Pressmennan Wood is now owned and managed by the Woodland Trust.
But as Smiddy's cache page records, the history of the woods goes
back many hundreds of years when it provided timber for building
Scottish ships, including the ill-fated "Great Michael".
Inevitably, it had its time in the ownership of the Forestry
Commission and there are still large areas of conifers in the rich
mixture of woodland that now clothes the north west flank of
Deuchrie Dodd.
The area is rich in both plants and animals. There are otter and
badger and plenty of buzzards. I heard a nightjar overhead as I was
signing the log on Smiddy's cache on a spring night.
The lake is one of only three "Lakes" in Scotland and - like the
Raith Lake - it is artificial. The large house on the south shore
was a shooting lodge for the Biel estate. The lake was formed by
damming the burn that runs along the northern foot of the wood to
provide a scenic recreational area for the ladies and others who
weren't amusing themselves by blowing creatures to pieces. (No
value judgements there, then Jack!)
You can park at N55.56.677 W002.36.522. Take the single
track road that leads south out of Stenton and turn down a
signposted track to the left after Ruchlaw West Mains farm.
Once out of the car take the track uphill and follow it to a
circular clearing and enjoy the views north and east. Despite the
tree cover, the track is wide enough to give good GPS reception and
the clearing should allow you to get sufficiently close to be able
to locate the whereabouts of the cache easily. The actual hiding
place is under more dense cover.
Having found the cache, you could just return to the car the way
you came. But don't! Continue along the track which soon narrows.
As it crests Gallows Hill, you start to get more views to the north
and west and out to sea. The path drops down and joins the "low
road" back to the car park. Take the small path off to the right
(as recommended by Smiddy) and do his cache then continue on by the
lakeside to the car park.