Cairnsmore Caves (Billy Marshall's Cave) Traditional Geocache
Cairnsmore Caves (Billy Marshall's Cave)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache involves a ten mile walk on Cairnsmore of Fleet to two boulder caves.
Stout footwear, map, compass and adequate clothing is strongly advised. Pleased bring a torch! The walk includes some rough, steep ground with no footpaths and should not be undertaken lightly. It is in a remote location with no footpaths in the cache area and I would suggest thought is given to the weather and length of time required to reach the cache and return – at least five hours.
Suggested Route (taking in Cairnsmore of Fleet Summit).
Start at the car park at N54°56.399 W004°23.998. Please use this car park and do not take cars into the Cairnsmore Estate.
Follow the road and then waymarked trail round Cairnsmore Home Farm to a gate at N54°56.848 W004°23.286. Cross the field in a NE direction to another gate at N54°56.976 W004°23.080. A good path (The Tourist Path) then leads to the summit 4.25 km away. The path was built to allow easy access by the then landowner (Duke of Bedford) to the summit where there was a small building (now in ruins) used to provide shelter for the Duke and his hunting friends.
On the way up you will cross a forest road at N54°57.235 W004°22.586 and then a fence and stile at N54°57.648 W004°21.368.
To find the first cave – McClave’s Pantry – head NW across the moorland to N54°57.960 W004°21.628. This small boulder cave is named after a Convenantor who hid here from the hunting Redcoats (circa 1680).
To rejoin the footpath to the summit head on a bearing of 070 up the slope for approximately 800m.
If you wish to leave out McClave’s Pantry continue to follow the footpath from the stile NE. A dry stone dyke is crossed which is built on the line of an ancient boundary wall ‘The Deil’s Dyke’ which ran from Loch Ryan in the west to Annan in the east. It was built in the time of Hadrian by the Niduarian Picts.
The path turns towards the summit at N54°58.252 W004°20.517. (If descending by the Tourist Path care should be taken at this point as it is easy to miss the turn in mist or snow.)
The summit is about 500m to the North, N54°58.539 W004°20.566, and the large cairn, trig point and Memorial to crashed airmen can be seen ahead. British, Canadian, German and New Zealand men, aged from 19 to 31, were killed during crashes in WW2 and two USAF pilots during a training flight in 1979.
From the summit head NW downhill to Eastman’s Cairn N54°58.730' W004°21.247. The next stage is the steepest part of the route over boulder strewn heather ground. Take care descending over this rough ground as there are plenty of hidden holes and also some small crags. Head north from the cairn picking a route downhill. There is no preferred route but keeping east of north the slope is less craggy.
Onto the cache site which is Billy Marshall’s Cave N54°59.030 W004°21.178. A metal spike has been placed on a flat slab of rock above the cave. This is a large boulder cave named after Billy Marshall, King of the Galloway Tinklers 1672 – 1792. There are many stories about Billy Marshall. He was married seventeen times, had numerous children and lived to the ripe old age of 120! He is buried St Cuthbert’s Churchyard on the outskirts of Kirkcudbright.
The cave has a narrow entrance (see photographs) and you have to climb down into it. The cave turns to the right and goes in for about 10 metres. (I’ve had a class of 30 pupils eating lunch in the cave at one time). The cave was used by the Tinklers to store smuggled goods such as salt and rum brought ashore on the Carsluith coastline to the south.
(Another cave – Dirk Hatteraick’s Cave on the shoreline to the south was also used to store smuggled goods before onward transportation. This cave is well worth a visit as it still has stone compartments used to store bottles. Perhaps a future geocache!)
The cache is inside the cave and a torch is advised. There is room for swops. I forgot to bring some but left a 20p coin. Also dropped off two travel bugs.
From the cave it is necessary to contour around the hill over rough ground for 1.2 kms to position N54°58.849 W004°21.980 where a fence can be crossed. There is no path but there are wild goat tracks along the hillside. It is however rough going and care needs to be taken.
From here head round the south side of Blairbuies Hill to the treeline at N54°58.658 W004°22.446. A faint path can then be followed to N54°58.548 W004°22.519 Forest Road end. The road goes north before joining another road at N54°58.661 W004°22.682. Head southwest and then south along the road back to where the Tourist Path crosses this road at N54°57.235 W004°22.586 and return to start by Tourist Path.
An alternative route from the cave (requiring a second car) is to head north crossing the Louran Burn to a firebreak at N54°59.219 W004°20.981 and follow break NW to Forest Road at approx position of N54°59.600 W004°21.346.
This road leads down hill to either Corwar N54°59.951 W004°23.552 or Talnoltry N55°00.917 W004°22.000 where cars can be left.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Bapr vafvqr gur pnir gurer vf n ynetr obhyqre fgrc juvpu yrnqf vagb gur pnir cebcre. Gur pnpur vf uvqqra haqre gur bireunat bs guvf obhyqre fgrc.