The first time I tried Carn na Drochaide it was 27C and I had to give up due to the heat. This time when I parked at Linn of Quoich car park (£5 fee) at 0930 local it was 5C and misty, but the forecast was for sun and clear at the top. My route was as recommended by Alex GM5ALX who had gone up in Feb following the gpx trail filed on Sotlas.
The start of the track up is a few hundred yards from the car park, across the bridge over the Quoich and at the side of the track that loops back to the west. It is pretty inconspicuous - start is by the little green fir tree.
The single track path from there was easy enough to follow, although overgrown with knee-high heather in places.
Once above the cloud and mist, it started to get warm. View back down the path.
Eventually, the path peters out - I was warned by Alex about this, but with the gpx trail on my InReach it was easy enough to head in the right direction and pick up the path again. I could also see a track descending the hill in the distance, so that was also a directional guide. Once on a path again, it took me right to the top via a series of false summits with a bit of up and down involved. 1 hour 30m for the ascent.
The summit of Carn na Drochaide is very flat and stoney, with a large summit cairn. 360 views were tremendous. T-shirt weather and not a breath of wind.
Looking West at Cairn Toul
Looking NorthEast to Morven
Mast and summit cairn
Activation:
KX3, PA50+, 1/4wave GPs for 20/17/15/12/10m, 40m linked dipole, UV-K5 + 5el yagi
2m: A bit disappointing, given the tropo over the w/e. Just 2 contacts - GM4COX and a S2S with MM0VPM on GM/CS-021 - Alan was 95km away, so not bad for 5w. I did hear 2E0XGO/p in the Lakes making his final call, but he didn’t hear me. After that, a lot of CQs brought nothing.
40M: in good shape - 25 itl with 2 s2s and good to hear locals 2M0WNA and 2M0RVZ call in plus MW0CBC dialling in remotely
20m: OK to EU - 15 itl with 2 s2s
17m: 13 itl including W1ETC in Maine for my first across the pond for the day.
15m: just 4 - 2 EA8 and 2 EA
12m: on first listen the band was empty, but a spot brought 5 itl incl EA8ADS for the second time
10m: disappointing compared to my last activation. Not many DX signals and nothing much from EU but managed to get EA8ADS again, plus EA8CCA. These were the first 10m QSOs from this summit.
Checking DXHeat I decided to go back to 15m as that seemed the most active in terms of DX. Good decision: another 16 itl starting with EA8CCA again, then US chasers WB8BHN, AE0TG, ND0C, WC0M and KC1NDQ. Last in the log was Rolando IU5FBV who emailed a QSL 30m later.
84 itl for the day. Packed up at 1600 local with the sun still shining and with the summit still all to myself.
Looking NW at Carn Fiachlach
Ben Avon (GM/ES-006) tors on the skyline
Heading down, I was glad to have the gpk to follow. The obvious track down comes to a junction in the heather and as I had come up from the left-hand path, I took that again, whereas I think it would have been quicker to take the more obvious one.
I ended up faffing about for 10 minutes off piste, trying to locate a decent path down. While doing that I disturbed a white-tailed eagle, which took off below me and flew majestically up the valley below. From Mr Google I discovered that they have been breeding on the Mar Lodge Estate for a few years now. Wonderful sight. Shortly after that, I struck a decent path and continued down. This path then ended for no apparant reason but I found another running parallel to it a few hundred yards away and that took me back to the road. 1 hour 45m to descend, including photostops and the faffing.
Looking down at Braemar
Days like this are my reason for doing SOTA. I’m still buzzing.
. Looking forward to getting my amended callsign - MM8WNA - out on a hill soon. 73 Mike 
…) “I’m on my way up a hill. Adviser “ Would it be convenient to run through some figures?” 