Edinburgh Orienteering Series: Hillend Multi-Cache

• Hillend Country Park
• Bonaly Country Park
• Blackford Hill and The Hermitage
• Corstorphine Hill
• Cammo Estate

Note that the last cache (Cammo Estate) is a bonus cache that can only be completed once you have done the other four!

Orienteering

Orienteering is a sport involving navigation between control points (controls) marked on a map. The challenge is deciding the best route between controls and trying to complete the course in the quickest possible time. Orienteering events take place most weekends if you are prepared to travel a bit. They range from small "come and try it" events held in local parks, right up to large multi-day events attracting 1000s of competitors from all over the world! Courses are usually set by age and ability, but smaller events may simply use colours to grade the courses (white, yellow, orange, green, blue ... etc). Either way there is usually a course for everyone.

More information can be obtained from The Scottish Orienteering Association or from one of the two Edinburgh-based orienteering clubs: Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club and Interlopers. Or feel free to contact me via my profile!

Maps

You don't actually need proper maps to complete any of these caches, however if you would like detailed maps of the areas, you can buy them as follows:

• Hillend and Bonaly: Pentland Hills Regional Park Office at Boghall on the A702 during normal working hours (phone 0131 4453383 to check), or from the Hillend Ski Centre during its opening hours. The Bonaly map can (usually) be obtained at a slightly higher price from the Bonaly Corner Shop (corner of Bonaly Road and Bonaly Avenue). I say usually because when I checked, they had run out!
• Blackford Hill and The Hermitage, Corstorphine Hill and Cammo Estate: The Hermitage of Braid Visitor Centre or Cammo Lodge Visitor Centre, both normally open from 2-4pm on weekdays (phone 0131 4477145 to check)

Alternatively, maps can be obtained from Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club, or contact me and I'll pass on more specific details of how to get them.

The Cache

This cache is at Hillend Country Park and the co-ordinates above are your starting point, a parking area near the ski slope.

The course I've set involves visiting the following controls in order: 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 14, 8 and 16. At each control there will be a red and silver marker, usually attached to a post (see example). The marker will show the control number (1, 5, 2 ... etc) together with a single letter or code. Double check that you've found the right one (using the control number), make a note of the letter and then convert it into a number using the formula A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26.

The following table describes the course:

At the top of the small hill above control 16 there is a bench where you can sit down, enjoy the view and calculate the location of the cache (which is nearby). As a sanity check, the numbers you have worked out should add up to 57.

The final cache can be found at the following co-ordinates:

N 55 5A.BCD W 003 12.EFG, where

A = (value calculated from the letter at) control 4
B = control 14 - control 1
C = control 3 - control 2
D = control 3 - 14 (not control 14!)
E = control 14 - control 2
F = control 8
G = control 1 - control 16

Please make sure you put the cache back exactly as you found it.

Bonus Cache

To get back to the car-park, continue by visiting the following controls in order: 10, 12, 11, 13 and 17. Again at each control, double check you've found the right one (using the control number), make a note of the letter and then convert it into a number using the formula A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26:

As a sanity check, the numbers you have worked out should add up to 48. These values are required to complete the bonus cache: Edinburgh Orienteering Series: Cammo.

Good luck!