It seems that Scotland is very popular with SOTA activators this month but ours (with M0JLA) will be slower and warmer (I hope) than the recent SI and Ben Nevis spectaculars. In fact, even if we get up all the little hills on the list (which we won’t) I’m fairly sure the total point count will be less than ‘those two’ managed in 14 hours. All being well we shall be near Forfar (Angus) 1 - 4 May, then Aboyne (W of Aberdeen) 4- 11 May, Aberlour (Speyside) 11 - 18 May and a quick visit NW of Stirling 18 - 21 May before starting the long drive back to the Welsh Borders. The two main areas we visited last year and we thought we’d go back and try for a few more of the little hills (mainly 1 pointers but the odd 4 pts if we run out of the little ones!). As you may gather, we are not looking for points but are interested in uniques and completes - and hills that won’t upset the knees too much on either the way up, or even more, on the way down!! We shall also be looking at Pictish stones and stone circles which, mercifully, are not usually at the tops of hills!
As usual I shall be hoping to work only on VHF/UHF (but will take a contact on HF if essential) so I am going to need a lot of help from the local amateurs (who often aren’t collecting SOTA point and even, shock horror, may not even have heard of SOTA!) I was very grateful for contacts from those on the daily Aberdeen net last year and I hope this will continue but I will be out of range some of the time especially If we visit Royal Deeside (Ballater and further west). When up in Speyside I sometimes reached up the coast as far as Wick as well as being helped by more local listeners. Rod M0JLA will be working on 40m and possibly 20m - and 2m if there is a chance of a s2s or 2! As I only chase from summits I have chased very few of the summits in this area and would very much welcome contacts from local activators who may be available during this period. As ever, we are very grateful for advice from Fraser MM0EFI on suitable routes and summits and hope to have some contacts with him during our travels. We will hope to alert as early possible but it is often only on the actual morning when we get a better idea of the likely weather. I can’t spot but usually welcome any offer to spot me unless i am about to go QRT!! Tx for your help.
73 Viki
Sounds good Viki. If one of you had whatsapp it would make life much, much easier. However, in lieu of that, as long as I get an email or text the night before, I can share on our group and the Aberdeenshire groups.io chat.
Do this for the first part of your trip too. I’m on the Dundee Amateur Radio Club facebook page. They have a few SOTA chasers and have a liking for chasing 2m activators on the Angus glens hills.
Hi Viki,
Hope to catch you for some s2s on your trip whilst I am up in Sutherland for a few days (2nd to 7th May). Unfortunately we don’t overlap as well as last year but we might manage some QSO’s.
I’m starting off with Hill of Nigg GM/NS-205 on the way up (Thursday) then hoping to do GM/NS-091, GM/NS-136, GM/NS-089 and GM/NS-103 whilst there and maybe GM/WS-314 on the way back South.
Andy
MM7MOX
’ as long as I get an email or text the night before, I can share on our group and the Aberdeenshire groups.io chat.’
Thanks Fraser. Much appreciated… M0JLA is trying out access to whatsapp but I prefer ‘older’ methods if possible! Looking forward to contacts with you and your many friends. Not sure if we will have time to go up anything on Wednesday but hopeful for Thursday 3 May and onwards.
73 Viki
Hi Andy. Hope you have a good trip. We will keep an eye on alerts and spots and see if we can manage some s2s. Thursday looks hopeful but not sure we will have the height - it might be GM/ES-037 if everything is favourable. No idea what time yet. Have fun.
BTW to everyone - I won’t be able to access my SOTA messages while away so any PM should be sent to M0JLA. pse.
73 Viki
I have just looked at the profile of this - the intervening land is twice the elevation of the los path 
so I think this might be a lost cause.
Good luck with your activation Andy.
EDIT Also:- If we made it to Hill of Wirren ES-045 when you were on NS-091 there might be a chance - but it is 180km.
73,
Rod
I would say I would try and catch you on HF but that is not a guarantee this week. I had very strange conditions last Saturday, 20m was like 40m and vice versa.
But we managed a 124km s2s on 70cm last year using a rubber duck antenna and 2 watts from the FT818 internal battery. I’m hoping that my 70cms flowerpot and 5 watts will be better this year.
Andy
MM7MOX
Hello Viki. I wish both You and Rod an Excellent Holiday in GM/ES land. I believe that you will be out of my VHF/UHF range for QSO. However if I see a spot I will listen and if I hear you I will certainly try for a contact. Maybe I will be able to contact Rod on 40Mtr. Band though only below 7.100Mhz. However I will do my very best. Have a wonderful holiday, my Friend. 73 de Paul M0CQE.
I will be on Orkney for a week next month chasing archaeological sites, but hope to do at least Wideford Hill probably on hf. We then go to Muir of Ord for a week, hopefully I’ll be able to activate something or chase at least. Hope your trip goes well, Vikki & Rod. 73 John
(from Viki MM6BWA)
Have alerted for GM/ES-037 for 1100 UTC Badandun Hill but may be delayed if wind/cloud suggests a slightly later start. We are now based near Forfar for 3 nights having visited, on the spur of the moment, GM/SS-259 Largo Law which we have missed on previous visits. Deep in mist, windy but dry but a rather disorganised visit as I was on the wrong part of the hill… don’t ask! Eventually met up and erected the 2m/70cm dipole and rattled off sufficient contacts very quickly as we couldn’t stay as we wanted to visit a museum. Many tx to Ken GM0AXY for his advice and spot. M0JLA hopes to use HF tomorrow if conditions permit.
