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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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This cache involves visiting two churches, one ancient and one modern and the above co-ordinates are for the car park of the present day Church of Dunbog and Abdie. Both churches can be found close to the village of Grange of Lindores in Fife. Please note that this is a very small cache.
In both Britain and Ireland, the word grange refers to a farm owned by and run for the benefit of a nearby abbey, in this case Lindores Abbey. Today the abbey is long gone but the farm remains and has given it's name to the small community that grew up around it.
Park at the above co-ords and then to get us started, the two digit number painted on the parapet of the railway bridge is 'ab'
Now enter the churchyard, this building was constructed in the early Victorian pre-gothic style and was completed in 1827 to replace the earlier church which we will be visiting shortly. Please note the total absence of any graves, this is because burials continued at the old church. Now look at the tower, the total number of arches supporting the roof is 'cd'.
Moving on, our next port of call is the Mort House belonging to the old church at N56 20.013, W003 11.953. This can be reached by the narrow single track road leading from the eastern end of car park and although it is possible to drive, it's better to leave the car because there isn't much room for parking there.
The Mort House is the building where in times past the dead were laid out in preparation for burial and now contains a number of monument stones, one of which is the pictish "Lindores Stone". This was originally sited on the summit of Kaim Hill but was removed in 1850 and used as a sundial, at which time a gnomon slot was cut and a set of roman numerals added.
The stone was later recorded as being present in the retaining wall of a cottage garden in the village and it was probably here that the stone received yet another indignity when the ordnance survey inscribed a benchmark upon it. The stone was finally removed from the wall in 1971 and placed in it's current location beyond the reach of wind, rain, timekeepers and government surveyors. The mort house contains 'e' monument stones.
Now lets enter the graveyard and look at the church itself. All four walls, the entrance porch and side chapel remain but the roof was removed in 1827 when the congregation departed to their new building. The church dates back to at least 1242 when it was dedicated by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews and there is an even earlier record from 1178, in the foundation charter of Lindores Abbey, which records their first bequest to the Church of Lindores in Ebedyn, as Abdie was known in those days.
A number of notable burials exist within the church and grounds including Sir Michael Balfour of Denmiln, comptroller of the Household of Charles I, buried in 1652, and also his son, Sir James Balfour, Lord Lyon, King of Arms. Also present is a monument to Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland (1777-1839), captain of the British warship HMS Bellerophon which held the defeated Emperor Napoleon on board in 1815 prior to his transportation to and exile on the island of St Helena.
An interesting minister of Abdie was Sir Andrew Murray (1597-1644) whom King Charles I created Lord Balvaird, apparently to annoy the Presbyterians who thought that the minister too moderate in his views. He also inherited the title of Lord Stormont and from him are descended the Earls of Mansfield whose ancestral home is Scone Palace.
Now back to the caching, located at N56 20.015, W003 11.948 is the grave of the peasant poet John Bethune whose brother Alexander penned the following cheery little ditty.
"This is a place of fear: the firmest eye
Hath quail'd to see its shadowy dreariness
But Christain hope and heavenly prospects high
Have made the timid pilgrim cease to fear
And long to end his painful journey here"
John Bethune died on September 'f' 1839, aged 'gh'
In the main body of the church, at N56 20.023, W003 11.929, you will find a monument to the Reverend Robert Mitchell whose ministry at Craig in Forfarshire lasted for 'j7' years.
In the side chapel, at N56 20.026, W003 11.927, you will find a monument to Hope Pitcairn of Kinnaird who died in 1873 aged 'km'years, and his wife Isabella Dickson who died in 1899 aged 'np' years.
Now proceeding to the eastern end of the church at N56 20.024, W003 11.919, there are 'q' windows in the east wall.
Returning outside to N56 20.021, W003 11.929, there are 'r' urns above the plaque on the outside wall.
Move to N56 20.021, W003 11.917 and from there inspect the south east corner of the building. Where side wall and gable meet, there are 's' decorative triangular features present .
The cache can be found at;
N56 20.(a + c)(e - b - f)(g + h - d)
W003 12.(s - r)(m - n)(p - j)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ng gur raq