X marks the spot

Scotland's Treasure Trails are a great way of getting out and about discovering something new. Susan Nickalls reports.

There's nothing quite so intriguing or exciting as coming across a crumpled map offering the prospect of a glittering treasure trove if you can only find that elusive ‘X' which marks the spot. Although the days of ruthless pirates so colourfully evoked in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island are long gone, the thrill of a treasure hunt is possible today without having to take to the high seas.

Treasure Trails is an innovative and fun way to explore an area while solving a mystery and at the same time benefiting from the fresh air and exercise.

Indeed, these factors were what motivated former army officer Steve Ridd to set up his Cornwallbased company three years ago.

“As a boy I developed a burning love of treasure hunts after scouring the countryside for one of the five £10,000 Golden Eggs in a Cadbury's competition. More recently in the army I thought up ideas to keep the soldiers fit and healthy so when I left the army I decided to set up a business that combines my two loves: health and treasure hunts.

It's an obvious solution to get people out and about exploring.” The company now offers more than 120 Treasure Trails throughout the United Kingdom by way of nine licensees, four of whom are in Scotland which is proving to be a highly productive area. David and Petreena Wright, who are responsible for Treasure Trails Scotland Southeast, launched their first trails in Oban, Dunoon, Glasgow and Fort William last Easter and have already more than doubled the ini...

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• By : Susan Nickalls
• In : Outdoor Scotland
• Issue : 37
• Page : 44
• Words : 792