This cache is part of the Kinghorn Loch Trail.
After 2.3 million years of ice cover during the last Ice Age, the land reappeared some 13,000 years ago, a bleak expanse of lochans and rocky tundra. A huge chunk of ice remained buried beneath moraine and when it melted, Kinghorn Loch was born. This feature is referred to as a 'kettlehole' lake. These are usually round and deep, similar in shape to a cast iron pot or 'kettle'.
The Loch is the source of the Loch Burn, now a shadow of its former self it was for centuries the lifeblood of Kinghorn, providing a fresh water supply and later, power for six mills. The flow of the Loch Burn was controlled by a sluice in the south east corner of the Loch which can still be seen today. The Loch and the Loch Burn were granted to Kinghorn Burgh by royal charter in 1611.
The loch is now in wonderful condition, but it has been badly polluted a few times in its history. From the 1950s to 1983, leachate seeping from Alcan’s Whinnyhall Landfill Site killed all fish and plants but didn't stop the midges or the canoeists. Alcan worked with the Forth River Board to clean it up and now the water is in excellent condition.
Craigencalt Trust (and its precursor Loch Users Group) organised barley straw treatment twice a year for a decade to remove algal blooms and treatment continues to ensure that the water remains clear and healthy, for fish, plants and water sports.
A beautiful haven for swans, ducks and other birds, including kingfisher, the loch is also home to canoeists, dinghy sailors, open water swimmers, radio controlled yachts and fishermen. Volunteers from the Trust continue to support these uses and improve facilities, often with continuing support from Alcan, so just enjoy the loch and surrounding countryside.
Please be careful that there is nobody on the swing when searching for the cache.
Also the coords are a bit out due to tree cover, there is no need to go down the slope!
Facing the swing, the cache is to the right.
Text courtesy of Kinghorn Historical Society.