73 Viki
Hi Viki @M6BWA and Fraser @MM0EFI,
Nic and I will be in the Loch Lomond area for a week from this Sunday. Hoping for good weather, as we want to get some of the bigger summits activated if we are able.
We’ll have HF/2m/70cm this time, so hope to catch you guys S2S if we can.
Fingers crossed for dry weather. Please! 
73, Simon
While in the Aboyne area I recommend the Tomnaverie Stone Circle by Tarland. There is also an ROC bunker beside it. We go away on the 6th, so will probably miss you.
73 Simon
(from Viki MM6BWA)
GM/ES-037 Badandun Hill was hard work today as the good track seemed to be directly into the wind the whole way up…but it was dry and the sun shone a lot of the time. By the time we were back down again it was 18C+ and felt very warm if out of the wind, So windy at the summit I couldn’t find a place to it so activated lying down, swaddled in a scarf to try and lessen the wind noise which must have been fairly successful as managed to qualify on both 2m and 70cm but the latter was a bit of a struggle, It won’t be so easy when I am out of reach from Edinburgh!
Rod M0JLA got about 10 contacts on 40m but was having difficulty hearing as the wind was so loud in his headphones, We were much delayed by an unexpected (by us) road closure of the B951 at Glenisla so visited Blairgowrie when driving round.
Aiming for GM/ES-045 Hill of Wirren if wx hold (rain from 1800?? and on Saturday forecast) and hoping for a s2s (or more on HF). but all contacts welcomed - especially on 2m and 70cm. Thanks for the info on the stone circle will certainly be certainly visiting it (if we haven’t already!)
73 Viki
I did write about this…
Not sure if you were planning to do ES-049 Ladylea Hill when you are in the Aboyne area, but the access road from Bellabeg will be closed for 2 weeks from 6th May.
73 Simon
(from MM6BWA) Another super sunny day but with a very similar NE wind - and guess which direction we ended up walking up Hill of Wirren, GM/ES-045… Once again things didn’t go to plan as we drove N of Brechin passed the Caterhuns (visited last year) and up towards Stonyford but we were still 3miles away when a ‘Road Ahead Closed’ (RAC) sign appeared and we found the road end. The bridge that was down last year is still unrepaired and the alternative route through private land is only available to residents and approved vehicles (not including walkers). A local keeper reckoned that it will never be repaired in the forseeable future so be warned. After discussion we turned round, returned to Bridgend and walked the very long way up the Southern spur on the estate road up to nearly the top where it divides. We went straight up, over a fence, through peat hags etc etc and eventually reached the trig point with hags to protect us from the wind which was a relief. 2m was qualified in 20 mins but 70cm was more of a challenge but eventually successful with the assistance of the Aberdeen afternoon net. Many thanks. We found a better route back which avoided the peat hags but did include an aircraft crash site (see Wreck of a wartime Bristol Beaufort bomber in the Angus glens |) but I’m not sure it was the one he found.as I gather there at least 2 if not more sites up there. The wind was dead against us for most of the (rather stony) track and it took us about 3 hrs to get up there. We found the keeper waiting to talk to us on the way down and had a good chat.
The weather forecast for the next few days is not good as we move to Aboyne but we hope to visit GM/ES-080 on Saturday but the time is uncertain - possibly 1300 UTC but that is a complete guess. A shame that the weather has turned for the Bank Holiday but that is British weather. We called briefly at Brechin on our way back to Forfar and decided to revisit the superb Pictish stones at Aberlemno but this did not happen as it was another ‘RAC’ sign so we gave up. I hope things will improve as we move north but I notice the news about Ladylea Hill which was on our ‘possibles’ list. Many tx to those that chased us today.
73 Viki
Sorry about the bad intel on the Glen Lethnot road. It doesn’t appear on the Angus Council website as a road closure any more, so I had tonassume they had repaired it.
An entirely reasonable assumption, Fraser. It seems that this task will be costly and has not yet reached the roads repair budget plan so will not be done by April 2025 (if ever). We wonder if the Council will reach an agreement for public access by the private roads currently used (with permission) by the locals and trades vehicles.
We could have squeezed the car in behind the road-closure barrier and walked up the road and over the closed bridge to Stonyford to reach the access track but decided on the alternative southern route. As usual we will never know which is the better choice 
I shall put some of this on the summit page. EDIT - now done.
Wet Harr here today so we shall see how things look once we move north from Arbroath.
Hope to speak soon, 73, Rod
Having been bitten by the same problem, road closures not showing on Trafficscotland website, I did some digging. There is the website that has lots and lots more info. https://www.roadworksscotland.org/
What is strange or surprising is I live 60m south of that part of Scotland and we didn’t get the same torrential rains and flood damage here. Nor did we get the wind from Storm Arwen either.