Sandy's view Traditional Cache
This cache has been locked, but it is available for viewing.
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Potentially a cache and dash, if you don’t have time to stop and enjoy the views
Lovely little wooded area, with nice short walks, buggy friendly, but may be harder for wheelchair users to access the cache from the wood, but it is also accessible from the road.
This wood once upon a time started at the distillery brae and went all the way out to Saltburn but gradually homes were built along with the hospital, which was originally a military hospital. It is now just a small wood, but it still has deer in the winter and birds of prey, etc.
The woods at one time housed the British Aluminium Smelter conveyor belt which snaked from the pier, at the end of the woods right up and over to the factory at the back of Invergordon. The smelter was constructed at the end of the 1960s and opened in 1971 and at its peak employed about 1000 people. But it was never going to be successful, as the costs of the power needed to smelt the bauxite, which came by sea from Jamaica was just uneconomical. It closed in 1981, with massive debts, principally to the Hydro Electric board.
From the car park, (N57° 41.800 W004° 08.843) there is a lovely seated area, where you can look across the firth, to Cromarty. In 1913 the Firth became an important base for the Royal Navy. It is considered the best natural harbour in Europe. It is now used by oil companies, who send their oil rigs from all over the world for maintenance. It is also quite impressive to watch the large cruise liners on their way in and out of the port.
It was here in the firth that the Invergordon Mutiny took place. In 1931, during the Great Depression, the Government announced cuts in public spending, including cutting the salaries of able seamen, by 10%. Ten warships arrived in port on 11 September: including the Hood (the flagship). After arriving the crews found out about the proposed cuts from the newspapers and on the 12th September, a group met and they voted to strike. No ships would sail from the Firth. This in turn caused panic on the London Stock exchange.
From this lovely spot, so much has been viewed, as it sailed into history.
references
Ash, M. (1991) This Noble Harbour. A History of the Cromarty Firth.
(visit link) [accessed 30/08/2011]
(visit link) [accessed 30/08/2011]
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
fvg evtug qbja