The John Buchan Trail - "Greenmantle" Traditional Cache
Hidden : 10/2/2010
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

A cache and dash with fine views of Tweedsmuir.

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"I have said that the Studebaker was a rotten old car. Its steering-gear was pretty dicky, and the bad surface and continual hairpin bends of the road didn't improve it. Soon we came into snow lying fairly deep, frozen hard and rutted by the big transport-wagons. We bumped and bounced horribly, and were shaken about like peas in a bladder. I began to be acutely anxious about the old boneshaker, the more as we seemed a long way short of the village I had proposed to spend the night in. Twilight was falling and we were still in an unfeatured waste, crossing the shallow glen of a stream. There was a bridge at the bottom of a slope - a bridge of logs and earth which had apparently been freshly strengthened for heavy traffic. As we approached it at a good pace the car ceased to answer to the wheel.

I struggled desperately to keep it straight, but it swerved to the left and we plunged over a bank into a marshy hollow. There was a sickening bump as we struck the lower ground, and the whole party were shot out into the frozen slush. I don't yet know how I escaped, for the car turned over and by rights I should have had my back broken. But no one was hurt. Peter was laughing, and Blenkiron, after shaking the snow out of his hair, joined him. For myself I was feverishly examining the machine. It was about as ugly as it could be, for the front axle was broken."

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John Buchan was born in 1875 in Perth, the eldest of five children, whose father was a minister. The family moved to Pathhead, Fife, where the other four were born. Although they then moved to Glasgow where he first attended Hutcheson's Grammar School, then to Glasgow University and Brasenose College Oxford, he spent plenty of time down with his grandparents at Broughton in the Scottish Borders, around which this series of caches is based.

Following his studies in Classics, he firstly worked on the "Spectator" magazine, whilst reading for the Bar, to which he was called in 1901. He then moved to South Africa to work in government and diplomacy until 1903, which introduced him to the country which would influence the first in the series, "Prester John" (1910). He returned to work on the "Spectator" and the Bar, and married Susan Grosvenor in 1907, from which they had four children. It was at this time he became a director of the Edinburgh publishing house Thomas Nelson & Son, having befriended Thomas Nelson, a descendant of the founder, at Oxford.

From around this time, he ventured into politics, becoming in 1911 the Unionist candidate for Peebles and Selkirk, and on the outbreak of the First World War, worked firstly on the staff of "The Times" on the western front, and then in intelligence. It was between 1915-1919 that he wrote four of the five "Hannay" novels which form part of this series of caches.

Following the War, Buchan turned more towards his writing, producing both novels and historical novels, and combined this with a directorship of Reuters. He and his family moved to Elsfield Manor, Oxfordshire, but he retained strong links with Scotland, combining amongst his titles "M.P. for the Combined Scottish Universities" and "President of the Scottish Historical Society". In 1932, he was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George and in 1933/4, he was the High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Following this, he was created Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield in 1935, and in the same year, Governor-General of Canada, the office of which he held until his death in Montreal on 6th February 1940 following a stroke.

Although his ashes are buried at Elsfield, there is a section in the John Buchan Centre in Broughton which reflects the impact of his time in South Africa and the desire expressed earlier in his life that his remains should be buried there. This seems to have been overlooked at the time of his death, but a memorial by way of a plaque affixed to a monolith has been dedicated to him overlooking the Ebenezer Dam in the Magoebaskloof region in South Africa, the area in which he was inspired to write "Prester John".

Richard Hannay is now our hero, and the sequel "Greenmantle" (1916) is set in the thick of the First World War, predominantly in Asia Minor. Like the others, it is well worth reading, if you have not already done so (or again, if you have!).

Please take care of small excitable beings at this one (and that includes pheasants as well as your own!), particularly when the ground is wet.

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"The John Buchan Story" (visit link) has now moved to Peebles and the opening details are as follows:

Easter Weekend (from Good Friday) until the end of October, Monday to Saturday.

Times:

10.00 am to 4.30 pm.

Admission:

Adults: £2
Children: free
John Buchan Society Members: free

Outwith these times, we are happy to open the Museum for groups (up to 30 people).

Winter Season

We especially welcome groups in the winter months and can customise your visit to your particular interests.

Easter Weekend - Friday to Monday inclusive, and from 1st May to mid-October daily between 2-5pm: Adults £2, Children 50p. It can be opened at other times and available for large groups by arrangement.

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* * * FTF: THESEARCHDOG * * *

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Uhzc!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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