Firth of Forth

Possibly, but until there's such a process the reviewers will need to rely on cachers to inform us Unfortunately I don't think an automatic process can take into account all the circumstances involved and I for one wouldn't like the idea of caches being archived automatically. I think the thing that really bugs me is that there are caches out there that have been 'Temporarily Disabled' for 2 months and longer but the owner still finds the time to go out caching every weekend..........what does that tell you! As far as I'm concerned if you place a cache then you take on the responsibility and obligation to maintain it both physically and virtually. There are a multitude of reasons why a cache may be temporarily disabled for months, such as difficulty or time to get hold of the right cache container, access problems to the cache site, a difficult cache location (eg top of a mountain) etc etc. As Renegade Knight has stated, as long as the cache owner is an active cacher and is keeping an eye on things and will eventually get round to fixing the problem, I'm happy to focus on all the other hundreds of caches that are out there Having said that, the onus is on us active cachers to alert the reviewers to those caches which appear to have foundered because the cacher is no longer taking an interest in caching in general.

I suppose one problem with that could be that someone places a cache within 0.1 mile of the archived cache's location, which prevents the owner from then replacing/reactivating. Could cause some bad feeling, but then again maybe it's fair enough. I think the reviewers do a pretty good job sorting these kinds of problems out - it's much much better than when I first started caching.

Yes, HH's 'Greyfriar's Bobby' would be a good candidate, if you are visiting the University buildings in town (though it's a very small box). The University is scattered all over the city - and the science area is a good distance away on the South side of the city (where there are some great caches too wioth much larger boxes). Hutton Memorial Garden would be another good candidate, and although it's disabled needing a new log book, it's still there and loggable (anothe very small box though). Boroughloch and Boroughloch Brewery is a nano close by George Square, though some people have had difficulty finding it. Hth

3 out of 20: probably about proportional to England/Scotland populations. It was not meant as a criticism! IF you read the thread I am actually sending one to Scotland! OOps double post due to timeout

3 out of 20: probably about proportional to England/Scotland populations. It was not meant as a criticism! IF you read the thread I am actually sending one to Scotland! And I didn't take it as a criticism.

3 out of 20: probably about proportional to England/Scotland populations.

A big thank you to CSC who sent me his own coin to travel in the North. That was very generous!! Would have let you discover this on Saturday, Nick, but you already have one now!

It's a shame there isn't one further North, since there are monuments being lit up in the midlands and in the northeast, and even in Scotland.

Probably best to post in GeoX and/or Geofrees.

Great to see the site back up and running again. However, this page: "A list of caches which have been logged more than once by the same person." doesn't look right as there is no list.

I like the cache per 1000km figure for the Vatican.

More news from Ewan's Dad: "The move to a care home hasn't happened yet; it's a matter of a place becoming available and the arranging of training for their staff regarding Ewan's special needs. The move should take place this month, we hope. I've spoken to Ewan and Lorna about visits from fellow cachers and they'd both be very pleased to see people. Probably the best approach is for you or your friends to liaise directly with Lorna or with Fraser (Ewan's son). The best times are probably late afternoons i.e. from about 3.15/3.30pm - he's often in the computer room until then. By the way, he has now bought his own lap-top - a declaration of intent if ever there was one!" I can supply phone numbers for Lorna or Fraser if anyone wishes to contact me. I think it would be great if a few cachers could go to visit Ewan.

Only one way to find out! Host an event! We did, in fact, have a very successful 3rd annual cache bash up at Talmine in 2005. You can see some good photos here. Wherever an event is, you'll find that cachers will travel. Indeed, we had a contingent from Cornwall for that event!

A while ago, I sent an email to the website suggesting that the show could come to the Edinburgh science festival which runs for two weeks during the Easter holidays. Never got any kind of response.... There are at least 3 Scottish cachers in the photo montage

most of them are ok if you talk to them right but if they are not i like McKryton's way of dealing with them You want to deescalate the situation (eg ignore their remarks/laugh with them), and get away. According to the police, you are entitled to defend yourself only, but not use threatening behaviour. They might want to know why you carry an object in your boot. If the youths decide to 'have-a-go', it's possible that this kind of situation could be construed in a way that would not favourable to you. Edit: However, I have just seen your post on the other similar thread and realise that I shouldn't have bothered posting.

