*** If you're parking at the given coordinates, the roundtrip will be about 7km and take about 1.5 - 2 hours, more if you have small children with you. Most of the path is either rough forestry or military road, but not suitable for buggies/strollers.(this is the route we chose)
*** If you're planning to hike/cycle the entire stage 3 from Garelochhead to Arrochar, please be aware that it is 20.5km/12.7miles and will take about 4.5 - 5 hours
*** The final location for the cache is NORTH of the bridge and OUTWITH the boundry of MOD property. It is not far from the given parking co-ordinates
The new bridge across the Glen Mallan Burn bears a small plaque in memory of Dave Markland who did the early project management work on the "Gurkha Bato", a road built in 2009 by the men of 70 Gurkha Field Support SQDN to provide a route across the dangerously boggy ground just south of the railway underbridge. Sadly Dave lost his life in Afghanistan not long after. Finance for the new bridge and the "bato" was brokered by Helensburgh & District Access Trust. (from the booklet "The Three Lochs Way", published by Helensburgh & District Access Trust and with permission of John Urquhart of LomondGuides)
The Dave Markland Bridge is at a nice spot that invites for a lunch or snack break. As you're munching away on your sandwiches, find the answers to the following questions. You'll need those numbers to calculate the final coordinates.
A= In what year was Warrant Officer Dave Markland killed in Afghanistan?
B= How many timber slats were used for this bridge so you can cross the burn without getting your feet wet?
C= In which year did the Helensburgh & District Access Trust build the bridge?
D= The Helensburgh & District Access Trust has worked hard in developing this route.
How many other trusts/organisations helped fund this project?
E= How many vertical fence posts were used for the handrails over the bridge?
The cache can be found at:
N56° (E-1).(Bx2+2)(cross sum of C) W004° (B+D+2).(A+C-470)/4
To check your answers before doing the maths, add up all the letters A+B+C+D+E and it should give you 4076
Notes
1. "The American Road" services the southern part of the Ministry of Defence's Garelochhead Training Area, which extends from around Strone House in the south to Creagan Sithe in the north. You are welcome to walk through, but do please note that the area is used fairly intensively, so don't be surprised if you meet up with the young trainee soldiers carrying their huge packs and fully kitted out for battle. They will probably be too busy to take much notice of you, but a friendly word of thanks and encouragement costs nothing and will be greatly appreciated. Very occasionally the MOD may require to close the training area and prior to walking this section you may wish to check with the training area management. The number to ring is 01436 810369
2. I can highly recommend the booklet “The Three Lochs Way” which is available at various Visitors’ Centres, from accommodation providers or online on their website. It has detailed and helpful information about distances, waypoints and coordinates as well as background information on the various points of interest.