It's Ruined! Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is situated to the south-west of Kintore.
Parking Parking N57 14. 174 W002 22.627
Established in the late 12th century (about 1190) as a royal burgh, Kintore had its royal charter renewed by King James IV in 1506. But the area has clearly been a popular settlement since prehistoric times. Recent archaological excavations show neolithic remains dating as far back as far as 5,000 years BC.
The name Kintore comes from the Gaelic, Ceann-an-torr. "Ceann" means the head, or the end, and "Torr" which means a round hill. So the name signifies that the town was at the head or end of a round hill. This probably refers to Tuach Hill to the south of the town. A mile to the south-west stand the ruins of Hallforest Castle, built in the 13th or 14th Century. It was a hunting castle which took its name from the great forest in which King James IV hunted. The forest, which lay between Kintore and Kemnay, is also recalled in street names such as Forest Road, Tom's Forest.
Mary Queen of Scots is known to have stayed at Hallforest in 1562. It is said that it was built by Bruce and was a former stronghold of the Keith earls of Kintore, now the property of the Earl of Kintore. An oblong keep 48 feet by 30 feet, the walls are around seven foot thick and the castle in its current ruined state stands around 60 feet.
You can get to this cache by parking on the Blairs road just up from ‘The Hillhead Caravan Park’ for a pleasant wander through the woods. The cache is situated so that you can see the castle. You can take a wander up the main track to see the ruins but they are not deemed safe so are behind a fence.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ghpxrq haqre zvqqyr bs gur ybat ybtf gbjneqf gur onpx. Tbefr ohfu bire urnq jura ba lbhe xarrf.
Treasures
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