A Viking Raid Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Cruach Tairbeirt Walks is a Community Walk, Sponsored by Friends of Loch Lomond.
Starting at Arrochar & Tarbet Station, the full walk is about 6km, that involves taking the path West, to view points above Arrochar and then return. Followed by a circular walk on the South Eastern slopes of Cruach Tairbeirt. You could of course just do the circular walk as the cache is sited just off that.
The path is quite good, not smooth. Quite steep in places. There are a couple of shallow stream crossings.
To get to the cache, follow the fire-break behind the Picnic Table at N56 12.751 W004 42.535. This last 200m can be quite boggy.
There is also a path from the circular walk that will take you to the summit of Cruach Tairbeirt, from where you can get good views down the length of Loch Long & Loch Lomond.
I used to take my youngest daughter along this walk and used to tell her that there was a 'Troll' living under one of the bridges and that we had to cross it with-out making a noise, other-wise we would have to pay him a forfeit. Havn't paid anything yet.
In the 13th Century, some of King Haakon's Viking raiders sailed up Loch Long, a sea water loch, to where the present day village of Arrochar is sited. Dragged their boats across the narrow strip of land to Loch Lomond. Launching their boats on the fresh water loch at the present day site of the village of Tarbet. This Portage was a Distance of 2.5km with a climb of only 30m. The Gaelic word tairbeirt means 'place of portage'.
Once on Loch Lomond the Vikings sailed down the loch pillaging the shore dwellings. "Their sea-boats creating as much astonishment in Lennox as if they had fallen from the sky." The Lennox being the name given to that area, derived from the 'Levenax' the name first given to the river flowing out of the southern end of the loch. Now called the River Leven.
This narrow piece of land has been important through out history. A 'Wade' Military Road crosses it. This was a link from Dumbarton to Inveraray. Remnants can still be found and followed on the North side of the present road.
Now you have the main road running west over the 'Rest and Be Thankfull' and then south to Dunoon, or Campbeltown.
There is also the West Highland Railway line running along here, on the other side of the glen.
Original Contents of Cache.
Ruler
Krab
Ball
Lizard
Stop Watch
Military Figures
Hi-Liter
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre ebpx jvgu qvfgvapgvir juvgr clenzvq funcr ba vg.
Treasures
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