I think we met the same group at the same place. They were keen to 'talk' to us. But I didn't feel threatened. I've recently attended a police-run personal safety training course at work. It's useful stuff for dealing with such situations.

Cool! Before: After:

At least your cache is being found, isn't that the main reason for setting them. Everyone plays the 'game' differently. Making it harder or timing the cache when you know certain people are not available will just cause bad feeling. Not all 'oldies' are bothered about an FTF either, leave the race for the adrenaline seekers!! If a clump of new caches nearby turn up when you have depleated the local area I can possibly understand people wanting to rush out and do them, but FTF I can take or leave. I usually avoid long multi caches until they have been found for that very reason of there possibly being errors, and I cringe until my own multis have been found. Puzzles - well I enjoy actually being able to solve them, finding the cache after that is secondary to the enjoyment for me. I thought that everyone who found the cache on the first day got FTF status anyway? I'm assuming you've quoted me because you're agreeing with me; although the first line of your post sounds a bit like you aren't!

Is this possibly the biggest one in the UK? Haylin (sitting on oil drum cache) and Haggis Hunter

I really don't see that there is a problem. Not all newbies are bothered about being FTF. Trying to deliberately make it harder or more annoying for an experienced cacher is just going to lead to bad feeling. I was particularly pleased that an experienced cacher was FTF on a long multi I set and he was able to correct a couple of mistakes I had made. These mistakes might otherwise have put a newbie off caching, or at least off multis.

Um, a Mega Event was just held in Germany about a month ago - GCYNMZ. My german is a bit (okay - really, really) rusty, but it looks like that event was archived without ever happening. Yep - archived in May and was due to take place in September (no reason given). I'm not aware of any other Mega events outside of the USA. OK, not many people, either US or not, are going to achieve a Project Ape icon, so its existence is rather pointless. That leaves (I think) only 9 different cache icons that a non-US cacher is likely to achieve.

It may not be about the numbers......but it is about the icons.

Mega events - well I suppose eventually there might be one outside of the US - but am I right in thinking that so far only the geocaching numbers in the Us can support such an event? The GPS maze icon is only available to US cachers, as is the Project Ape icon, and the benchmark icon. More incentives for non-US cachers would be good. My suggestions include some other outdoor pursuits, but I'm sure that there are other possibilities. Actually, you don't have to be exceptionally physically fit to scuba dive. But you do have to be healthy.

Perhaps this has been suggested before....if so, please point me in the direction of any previous discussion. An awful lot of of cachers like to collect icons, coins etc. It keeps some of the novelty of the game fresh, and probably satisfies those obsessional tendencies that a lot of us (myself included) possess. I've been wondering whether it would be worth considering a few new categories of cache types with their own distinct icons. Examples might include caches that require other kinds of specific outdoor skills, such as: Underwater caches only accessible by scuba diving; Caches on rock faces only accessible with rock climbing equipment; Caches on islands that require some kind of water vessel transport. There are probably more examples that others could think of.

At the SGDO, several people asked about Ewan, but I didn't have any more news at that time. However, I received an email from Ewan's Dad just yesterday, and this is what he says: "Ewan continues to do well with no appreciable set-backs from when I last wrote. He is still in the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Southern General but the staff there are working towards getting him ready to go into a Care Home for a few months. That should happen some time this month but there's no fixed date yet. He has had three 'outings'. The first was to the RSPB centre at Lochwinnoch, the second to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the third, yesterday, to PC World at Finneston - all well organised and accompanied by a nurse and an occupational therapist. Ewan has been doing great things with a computer. He has a very good tutor who has got him on to voice recognition software and this has opened up whole new possibilities. He has even been surfing the net and a session in the computer room is a tremendous fillip for him." So, good news! Visits from some of the cachers who know him may be appreciated in the not too distant future. PS It's almost a year since BT's accident. It's been a long slow road for him since then with a lot of setbacks, but things are looking much brighter for him now. His resilience, fortitude and positive outlook have been amazing