Very brief report for my last Corbett in ES: – used the access track from Glen Esk parking in the layby opposite the estate road at NO535787. Followed the bulldozed track to the summit, waded through the peat hag to the trig point, activated and returned! This might be enjoyable in winter; in the height of summer it is just a slog. Do not believe the OS map, the new estate owner has been given a bulldozer and excavator for Christmas and has ruined the estate with bulldozed tracks everywhere. It would be possible to drive a family car to the summit!
I was VERY thankful for the spotting system (another beer I owe you Andy). Conditions were awful, I managed just five contacts over 40m and 17m, all SSB and nothing on the key losing interest after sending CQ for nearly 10 minutes on each band. Signals would come out of the noise, hit S9 then disappear completely as if switched off.
Driving time 5 Hours, walking time 4 ½ hours, water consumed 5 litres, beer consumed afterwards 4 pints. Dehydration – very bad. Fun had – little!
73
Barry GM4TOE
PS Ignore the sign about the bridge being closed, wherever it is it does not affect access
In reply to GM4TOE:
I bagged a quick activation on Trahenna Hill yesterday Barry. Conditions were
miserable. Like you signals would appear fleatingly at S9 then fade away. It was
hard work on 30m/20/17m. ODX was Rich N4EX on 17m CW and best S2S was working
Carolyn G(M)6WRW and Helen M(M)0YHB on Arthur’s Seat SS-272. Probably not too many S2S worked with that as one end. When there were signals, the wind was so blustery I could barely hear the 817. It’s only 40-45mins to the summit so I extended out the return walk by including the ridge to Hammer Head and then dropping down to the valley and the Buchan Way path back to the car.
I wish whoever has broken the sky would come and fix it. 
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to GM4TOE:
I listened for you Barry, but I could not get enough of a signal to make a QSO out of it. Skip was just too long!
Did manage to work a 339 signal on 30m from Andy on Trahenna, but it was marginal copy with the ambient noise level of S4 to S5.
I noted that the f2 critical frequency was around in the low to mid 5 MHz, so it might have worked out better using the NVIS propagation on 60M for these ‘local’ contacts, hi!
73
In reply to GM0AXY:
If only I had the 5MHz dipole extensions with me - we have been spoilt for propagation during the last few months.
Doesn’t change anything - miserable hill even if the weather was good!
73
Barry GM4TOE
