The Great Glen trigpoint project was a geological study of the crustal movement across the Great Glen Fault. This is where two crustal plates meet, with one plate slowly sliding north, while the other plate slides south. The area experiences numerous earthquakes each year, but as they are small and frequent, they are seldom felt. The Kessock Bridge, which spans the north end of the fault, was designed to cope with these tremors.
The project, designed to measure this movement, ran from 12 June 1972 until 3 July 1979. Fifteen pillars were planned, but only fourteen, comprising a mix of Hotine and Vanessa type trigpoints, seem to have been built. Most of the pillars have flush brackets, with the exception of Stations P and Q, but only one appears on OS maps, it being Station J, situated about 1.5k south of Fort Augustus.
Trigpoints are generally known for their contribution to mapping in the United Kingdom, it is interesting to see these trigpoints which were built for a unique project and not for mapping specifically, although the way the trigpoints were used to measure height and distance between them would have followed the normal principles.
About this geocache...
This is the furthest hide on a line of three trigpoints (K, M and O). Park at the given waypoint and then simply follow the track to begin. Not very far along the track in the first field to the NW you'll see the pillar trigpoint of 'Great Glen Project Station K / Tomamhoid'. At the time of publication it didn't have a geocache and unfortunately there wasn't anywhere obvious to place one.
Continue up the track as it zig zags up the hillside, a very easy way to gain height. Once at the top, it's onto the open moorland, there's no path but it's definitely easier than the terrain on the north side of the valley. (The H, E, F, P and G loop on the other side of the valley is very tussocky and uneven, the moorland here on the K, M and O walk is much smoother and easier to hike through although obviously you will have to walk through heather and some boggy ground.) It's not that far across the moorland until you reach 'Great Glen Project Station M' which has GCAPEAA hidden closeby, a nice secure hide that is unlikely to go missing if securely replaced.
From 'M' you need to head south to this one, the most remote of the three hides up here. It is just open moorland from 'M', the deer paths and quad tracks don't really go in the right direction, you must just follow the arrow to the final trigpoint which occupies a nice remote place. You do have to gain a little height but you've done the bulk of the climb on the track. The geocache isn't hidden directly at the trigpoint as there was no secure hiding place, but if you climb directly up a few steps from where it is hidden you can see it and make your way over. A waypoint for the trigpoint has been included to ensure you don't miss it!
The first two pillars on the walk are the lighter pillar, cylindrical in shape, designed this way in order to avoid excessive transport costs. These round pillars, usually called 'Vanessas', or sometimes 'Branders' or 'Kelsey Columns', were considered "less aesthetically satisfying" than the standard pillar, so they were only placed in inaccessible locations to "reduce the risk of criticism from the more sensitive element of the population to an acceptable level". They don't seem to always stand up to the Scottish weather as well as the more traditional design.
This final trigpoint is the more iconic triangulation pillar - commonly referred to as a Hotine pillar, because it was designed by Brigadier Martin Hotine. Why the most remote one was made using the heavier and more expensive design is unknown!
Please ensure you re-hide this very securely due to the remote nature of the hide, it's a well protected hiding place and shouldn't go astray if people are careful. There is a spoiler photo as we wouldn't want you to hike up here and not discover the container. Please enjoy your walk.
About Ye Ole Survey Monuments
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Ye Ole Survey Monument (YOSM) is a captivating series of caches that pays homage to the remarkable legacy of OutForTheHunt's YSM series (GC45CC).
YOSM caches are strategically positioned at or near Trig Points. These triangulation stations have played a pivotal role as surveying landmarks, contributing to the mapping of expansive territories.
Some of these points, bearing historical significance, might now be situated on private land or have vanished with time. As a result, the caches are artfully placed in close proximity, reverently acknowledging the historical importance of these survey monuments.
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More information, bookmarks and statistics can be found at the YOSM Website
If anybody would like to expand the Ye Ole Survey Monuments Series, please do.
I would ask that you request a number for your cache first at www.yosm.org.uk
so we can keep track of the numbers and names to avoid duplication.