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A WEE DRAM (WHW) Multi-cache

Hidden : 5/22/2007
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

A novel microcache on the West Highland Way – it’s first simple multicache.

If, like me, you gave “Whisky Galore” a miss earlier in the walk as it was too far off the Way and required a long ascent, you’ll find “A Wee Dram” much more to your taste. Even though it’s a multicache it should be much easier as it’s just a few metres off the WHW and you might even be spending a night near the spot.

The co-ordinates above take you to an isolated hotel which did have a swinging sign with one side in Gaelic. Unfortunately this has been replaced with a more modern sign and I don't know what it looks like. So the best I can do is add a photo of Edith and Stan arriving at the spot to the Gallery and alter the HINT. You need to note down the writing, then go into the bar of said establishment and get yourself a drink while you work out the true cache co-ordinates from the formula below. If you don’t feel you’ve can spare the time for this then all I can say is “Tough! It isn’t a race – you should be doing the WHWay for enjoyment!”

After a Heather Ale, Wee Dram (or whatever your tipple is) go to
N 56 ° (b-e) a . g a c W 004° e d . (f+a) g (a+b)

The date on the sign gives you the respective values of a, b, c & d.
For e, f and g you need to derive numbers from letters positions in the alphabet (a = 1, b = 2 etc to z = 26).
e = 8th letter on the top line
f = 3rd letter on the second line
g = 10th letter on the second line (Gaelic side remember!)

For 4 years this cache sat in the split trunk of a sickly, rotting mountain ash sapling hidden by a piece of wood and a flat stone ‘cap’ at these co-ords. In spite of exhortation to "try and be gentle with it!!", sadly time and the Scottish weather has meant the hiding place has finally broken. The new hint is hopefully correct thanks to Clarkie's Cookies

July 2013: It seems that the hotel staff now have a copy of the words somewhere in the reception as they have been asked about the sign so many times! If they are reading this "Thank you for all the help you are giving cachers - food, drink, shelter, hospitality & geocaching clues!"

August 2020: A big THANK YOU to Tony and Sara ( Whitsends) for their help in replacing this cache when it had gone missing. Apparently there are another set of new owners of the hotel and they found old cache container in their new garden area! How did it get there I wonder? They always wondered why they were being asked about the old sign and still have this available for people to see, now that Whitsends have explained what geocaching is all about to them. Or you can look in the Gallery!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

VAOUVEBENVA Haqre n ebpx ng gur onfr bs fvpxyl nfu fncyvat.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)