Dunskey Disconnected Traditional Cache
Headie D: Not able to maintain cache site as often as I would like or need to. :(
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The cache has room for swops and can be found close to the Southern Upland Way footpath which starts (or finishes!) at Portpatrick and crosses southern Scotland to Cockburnspath on the east coast. There are two routes suggested to the cache. Route 1 is all year and Route 2 is seasonal (March - October). The cache name comes from the old telegraph line which ran from Scotland to Ireland.
Portpatrick, named after St Patrick, who, legend has it, crossed here on his way to Ireland, is a beautiful village centred round its harbour. For many years Portpatrick was the shortest sea crossing to Ireland but fell into decline when the sheltered waters in Loch Ryan (Cairnryan and Stranraer harbours) were used to provide safer all year round ports for the ferry trade. The village today is popular place for weekend and longer breaks with golf and fishing activities a focus.
For more information on Portpatrick see links below.
To the cache! (See the Gallery for photographs of some of the landmarks mentioned below).
1) All year access following Southern Upland Way.
a) Fom Portpatrick N54°50.568 W005°07.198 (North car park - there is a further car park to the south of the harbour.)
Start at Portpatrick harbour (Photo 1)and follow the well marked Southern Upland Way (Photo 2) up the north cliff path past the imposing Portpatrick Hotel. (Photo 3). The walk hugs the impressive clifflline and care should be taken. Follow the path past Portpatrick Radio Station (Photo 4) with its huge radio masts (now automated but which used to be manned 24 hours hours and provided a key communication link for shipping) to the golf course. Look out for the pointed Witches Rock (Photo 5) just off the coast where the path meets the golf course. From the headland (Photo 6) giving views to Ireland only 22 miles distant the path heads downhill to Port Mora. This bay is known locally as Sandeel Bay (Photo 7). On the south side a waterfall flows (Photo 8) over the entrance to a small cave which, legend has, was used to bathe in for its healing powers.
On the north side of the bay either take the footpath to the left round the headland separating the two bays (a short section is quite exposed) or take the wider footpath to the right which leads to Port Kale by an easier route. Port Kale is more commonly called Laird's Bay. On the headland between the two bays can be found the graves of the family members of the Lairds of Dunskey (Photo 9). Access to the headland is via a agate at N54°51.130' W005°07.715. The present Laird still lives in Dunskey House about two miles to the east.
On into Laird's Bay (Photo 10). Here you will find a Coastal Interpretation Centre housed in an old cable telegraph building which was built in the 1850s when a cable was laid between Scotland and Ireland. Still standing proud is the telegraph pole marking where the cable ran down to the shore and then under the North Channel. Part of the cable is still visible and you can see where it was disconnected! (Photo 11).
The cache is located in this bay which is unfortunately marred by the plastic rubbish washed ashore. GPS readings can be affected by the proximity of the bases of the cliffs at the cache site but should hopefully be close enough.
Your walk can be extended from the north of Laird's Bay up a steep path with hand rails and from there over the undulating cliff path to Killantringan Lighthouse. Well worth the effort! Look out for the remains of the Craiganlet, a cargo ship which grounded on the rocks below the lighthouse in 1982. The lighthouse light was on but the ship's crew were asleep! Public roads can then be followed back to Portpatrick (6 miles) or retrace your steps back to Port Kale.
b) From Killantringan Lighthouse, N54°51.860 W005°08.747. A car can be left in this area just off the road after crossing the cattle grid. Following the Southern Upland Way south to Laird's Bay (Port Kale) and return by same route or on to Portpatrick and return by road. (6 miles)
2) March - October Access only offering a very pleasant circular route.(4 miles)
Either start in Portpatrrick Village N54°50.568 W005°07.198 or from the walker's car park at N54°51.163 W005°06.474. Access to the car park is from the B738 signposted Leswalt. Take the road north for about 300 metres to the Home Farm and turn left heading west (signposted Glen Cottage). At junction N54°51.096 W005°07.026 head north to N54°51.296 W005°07.186 and turn left here which leads you down the picturesque Dunskey Glen and then to Laird's Bay. Return either along the Lower Glen Walk or along the cliff path described above to Portpatrick and then back to the start. The walk is however seasonal and access restrictions apply. See Dunskey Glen Walk link below.
There are plenty of eating and drinking places in Portpatrick to enjoy after your walk and there is a seasonal tearoom at Dunskey House.
I was brought up in Portpatrick and the placing of the cache has been a welcome return giving memories of swimming, fishing from the rocks and also gathering lots of driftwood to make bonfires in Laird's Bay. One memorable day involved catching a Conger Eel in Sandeel Bay and then trying to cook it!
(For your interest if using British OS Grid References there are several places in the village where map NX changes to NW and you can see your GPS change from NX99999 to NW00000. One spot is in the main street opposite the Downshire Arms Hotel).
Related Sites
Portpatrick (visit link)
Dunskey Glen Walks (visit link)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnpur vf bayl n srj cnprf bss gur cngu naq fyvtugyl hcuvyy. Fgergpu bhg qrrc haqre jrr bireunat nobhg 10 cnprf sebz FH Jnl cbfg.