This series of caches was originally placed by McKryton The
series was archived when he was unable to maintain them. This
series was too good to let die so we have resurrected it with some
help from McKryton. Locations and cache descriptions are as
original series.
This is the bonus for a cache series
set on a circular walk around Loch Brandy which is located high
above Glen Clova.
The series is not for the faint
hearted or physically unfit because the highest point of the wallk,
at 870 metres (2854ft), is only fractionally short of Munro status.
To find this cache you must first visit all of the associated
feeder caches, collecting from each the partial co-ordinates
contained there.
The above co-ordinates are for the Clova Hotel car park while
alternative public parking is also available at N56° 50.647, W003°
06.326. The walk begins from the rear of the Clova Hotel at N56°
50.686, W003° 06.201 from where a path leads uphill into the woods.
The first part of the walk is a steep climb straight up from the
valley floor which becomes more gradual as the rim of the corrie
appears. Once at loch level you still have a 200 metre climb up to
the rim and there are two ways to do this. You can go clockwise,
with this route providing a brutal climb up the front face of "The
Snub", or counter clockwise which is a longer but more gradual
climb up "Green Hill". Either way the views from the top make it
all worthwhile and each of the feeder caches is positioned to take
advantage of a particular view point along the way.
The difficulty and terrain are those of the bonus cache alone
but be aware that the feeder caches are in more rugged terrain.
Now for the history bit; Taking part in the battle of Culloden
was a regiment raised in the Angus glens and led by the 20 year old
Lord David Ogilvy, son of the chief of Clan Ogilvy. During the
battle the regiment fired two volleys before retreating from the
field in good order. They then began to retreat southwest towards
Braemar and on the 21st of April 1746 entered Glen Doll via the
Capel Mounth pass. Here, on land which is now the carpark of the
Glen Clova hotel the regiment paraded, firing one last ceremonial
shot before being formally disbanded. Lord Ogilvy then went into
hiding around Loch Brandy before escaping by ship from Dundee to
Bergen and finally France. So you are far from the first to follow
the Brandy Trail.
Once you have visited all of the caches, the bonus can be found
at
N56 50.abc, W003
06.def
