This virtual will take you to three stunning viewpoints all located within close proximity to each other. The highest point is 130m (426 ft) above sea level but don’t worry, all three viewpoints are located just off Lyle Road with parking available so you don’t have to climb the hill unless you particularly wish to. However, in order to claim the virtual, you will have to undertake an easy task at each view point. It is recommended that you visit the locations on a clear day to fully appreciate the fantastic views. Sunsets and night time views can be pretty awesome too.
The viewpoints provide panoramic views across the Clyde. The hill overlooks Gourock and the Tail of the Bank, the point at which the river becomes the Firth of Clyde. Also visible are the Cowal hills, with the town of Dunoon below, the Holy Loch, former site of the US Navy Scottish submarine base, and the settlements of Kilcreggan, Rosneath and Helensburgh to the east. On a clear day it is possible to see beyond the Erskine Bridge to Glasgow in the east, and the Island of Arran and beyond to the south west.
VIEWPOINT 1 - FREE FRENCH MEMORIAL
The first view point is by a war memorial dedicated to the memory of sailors of the Free French Naval Forces who sailed from Greenock between 1940 and 1945 and gave their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic. The memorial takes the form of the Cross of Lorraine combined with an anchor.
The memorial overlooks the wartime anchorage on the Firth of Clyde between Greenock and Gourock. This was where many wartime convoys began and ended and where some 1-3 million American troops were landed in the buildup to D-Day. It was not unusual to see a hundred or more naval and cargo vessels assembling before sailing.
QUESTION 1
How many upright concrete posts support the metal fencing around the memorial area?
VIEWPOINT 2 - THE BEACON
The beacon was originally built for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 and has been lit for many major occasions including the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and the Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
There are also some seats and some information boards.
QUESTION 2
How many rivets are visible on the outside of the metal beacon?
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VIEWPOINT 3 - CRAIGS TOP
TRAILHEAD: N55 57. W004 47.
This view point looks upstream towards Greenock, Port Glasgow and beyond. On a clear day you can see Dumbarton Rock and may be even the Erskin Bridge.
There are a number of structures here including a trig point and a metal blue structure which is believed to be the base of a former flag pole, together with some seats.
QUESTION 3
There is a blue post, believed to be an old flag pole base, with a set of four numbers. What are those numbers?
BEFORE LOGGING THIS VIRTUAL CACHE, please use the message centre or email me with your answers to the questions above. Please include the GC number and cache title. Please do not put the answers in your log.
Finally, to prove that you were here, please post a photo with your log from one of the view points, to include yourself, or a personal possession, or a piece of paper with your caching name written on it. (I must be able to read the name).
I hope you enjoy your visit.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.