Colin MacDonald was a native Gaelic speaker and one of the Scottish Highland's great authors. He spent much of his life on the family croft, which lies but a stone's throw from this cache, next to the red-roofed barn to the north. This cache is located by a monument raised in his memory.
MacDonald left school at thirteen to work the croft and at the age of twenty-six, matriculated at Marischal College, Aberdeen. He later became a member of staff of the Aberdeen and North of Scotland College of Agriculture. He also worked for the Board of Agriculture for Scotland and finally became Gaelic-speaking member of the Scottish Land Court.
He was a wonderful storyteller with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. His first book, 'Echoes of the Glen', was published in 1936, a vivid and faithful portrayal of daily life in the Highlands. Other publications included 'Highland Journey' (1949), 'Croft and Ceilidh' (1947), 'Highland Memories' (1949), and 'Crofts and Crofters' (1955). Colin died at the croft in 1957.
Spend a few moments at this cache, taking in the stunning 180° views, from Dingwall in the east to Strathpeffer in the west, and look south to Knockfarrel and the Cat's Back. It's easy to see how this landscape provided food for the soul and helped Colin MacDonald in his literary work.
Update April 2021: This cache has now been replaced. The original cache seems to have gone missing in late 2020 for reasons unknown; unfortunately, everything inside the cache has been lost with it, from logbooks to a collectible. The new cache is in the same place, but is now smaller in size so as to be less visible to anyone not playing the game. If anyone finds the old cache in the surrounding area, please do let me know. Mòran taing a h-uile duine!