The River Almond
An important river of east-central Scotland, the Almond rises on the eastern flank of the Cant Hills, 1½ km north of Shotts in North Lanarkshire. From there, it flows past Harthill and then through West Lothian, which represents the majority of its catchment. The river flows east past Whitburn and on through Blackburn before being joined by the Breich Water near Seafield. It then continues through the old village and new town of Livingston before meeting the Linhouse Water, another main tributary, at Mid Calder.
By this stage the river is flowing in a steep-sided gorge. Flowing north east, the Almond is crossed by the Union Canal on a sizeable aqueduct, and then by the M8 motorway, before entering the City of Edinburgh. Just to the north of Newbridge, the M9 motorway crosses the river, which flows onwards to Kirkliston and then alongside Edinburgh Airport, under the Cramond Brig and Barnton, before draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond which marks the end of its 45 km course.
The river has long been subject to pollution, from the bleaching of flax in the 18th century, oil shale and coal mining in the 19th and 20th centuries, together making it one of Scotland's most polluted rivers. From the late 20th century, the river has been subject to an integrated management plan with the aim of improving the water quality.
Craigiehall
At Craigiehall less than 1 km before Cramond Brig, The Grotto Bridge stands majestically over a tight funnel, where the water of the Almond forces itself through a 2 metre wide gap.
It is here that the 18th century follies created by Robert Adam are visible in Craigiehall land. The project of improvement to this part of the Almond gorge was commissioned by the Hon. Charles Hope Weir in 1752 and included tree planting, building the bridge, the Grotto Bath-house, the Craigie Hall Temple (also known as Lennie Temple) and the Isle of Venus downstream, designed to display classical statues.
The Cache
The container only contains a log book, pencil, stamp and ink pad, leaving just enough room for any TB's or Geocoins that you may want to leave?
It is only the last 10 metres that are unaccessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, otherwise the route to the location is fine.
Dogs and children should be fine, but be aware that as you walk down the path, there is a sheer drop down a cliff only metres away.
Please ensure that you place the container back in the same hiding place, concealing it well, thank you.