I was quite moved by the last sentence - made me feel quite patriotic!
I didn’t even realise that William Wallace had fought in Fife, so that was a new one on me. You can read the plaque for yourselves, either before or after searching for the cache.
In Wallaces’ day, this whole hillside was covered in a huge dark wood (presumably accounting for the “Black” part of the name) which extended down to the waters edge. In his fight against the English, Wallace often used this wood as a shelter, however, in June 1298 he fought the Earl of Pembroke here:
"This wood we'll hold as long as we stand,
To the last man we'll fight it, sword in hand.
The right is ours, let's do it manfully;
I'll free this land once more before I die."
The Scots were heavily outnumbered but they built a stockade and managed to hold off the English. Assistance came from nearby Newburgh and the surrounding villages in the shape of labourers with farming tools until finally the English were well and truly defeated and overthrown. Wallace and his triumphant followers retired to Lindores Abbey in Newburgh to recuperate and celebrate their victory.
The cache is an old film canister and contains only log paper and a very small pencil, but you may want to take your own pen with you just in case. The co-ordinates above are for the cache, not the lay-by or the plaque - both of which should be obvious!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre vil oruvaq n ybbfr funeq bs ebpx