Built for Burns? Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A circular walk of approximately one mile around the Falls of Bruar.
There are two sets of waterfalls in the Bruar Gorge, both of which are accessed by well-signposted paths.
Over the centuries, the Falls were visited by a variety of well-known figures, however we may have Robert Burns to thank for the beautiful setting that the Falls are situated in today. The woodland surrounding the Bruar gorge is a living memorial to Burns, who came here in 1787 to admire the waterfalls. At that time the steep slopes were bare, so Burns wrote 'The Humble Petition of Bruar Water' in which he encouraged the Duke of Atholl to plant its banks with trees to enhance the view. When Burns died 1796, the Duke created a 'wild garden' in his memory, planting the slopes with thousands of larch and pine trees and establishing paths and bridges.
Park at the House of Bruar, just off the A9. Cross the central courtyard of the complex, making your way to the corner at the left hand side of the main (white) building. The walk starts just through here!
The paths are obvious but uneven - there are many tree roots sticking through them as well as areas where there are rocks of all shapes and sizes, so you will need to be alert whilst walking around here. The paths may also be slippery at times. More importantly, you will be walking next to a gorge which has some very steep and dangerous edges and drops. These are not fenced off and the path runs close to them in places, so children should be supervised AT ALL TIMES - do not let them out of your sight! Dogs should be kept on a lead. It is also worth reading the safety advice given on the information board at the start of the walk.
Follow the path to the lower bridge (this will take you under the railway line), and look through the clear water to see the patterns cut into the rocks by the fast flowing water as your make your way up the hill. View the lower Falls just before you reach the lower bridge and look out for the arch which has been cut out of the rock by the water.
Now you have a choice - you can either continue to the Upper Falls via the west bank, or you can cross the lower bridge and make your way up the east bank instead. Whilst the west bank is probably a slightly easier route to take in terms of how steep the walk will be, ascending the east side will give a much better view of the Upper Falls (30ft direct drop with the stone bridge over it). If you do decide to take the easier route up, remember to look back and view the Upper Falls during your descent!
Whichever route you take, make sure you do the following at the lower bridge:
Go through the arch at the lower bridge (this is the remains of the old viewing house) to have a look at the view (watch out though - edge!!). Look out for the pool and cave just before the water reaches the lower bridge.
Follow signs for the Upper Bridge to carry onwards and upwards to the cache. The cache is situated north-east of the Upper Bridge, so your route to it will depend on which way you have chosen to approach the Upper Falls. There is a hairpin bend in the path just to the east side of the bridge and if you have chosen to follow the path in a clockwise direction, your direct route to the cache will be up a relatively steep vegetation-covered slope. If you have walked in an anti-clockwise direction, your best option may be to directly follow the GPSr arrow before you reach this hairpin bend - this will avoid the worst of the steep slope!
There is a small picnic area at the Upper Falls - just at the bend of the hairpin and just downhill from the cache.
Enjoy your walk but:
PLEASE BE CAREFUL! BE AWARE OF WHERE YOU ARE IN RELATION TO THE EDGES OF THE GORGE, WATCH YOUR FOOTING ON THE PATHS AND KEEP AN EYE ON CHILDREN IF THEY ARE WITH YOU!
Cache contents at time of placing:
Scented candle
Stashbox keyring
Dominoes
Toilet Bag
Alarm Clock
Hair Bands
Kaleidoscope
Clothes Comb
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx sbe gur qrnq gerr. Pnpur vf va tnc orgjrra gur gjb snyyra gerrf va sebag bs vg.
Treasures
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