Thom's Trail Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is part of a circular walk. Although over 7 miles in distance there is a good path all the way and only one short, gentle, uphill section at the start.
What is the Greenock Cut? It is an aqueduct, just under 5 miles long, which carried water from the Great Reservoir, now called Loch Thom, to the town of Greenock. It was started in 1825 by Robert Thom, a civil engineer whose remit was to provide safe, clean water to the town. His scheme had a massive impact on the lives and fortunes of people in the area and has been described by some as a masterpiece and by others as a lifeline. It remains one of the few such water supply systems still largely intact in the UK.
In the early nineteenth century Greenock had the reputation as the unhealthiest town in Scotland. In order to provide the town with a good water supply, Thom’s concept involved the building of a large reservoir in the hills above Greenock, feeding a 5.5 mile aqueduct following the contours of the hills. This aqueduct, “the Cut” runs almost horizontally on “a grand crescent”.
However, Thom’s vision not only included a safe domestic water supply. He also calculated he could provide 33 'public works’ each having water-power equivalent to 50 horses and, to achieve this he had the water cascade down successive falls, driving 19 water wheels and a succession of factories on its way.
Over the years, the Cut helped power a host of industries from shipbuilding, distilling and electrical power generation to woollen mills, sugar refineries, flour mills and rope manufacture.
The Cut fell into disrepair after it was decommissioned and replaced by a tunnel leading into Greenock’s Overton Water Treatment works in 1971.
A former provost of Greenock once said,”Apart from the significance of the industrial heritage, the walk alongside the Cut from the town to the reservoir, with its stunning views of the Firth of Clyde, Bute and Arran, is classed as one of the great walks of Scotland."
The cache is in a rectangular plastic container inside a blue garden refuse sack. The location is N 55ºAA.BCD W 04ºEF.FAG
To find the values there are other places to visit.
You start off in the car part close to the first clue point at N 55º 54 .633 W 04º48.435
BC = the day on which the plane crashed. (Since the information board has gone missing the day was 26)
Now go to N 55º 55.026 W 04º47.944
A= the last digit (units) of the year Robert Thom’s work was completed
E = the number of square sails set on the ship divided by 2.
The next stop is N 55º 55.114 W 04º 47 .992
D = the battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders divided by 2.
The last clues are found at N 55º 56.103 W 04º 46.617
F = the sum of the tens and units digits in the earlier date
G = the number of centuries between the two dates.
You now have the cache location. The path from here follows the aqueduct, “The Cut” which winds round the edge of the hills for five and a half miles back to your starting location. Enjoy the ever-changing views. The view from the cache is one of the best.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Orgjrra ohfurf oruvaq gur qel fgbarf.
Treasures
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