The cache is not at the published coordinates and there is no reason to go there.
Come with me as we go on a journey of naturalist exploration, looking to see examples of a rare species - The Flummox - in the wild. Formerly kept in captivity as a side show act for the Circus McGurkus, these little puzzle-creating critters have now been freed and re-introduced to their native habitat by Flummox-rights campaigners. Opinion is divided on whether this was a good thing.
Together we will track them to their lairs and explore their struggle to re-adjust to their new surroundings, as they try to shrug off the after-effects of their captivity. You can read more about The Flummox here: GC9F205, where all the caches in the series are listed. There is also a bookmark list for the series here.
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Fashin Cache
'fashin' - an Old Scots word for annoying.
One of the darker chapters in the story of the Flummoxes in captivity and their eventual freeing into the wilds of tropical Falkirk, was the efforts of the ill-fated Flummox cross-breeding programme. It started with one zoologist’s identification that a Flummox is in fact a branch species of the common (or 'garden') Haggis. In terms of zoological genetics, the Flummox and the Haggis - are in effect – cousins. This nugget of information was considered a revelation in the quest to get the freed Flummoxers to settle in the wilds of Scotland.
With this discovery started an ambitious programme (after the Flummoxes were freed from the circus), to interbreed the two creatures. It was not a success. It seems although there was some element of biological compatibility, the Flummox had certain characteristics that did not appeal to the indigenous Haggis, chiefly that they were smug little gits. So zoologists attempted to brainwash certain characteristics into the Flummoxes that would make them blend in and interbreed with the Haggi.
Flummox attempting to communicate with the local Haggi
Thus begun the ‘Scotification’ of The Flummox, with the zoologists doing behavioural modification for each Flummox to appreciate ‘neeps and tatties’, deep fried confectionary, and bagpipe music. Sadly it didn’t take, and instead the Flummoxes reverted to type and started making a new puzzle.
“Annoying little gits” said the Haggi.
Here is the puzzle they made:
The cache is located at N 56° 00.UVW W 003° 51.XYZ
U = A-B V = C+1 W = D X = E-F Y = G-H Z =I/J
Post-publication update 26/05/22: puzzle tweaked to make sourcing the solution a little easier. Solution remains the same and any previous solved coordinates are still valid.
There's a solution checker for the cache below, for you to enter your final coordinate solutions into:
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
A Note On Further CO Hints
This is a deliberately difficult series of puzzles. However that doesn't mean extra help isn't available from the CO, and I'm happy to provide an extra nudge. My only request is that in asking for an extra nudge, folks share the various methods/approaches they have tried so far, so I can see if they are already on the right track. If you're stumped on where to start, you'll probably get a pretty broad hint to enable you to start making progress.