A treasure hunting weekend is taking place next month in Royal Deeside to encourage individuals and families to visit the area’s many attractions and local businesses.
Organised by Visit Royal Deeside, the area’s first geocaching weekend will take place from Friday 4 to Sunday, March 6 and will be based around the award winning Explore Royal Deeside GeoTour.
Titled ‘Going for Gold’, the family-friendly event aims to encourage locals and visitors to explore the area’s scenery and attractions by way of a high-tech treasure hunt.
The event will feature 20 cache boxes hidden along the Dee valley that can be tracked down using GPS coordinates and a series of clues downloaded onto a mobile phone.
The Going for Gold weekend will have a pirate theme and feature special traditional treasure hunts, children’s competitions, storytelling and face painting.
Saturday’s events will take place at Deeside Activity Park, while World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm is the venue for Sunday’s activities.
Events on both days will take place between 10am and 2pm, and fancy dress is optional.
Moira Gash, Visit Royal Deeside project co-ordinator, said: “The GeoTour has proven to be very popular since it was established last year and it has inspired many families to take up geocaching as a way of exploring the local area.
“Royal Deeside is a stunning place at any time of the year with lots of sights to see and the GeoTour lets visitors explore some fantastic places that they may not normally experience.
“The weekend is set to be fun filled, with lots of activities to keep all of the family entertained.
“That is the beauty of geocaching, it is something that people of all ages can enjoy.
“For those who have never been geocaching and are thinking about taking it up, experienced geocachers will be on hand at the two weekend events to teach the basics.
“With the days lengthening and people eager to get out and explore as spring arrives, it really is an ideal time to visit Royal Deeside and give the area’s economy a boost by supporting some of the local businesses.”
More information is available at www.visitroyaldeeside.com or at www.facebook.com/ExploreRoyalDeeideGeocaching.