Welcome to the Cutty Sark Figurehead in Brighter Bervie
Congratulations for finding this Geocache which is part of a trail around Bervie. We invite you to explore for more of our sites.
In 1869 the world’s fastest and most famous clipper ship CUTTY SARK was launched in Dumbarton. This record-breaking sailing vessel which was designed by Hercules Linton of Inverbervie, was built specially to carry tea from China to Britain.
After steam-powered cargo ships displaced sailing vessels from the world’s oceans the CUTTY SARK was laid-up and eventually taken to Greenwich on the River Thames in London where she is preserved. You can visit the ship there and see how tough life was for the sailors who crewed such magnificent sailing vessels.
The name CUTTY SARK comes from the short vest worn by a witch described in Robert Burns’ famous poem, Tam O’ Shanter.
In 1997, this replica of the figurehead from the bow of the CUTTY SARK was placed here. It shows the witch Nannie dressed in her cutty sark, grabbing the tail from Tam O’ Shanter’s horse Meg as he fled from the ghoulish mob he had disturbed while riding past an old graveyard.
Hercules Linton lived in a house in Market Square near to this spot. You can identify it by the historic plaque on the wall – please take a look.
Enjoy the time you spend here, take good care of what you find, leave everything in good order and please come back again. Thank you for helping us to make Berviebrighter.