On your way to Cranny Falls spend a few moments studying the spoil heaps on your right. They consist of piles of limestone waste from Gortin Quarry. Over time, the thin layer of soil mixed with limestone chips which covers the heaps has been colonised by an attractive community of wildflowers and grasses, characteristic of the species rich limestone grassland which occurs naturaly in a few places along the Antrim Coast. The steep sides of the gorge leading to the falls are clad in a varitey of trees, cheifly Hazel , Wych Elm and Ash.The moist humid atmosphere within the gorge provides prefect conditions for the groth of mosss, ferns and liverworts. Butterflies, such as Speckeled Wood can often be glimsed amongst the foliage. Red Squirrels have also been seen in the wooded gorge. they prefer coniferous woodland but are also to be found in mixed woods.They are excellent climbers, jumping easily from tree to tree and running up and down the trunks with their tails outstretched. On the ground, they pause frequently, rearing up in an alert position to sense danger. They are active during the day and feed on almost any kind of vegetable matter. The Glens of Antrim are one part of Ulster where these animals occur in any number. Their traditional range is being steadily colonised by the more agressive Grey Squirrel, which is not a native species. When this occurs, red Squirrel numbers usually decline. It is a 2 km walk from the parking cords to the cache site.If you are taking a dog to the cache site please keep it on a lead as there may be sheep grazing in the quarry.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE WATERFALL ROAD TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE CACHE SITE IT IS A PRIVATE ROAD.
ON THE WAY TO THE FALLS AT THE REFERENCE POINT JUST A FEW FEET OFF THE PATH AT THE BOTTOM OF A SLOPE IS A WELL . THERE IS NO LID ON THIS SO KEEP PETS AND CHILDREN WELL AWAY FROM IT.
Due to poor GPS reception at the cache site THE HINT IS A SPOILER - you have been warned.
Please be very careful when retreiving and replacing the cache.
There is no pen or pencil in the cache - please bring your own.
