UPDATE 21/5/18 - Similar to Lenzie Road we wanted to drop caches that tested your skills! Although this one isn't too hard to spot - your timing and stealth skills will be important - hidden in plain sight from the rush hour traffic!
An odd name for a town based cache.... but did you know the tower in front of you (Buchanan Tower) is commonly referred to by locals as 'The Black & White' for the reason the whisky of the same name was made here. Some interesting tales of the whisky bond go around (see the news article below) but one of the most unknown facts about the building, is that the reception once displayed one of 'Scotland's' most recognised pieces of art... Monarch of the Glen
The Monarch of the Glen is an oil-on-canvas painting of a red deer stag completed in 1851 by the English painter Sir Edwin Landseer. It was commissioned as part of a series of three panels to hang in the Palace of Westminster in London. As one of the most popular paintings throughout the 19th century, it sold widely in reproductions in steel engraving, and was finally bought by companies to use in advertising. The painting had become something of a cliché by the mid-20th century, as "the ultimate biscuit tin image of Scotland: a bulky stag set against the violet hills and watery skies of an isolated wilderness", according to the Sunday Herald. See the picture for this cache for a look!
The stag has twelve points on his antlers, which in deer terminology makes him a "royal stag" but not a "monarch stag", for which sixteen points are needed.
The painting was purchased in 1916 by Pears soap company and featured in their advertising. It was sold on to John Dewar & Sons distillery and became their trademark before similarly being used by Glenfiddich. The painting was then acquired as part of the purchase of Dewar's by Diageo. In 1997 Diageo sold Dewar's to Bacardi but this did not include ancillary assets. Diageo then loaned the painting to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
On 2 November 2016, Diageo announced their intention to sell the painting, as they stated it had "no direct link to our business or brands".[7] The National Galleries of Scotland was offered the painting, valued at £8 million, at half this price, if they could raise the required £4 million. A campaign was then launched to raise the funds, which succeeded
Bring your own tweezers and avoid rush hour times as muggle heavy! Why not pop into the Garfield House Hotel behind you for a refreshment? Doubt they sell Black & White (only export now) but they have plenty of other beverages and nice food!
Buchanan Tower in the Kirkintilloch Herald:
December 27, 1972 A MYSTERY ticking in a giant vat at the Black and White Distillery in Stepps led to the accidental blowing up of 100 gallons of whisky. Staff at the depot became alarmed at the sound and, fearing the worst, called in a bomb disposal squad from Edinburgh. The army experts tried to empty the cask but found that the bung was stuck fast.
A small plastic explosive charge was placed but, rather than opening the container as planned, it blew up the whole vat - whisky and all. The Herald reported: “Soldiers and workers looked on solemnly as the whisky flooded down the drain.” An army spokesperson said: “There was no bomb inside. We have no idea what caused the staff to hear the ticking noise.”