The Aberdeenshire Mega – what was it going to be like ? I had decided a long time ago that I wasn’t going to go for the whole week because I didn’t want to spend all week listening to people blurting out that it wasn’t as good as our Yorkshire Mega, and so I just booked a hotel for the weekend just to go to the actual event and do some Aberdeenshire caching.It didn’t look promising as I was getting ready to go, there was a particularly bad weather forecast and indeed it was a bitr showery as I drove from home out to the M6, and then from about Penrith upwards it just hammered it down all the way – a horrible journey really

9th August 2019 – Civic Trust (Cumbria) GC4FCD – cache #4843
I detoured off the M6 on my way up to the Mega in Aberdeen to stop at this cache – you can tell it’s one of the ‘old’ caches by the planes in the description, Harriers and Tornados are now retired from Service – years ago for the Harriers and months ago for the Tornado.
Now if I’d seen a Lightning 2, or a Typhoon that would have been amazing, but with low clouds and rain it wasn’t the weather for low level flying !

That was the only stop I made for a cache all the way up, I did stop at Gretna to send the picture of the Scotland sign to Angel78, at Hamilton to get some lunch and then it was straight on to Stonehaven for the first of 5 sets of Lab caches put out for the Mega – 50 Lab caches !

9th August 2019 – Stonehaven Market Square Lab Cache – cache #4844
The Stonehaven lab caches were set as a walk that you had to do in order, starting off in the Market Square then moving around the town and sea front and on into the old harbour area.
The first cache involved of all things tyres

9th August 2019 – Robert Burns Memorial Garden Lab Cache – cache #4845
The second was about Ayr’s favourite son Robbie Burns… hang on aren’t we 170 miles from Ayr here ?

9th August 2019 – Outdoor Pool Lab Cache – cache #4846
Next we move onto the open air pool, a heated olympic sized sea water pool

9th August 2019 – Take A Rest Lab Cache – cache #4847
The question here was what weather can you find on the bench – the answer ‘atrocious’ was not what they wanted, but it was still hammering down

9th August 2019 – Craws Nest Lab Cache – cache #4848
The next few were a walk along the sea front passing some artwork

9th August 2019 – Lighthouse Lab Cache – cache #4849
And some sculpture

9th August 2019 – Tollbooth Museum Lab Cache – cache #4850
Before arriving at the old Harbour and the Toll booth

9th August 2019 – Stonehaven Harbour Lab Cache – cache #4851
I did like Stonehaven Harbour and even walked on the sand… though not taking my shoes and socks off for a paddle

9th August 2019 – Clock Tower Lab Cache – cache #4852
Then there was the old Clocktower

9th August 2019 – War Memorial Lab Cache – cache #4853
And finally a drive up to the cliff top war memorial (this is not a picture I took at the time, it was so wet I didn’t get a good one myself)

From Stonehaven I drove into Aberdeen itself, to Duthie Park, the main park in Aberdeen for another set of 10 Lab caches

9th August 2019 – Duthie Daunder Fountain Lab Cache – cache #4854
First find a fountain

9th August 2019 – Totem Pole Lab Cache – cache #4855
Then a Totem Pole ?

9th August 2019 – Hygiea Lab Cache – cache #4856
Then a Monument to mark the opening of the park in 1883

9th August 2019 – Fern House Lab Cache – cache #4857
It was late now and the attractions in the park were closed so I had to get as near to the coords as possible which was this green gateway and google the answers

9th August 2019 – Winter Gardens Lab Cache – cache #4858
The Winter gardens were closed so again I had to answer the question outside

9th August 2019 – Arid House Lab Cache – cache #4859
For this one I had to google the answer then get near enough to the spot to be able to claim the cache, which involved sneaking through the bushes to get near to the greenhouse in a place I really wasn’t supposed to be

9th August 2019 – The Mound Lab Cache – cache #4860
Fortunately the answer was at the bottom of the mound not the top

9th August 2019 – Bandstand Lab Cache – cache #4861
A wet bandstand in the middle of a wet field

9th August 2019 – War Memorial Lab Cache – cache #4862
A war memorial, there’s always a war memorial

9th August 2019 – Linked Lakes Lab Cache – cache #4863
The final Lab cache of the day, all to do with the restored groundworks in the park

9th August 2019 – Aberdeenshire 2019 Campsite – Old Skool Disco GC87E5Q – cache #4864
From the park I drove to my hotel, checked in, got changed then drove down to the Mega site
The campsite was a bit wet, a bit muddy and a bit awful, with few toilets and fewer showers and more rain than running water so I entertained myself by showing the campers pictures of my tent and ensuite facilities !