Grey Coast #4 Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache is near the old coastguard lookout above Lybster Harbour in Caithness.
Park in village or at harbour. A good track sets off, but this becomes grassy and narrow with stiles. Children need supervision because of steep slopes, while dogs need to be on leads in any fields with sheep or cattle. Look for gate, stile and bridge about 50m from lookout.
This cache is placed high above the fishing harbour of Lybster in Caithness, a harbour still with an active fleet of inshore fishing craft, although not the vast number of boats that fished from here in the heyday of the herring fishing. In those days Lybster was a booming coastal village with banks, churches, many shops, hotels, secondary school and its own branch railway to Wick. The old railway station now serves as the club house for Lybster Golf Club.
The term “Grey Coast” comes from the title of the book by local author Neil Gunn (1891 - 1973). A statue commemorating his works is to be seen at Dunbeath Harbour. An excellent view of the Grey Coast is got from the cache ranging from the isolated sea stack “the Needle” at Berriedale in the south, past the white Dunbeath Castle to Ceann Hilligeo in the north.
You can park in the village or at the harbour and take the clearly signposted path to the site of the old coastguard lookout high on Swiney Hill (see above). On the way a side track takes an interesting detour to the Brethren Well, commemorating a 9th century priory on the cliff-top. The site is now a well established sea watching venue with a seat and information panel. Mnay sea birds nest on the cliffs or fly past the site, while regular sightings of whales and dolphins are reported from here.
Out at sea you can see the three production oil rigs of the Beatrice Field, and also two tall aero generator towers, the forerunners of some 200 planned for this offshore site. Just over Swiney Hill behind you is an on-shore drilling site, tapping into reserves out below the sea.
The cache is hidden some 50m from the viewpoint.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ernpu haqre lbhe srrg!
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures