Highland Voyager

REVISED NEW GOAL: Highland Voyager made it to Scotland and completed its original goal. Now it has made it to the Continent. It would be a shame to be there and not see the sights. Please help HV tour around Europe. I see someone added a Dutch coin - please feel free to add a local coin from any countries it visits!

December 07, 2002 update - Apparently Highland voyager made it across the Atlantic in secret! My thanks to the unknown geocacher making the trip with Highland Voyager!

Highland Voyager is made up of a British 50 pence coin (since Scotland uses British coins), a USA golden dollar and a key ring with a Highland Clan crest. The British coin came from a visit to Scotland in 2001; the US coin is one of the new Sacagawea golden dollars; the key ring bears the crest of a Highland Clan and came from a shop in Drumnadrochit, on the banks of Loch Ness, while on an excellent tour - Tony Harmsworth's Discover Loch Ness.

One of the stories of the origin of the Clan tells of shipwrecked Vikings on the north coast of Lewis in the Western Isles nearly a thousand years ago. The survivors of the wreck founded the Clan, which became known on the Isle of Lewis as Chlann Mhic-Ghille-Mhuire. Many of the Clan held the office of brieve, or judge.

Another version has the Clan descended from Irish bards named O'Muirgheasain that settled on the Isle of Phabbay in the Outer Hebrides. Whichever is correct (or both), the Clan is a very old one, but has never been a very big clan.

One Clan stronghold is known as "Dun Eistein" (Hugh's Castle). It still exists as a ruin on a small sea stack of rock near Ness, on the north coast Lewis ("Butt of Lewis"). The Clan Society recently purchased the stack and is sponsoring a restoration project of the old castle.

Another stronghold is said to have been on the island of Pabbay (or Phabbay), off the SW coast of the Isle of Harris. The island is not privately owned and accessible to the public.

Some of the items of this travel bug came to the US from Scotland, and it is time for them to return accompanied by a token of the USA. This symbolizes the far reaches of the Clan.

When I originally planned this bug, there were no caches in the area of Loch Ness (where the key ring was purchased). Then one appeared - Wild Ness by Doug, Jo & SE. I emailed them to see if I could use their cache as a target for the travel bug. They sent back their approval and some interesting information.

By chance or fate, we found that we shared the same Clan name! So, I started the Highland Voyager back home to one of Doug, Jo & SE's caches. It is now ready to visit the Outer Hebrides and the early strongholds of the clan