Somewhere in Scotland, a £10,000 gold and diamond mouse is buried, a love token seemingly hidden by Robbie Burns for his lover, ‘Clarinda’. Letters and a painting that give clues as to its whereabouts are published on a web site. The race is on to solve the bard’s cryptic billet doux and unearth the precious jewel!
According to the creators of ‘Bequest’, Robbie Burns was given the keepsake by an unnamed Scottish Earl. During a journey around Scotland he hid it for the benefit of Agnes McLehose, the subject of his unconsummated love - the ‘Clarinda’ he wrote to as her ‘Sylvander’. The letters, giving the clues as to where it was buried, were intercepted by Burns’ wife Jean, and hidden. They have recently emerged from her armoire, bought at a furniture sale.
Whether the story is fact or fantasy, the mouse is a reality. In order to find it, treasure seekers must log on to a web site
www.burnsbequest.co.uk, pay a nominal £10 fee and make their deductions from the letters published there by story creator John Keiller from Cromarty, who designs web sites when he isn’t reading Burns. Alongside the letters on the web site is a painting by Ross-shire pop artist Michael Forbes. The painting also contains clues which come and go during the life of the web site.
Bequest has been put together by Joe Gibbs, co-promoter of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (7th & 8th August 2009), a whacky, independent festival of music and performing arts in the Highlands (Beauly, Inverness-shire), now in its sixth year. This year’s festival goers will get an advantage over other Bequest treasure hunters, as the final clues and version of the painting will be unveiled at the festival 72 hours before they appear on the web site.
“I have long been an admirer of Kit Williams’ 1970s book-based hunt for a golden hare – ‘Masquerade ‘ – and decided the current economic circumstances were auspicious to launch a web-based treasure hunt,’ said Joe Gibbs. “We decided on a Burns theme because of John’s interest in the subject and because it is one of the major themes of Homecoming Scotland.”
The jewelled mouse is in fact the work of Highland jeweller and goldsmith Susan Plowman from Achnasheen and Fortrose. The Bequest team are keen to point out that the mouse is not buried in any public or private garden or the grounds of any building. It is also accessible without threat to personal safety!
“If you decide to start excavating your way across Scotland you will have to shoulder the responsibility if you are digging someone’s garden up,” said John Keiller. “Of course, if it’s a vegetable patch, the owner may be quite happy, but we wouldn’t bank on it.” Keiller says the puzzle could be solved by anyone over the age of 13.
