Cache O'Noth Traditional Cache
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Cache is located on the lower slopes of the Tap O'Noth hill, which rises NW of Rhynie, some 9 miles south of Huntly. The cache is reached by a steady but not steep climb on a good path. The initial stretch includes crossing styles. Wonderful views from the cache, and the top of the hill if you continue up.
At 563m. above sea level, the Tap O'Noth is a distinct landmark in Aberdeenshire. It rises above the picturesque village of Rhynie, where refreshments are available. Drive west out of the village and park at N57 20.592 W002 51.899. This is a free car park, but please note there are no litter or dog poo bins, so please come prepared to take all 'deposits' home with you! There are several information boards in the car park giving a wealth of info on the Tap O'Noth itself and other walks in the area which take in interesting sites. The summit of the hill has an excellent example of a vitrified hillfort, the second highest in Scotland. This passage is taken from the Scottish Sculpture Workshop (based in Lumsden) website: “This hill is surmounted by fortifications dating back 3,000 years. There are two other hill forts that particularly stand out in the landscape of the area: Mither Tap at Bennachie and Dunnideer. The upper fort consists of a truly massive wall, vitrified extremely heavily in places, enclosing a rectangular area 105 m by 40 m. When the wall was excavated in 1891, it was found to be from 6 m to 8 m wide at the base and to rise to 3.5 m in height. The cistern, at the south end of the fort, was found to be 2.2 m deep. The severe vitrification could only have been produced by substantial quantities of timber and brushwood; once alight the fort must have been visible as a glowing beacon for days. It is not known when, or by whom, this great work, at once of defence and of display, was destroyed.”I should point out that although the cache is in the vicinity of an archaeological site, it is at least a couple of hundred meters from the hillfort, and the provision of parking facilities, a well maintained path and information boards are placed to encourage walkers and visitors to the site.Follow the path out of the car park, and for the short initial stretch the path cuts across a field (sign up saying 'beware of the bull - keep to the path edge', but I have never seen the bull!) so of course, dogs should be on a lead at all times. Crossing a couple of styles is involved here. The path then heads gently but steadily uphill. The cache is located just off a bend in the path, so a short walk through heather is necessary here. Once the cache is located, you are fairly close to the top of the hill which is very much worth the walk for the views, across to Lochnagar on a clear day, Mount Keen, Bennachie, and the coast!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Orarngu obhyqref, ybbx va nyy abbxf naq penaavrf.
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