This cache is one of 3 caches in the area with a royal
theme--
RHIANNON EDWARD wrote--- ONE of Scotland's most famous
historical meetings - that of Robert Bruce and the spider which
inspired him to continue the struggle for independence - took place
in Northern Ireland, it was claimed yesterday.
A direct descendant of Bruce, the Earl of Elgin, has identified
a cave on Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim as the spot
where the national hero hid from English forces and was spurred on
to fight again after watching the creature spin its web.
According to tradition it was seeing the spider fall and get
back up again which inspired Bruce to gather his army and tell his
men: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again."
Lord Elgin said: "He was very much a seafaring man. There are
currents at Rathlin and in the days of sailing you wouldn't have
been able to approach it swiftly. He would have seen anybody and
been able to defend himself."
Legend says that after Bruce was defeated in battle he was
outlawed and escaped to a hideout in a cave.
He remained there for three months and reached his lowest point,
when he decided that he would have to give up his fight for
Scottish independence. But one day he spotted a small spider
weaving a web in the cave's entrance, which despite falling down
time after time eventually finished its web.
According to the tale, Bruce was so inspired by the spider's
battle that he began his fight once more. He gathered his army and
eventually drove the English out of Scotland in 1314 at the Battle
of Bannockburn.
It has been claimed that Bruce's Cave in Dumfriesshire, King's
Cave on Arran and Uamh-an-Righ in Craigruie could each have been
Robert the Bruce's hideout.
Robert Bruce died in 1329, nine years after the Declaration of
Arbroath, seen as the founding document of the Scottish nation, was
drawn up.
Cache is a sistema container with the usual
trade items along with the RESIDENT SMALL SPIDER,PLEASE DONT
TAKE!--Also contains logbook,pencil,etc.Cache is attached with a
line to stop it falling out,may also need a torch to see your way
around.
CHECK OUT PUNGA & PAUA's pics--see *Needle eye *cache in the
background!!!