Queen St Gardens
From his bedroom window the fragile young Stevenson had a view
which would become the inspiration for his most famous novel. Much
as water inspired the legacy of RLS, it was also at the heart of
George Smith’s creation. When George Smith founded the
Glenlivet distillery in 1824, he knew that the quality of the water
was vital in producing a fine malt whisky. That’s why he
built his distillery at the mouth of a clear underground spring
called Josie’s Well. He found that the minerals in the water
helped to extract sugars from the ground barley. Its icy cold
clarity also aided the distilling process, giving The Glenlivet its
trademark fine flavour.
Sadly it is not possible to gain access to the gardens, but the
co-ords do bring you outside the Scotch Whisky Association, which
is an apt alternative to venturing into the gardens.
Look for the inscribed door number on the wall just above the
brass plaque - A B
Oxford Bar
The city is infamous for a grisly underbelly and famous
detectives borne from the imagination of this Edinburgh writer has
left a lasting legacy of literature which will last across
generations. In this watering hole, one of Edinburgh’s most
famous sons stopped for refreshment as trawled the underbelly of
the Old and New towns. In the lawless days of the early 19th
Century, Glenlivet was a dangerous and inhospitable place. In
smuggler’s caves, which flourished by the clear mountain
spring, the very first whiskies were brewed in the copper
‘black pots’. 200 illicit stills operated in the area,
and competition was fierce. The remoteness of the glen, with its
crystal clear mountain streams and high altitude, meant that it was
also undisturbed by excise men, allowing the whisky to mature to
perfection. George Smith knew how to make the best of these ideal
conditions. Rich natural resources and Smith’s expertise
combined to create ‘The Glenlivet’ – and his
legacy lives on in every single dram.
What door number is in between the licensee details -
C
Princes St Gardens
This son of a civil engineer from Edinburgh still remains one of
the most translated authors in the world, and his extraordinary
legacy continues. The spirit of travel and adventure which is the
beating heart of his iconic novels is matched by George
Smith’s story. When George Smith’s whisky was ready, it
was loaded onto ponies and crossed the River Livet under cover of
darkness. Transported in armed convoys, the precious spirit was
heavily guarded as it made its journey south. Soon, The Glenlivet,
which was still highly illegal, was being embraced by people far
and wide. The secret of The Glenlivet lay at the heart of the
distilling process. Knowing that the shape of the copper pot could
affect the spirit’s flavour, George Smith designed a special
lantern-shaped pot which is still used to this day.
Around the inscribed stone there are several silver birch trees
grouped together, how many are there - D
From the main path leading up to the inscribed stone are several
stepping stones, count them - E F
The Usher Hall
At the start of the 1860s, The Glenlivet distillery joined
forces with an Edinburgh great, Andrew Usher, who was one of the
first commercial producers of blended whisky in Scotland. His
company produced ‘Old Vatted Glenlivet’ and he is
widely considered to be the father of blended Scotch whisky. This
building is a celebration of his fruitful partnership with George
Smith.
The Usher Hall has three main entrances; you are looking for the
door that takes you to the Grand Circle & Organ Gallery -
G
Esplanade
Even when whisky distilling was still illegal, The Glenlivet was
of such superior quality that it was embraced by the aristocracy,
who called it ‘The Real Stuff’. In 1822, when King
George IV came to Scotland on a state visit, it was said that:
‘The King drinks nothing but whisky and is an admirable judge
of The Glenlivet.’ His hosts were shocked, but knew where to
find some. To everyone’s surprise, the King gave the illegal
malt his royal seal of approval and demanded another glass. The
following year the excise laws were relaxed, and illicit distilling
was soon history. There is no better place in Edinburgh to
celebrate this spirit of celebration!
You are stood just outside the Whisky Experience. If you look up
you shall see that this building was once a school. Ignoring the
word ‘school’ how many letters are in the schools name?
- H J (You are looking for one double figure number)
Now look above the school name and you shall see a chimney stack.
Count how many chimney pots are on that stack - K
Edinburgh Castle
From its earliest incarnation as a settlement in 900BC one icon
characterizes the unique legacy of Edinburgh. The scene of many a
fierce battle, this landscape mirrors the hazards which George
Smith tackled on a daily basis When George Smith set up the first
legitimate distillery in Glenlivet in 1824, he was well-versed in
the art of distilling – and he knew his whisky was a superior
product. The local smugglers knew it too, and threatened to kill
him. The Laird of Aberlour gave George two hair-trigger pistols to
defend himself, and he eventually won the battle. In later years,
George’s successor John Gordon Smith was forced to defend
himself from another threat - imitators. Glenlivet was somewhat
sarcastically named ‘The Longest Glen’ because so many
whiskies were said to be made there. However, after years of legal
wrangling, Smith’s whisky was declared the definitive malt
– ‘The Glenlivet.’
As the story ends at Edinburgh Castle, this iconic trail also
finishes within the grounds of Castle Hill, under the gaze of this
great Royal residence.
You will find the cache at N55° 5(B – G) . DF (E
– H) W003° 1A . (B – C) J (C – F –
K)
Opening times for the hill are, April to September - 8am -
6pm, October to March 8am - 4.30pm. If you are on the hill when the
gates close you will be locked in.
Castle Hill also gets closed, before and after any firework
displays, which are being set off from Edinburgh Castle. The main
time for this is at Hogmanay. It also gets closed for various other
reasons without much or no notice. So you must be prepared to find
the gates locked. Otherwise access is very much as advertised
above.
Note: Climbing of the gates whilst locked is not allowed.
Doing so may mean that you are breaking the law and if caught may
also jeopardise this cache?
Historic Scotland, Edinburgh Castle are aware of this
cache.
Cache is published with permission from Groundspeak HQ