Gallery of log for Knocklofty park (Forest Road) ST41

11-Jun-15
We first became aware of this Trig Point when Dippy started looking for it a couple of years ago and we were interested in what she discovered. Unfortunately circumstances meant that we were not able to assist in the hunt. Finally we went to look for the trig point for ourselves and a conundrum was posed for us. Our GPS indicated that GZ was about 5m away from the cairn of stones (recently constructed we believe), on a concrete pad a little below ground level but now exposed. Nearby to the pad are three other pads with V-shaped steel inserts, probably cut off angle iron. We came home intending to look at the detail on the SurCom database but for some reason, it was not accessible and only became available today. We are now convinced that the Survey Marker was at the concrete pad, not at the location marked by the cairn. The following reasons support our conclusion:
* SurCom shows that each of the six reference points were galvanised iron bolts embedded in concrete. The closest any of the reference markers were to GZ was 6.429m. The cairn is only about 1.5m from a reference marker making the cairn too close for the Survey Marker location. We didn't have a tape measure with us but our GPS indicated that the concrete pad was a little over 6m from the nearest reference marker.
* The reference markers are galvanised bolts, not angle iron. So the pads with the angle iron close to the concrete pad at GZ for us are not reference markers. They are most likely the cut-off supports for the beacon (which was removed on 30/10/2002). The arrangement of the three concrete pads with angle iron embedded forms a regular triangular base, consistent with a beacon.

The photo we have added to the Gallery shows two images: Mrs y'stassie at the concrete pad where our GPS units indicated that GZ should be located; and Mrs y'stassie standing at the cairn.

One of Dippy's photos shows that the cairn was not present when she started her investigations. It is total conjecture on our part, but we wonder if the cairn was built for a navigation exercise (orienteering, rogaining etc) conducted in the area in recent times
Rated: for Overall Experience.