GM Holiday

The story so far:

Tuesday 21st June 2022 - Ros Castle G/SB-009

An early one for me on my own, other members of the family electing to prefer more hours in their beds than a drizzly breakfast bimble up a Northumbrian one-pointer.

Just 4 QSOs on 40m CW then a 20m S2S with SV2RUJ/P on SV/MC-072. Using call MQ1EYP/P.

Wednesday 22nd June 2022 - Lamberton Hill GM/SS-286, Dirrington Great Law GM/SS-225 & Spartleton GM/SS-182

Full day pass out for me and Jimmy MQ0HGY/P. The first - Lamberton Hill was a short walk along a fence boundary to the trig point, keeping a watchful eye on reportedly problematic cows. Sure enough they did make a move towards us so I shouted a couple of “Oi!”s and waved my trekking poles in the air. They stopped in their tracks, and we continued.

Jimmy continued onto the true summit, a further field away, then returned to the trig point where we operated from. I did 20m - five on CW and one on SSB. Jimmy continued with the 20m SSB station after failing to get anything on VHF.

Onto Dirrington Great Law. A walk south from the road along a substantial track, parallel to the fence line, then a swing westwards to ascend gradually, then finally more steeply onto the domed summit.

Four QSOs on 30m CW for me then a couple of S2S on 2m FM with Paul MM0SNA/P and Peter MM0INE/P, both on GM/SS-244. Jimmy got his four on his favoured 2m FM this time.

Finally, on this baking hot day, over to Spartleton. Another long, curving and gently ascending track approach from a large parking area.

Seven QSOs on 20m CW, culminating in a S2S with MM6GYU/P on GM/SS-001. Jimmy’s performance increased 25% with five QSOs on 2m FM.

Back in Berwick, we met Paul M0SNA / W6PNG for a couple of beers in the town.

Friday 24th June 2022 - Eildon Mid Hill GM/SS-214 & Meigle Hill GM/SS-212

Paul M0SNA joined Jimmy and me for an early morning raid of a couple of summits near Melrose - both short walks - horizontally, but both with considerable vertical metres to be gained up steep flanks.

We all successfully qualified both summits on the radio using a mix of FM, SSB, CW and FT8 modes between us, on the 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 10m and 2m bands.

On GM/SS-214, I made ten QSOs on 30m FT8, with Jimmy adding a further nine on the same band and mode.

On GM/SS-212, Jimmy got his four on 2m FM. I did six QSOs on 17m CW, four on 20m CW including S2S with HB9BAB/P on HB/ZH-015 and four on 15m CW.

All three of us worked Viki MM6BWA/P and Rod MM0JLA/P for 2m FM S2S to GM/CS-077.

Later we reconvened in Berwick town centre for a fantastic lunch occasion, with Paul’s wife Rebecca joining us, as well as Marianne and Liam. The food at Foxtons was excellent, and the company top class.

Next up tonight - well Liam has learned of the existence of a karaoke night in a Berwick pub - so he’ll be reeling off the classics to a new audience - while his brother and dad get through a bit more beer…

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Good report Tom, but not impressed with the Boris Johnson hairstyle hihi!

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That sentence would make more sense without the last two words given last night’s by-election results.

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The only time I ever heard it pronounced it sounded like kil-Conker, but kinyucher makes a little more sense to me.

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I spent several months in the area for my thesis on the stratigraphy and volcanoes of the Fife coast between Elie and Pittenweem living in a tent in some local woods. Of course I also spent quite some time in between the tides in the local pubs where the locals corrected my pronunciation.

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Is that available on line?

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I am afraid that in 1968 when I submitted it, no one even knew what on-line meant. The computer of the day was the KDF9. Somewhere I do have a paper copy.
Jim

You mean there was a computer before the ZX81??? I dread to think how awful that must have been!

IIRC, you worked inside it!

The Wikipedia page (Kilconquhar - Wikipedia) gives two rather different pronounciations, implying that both are acceptable. On that page you will find both IPA transcriptions and audio clips, avoiding the inherent limitations of pseudo-English respellings.

Martyn

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Interestingly, the local couple that own the holiday house we arrived at today in Anstruther both clearly pronounced the town name exactly as it looks to the uninformed eye - and nothing at all like “Ainster”. The plot thickens.

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They’re incomers then !

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We always did. By that I mean the many family relatives throughout Fife. I have however heard it shortened amongst the farming community to Ainster. But the farming community use a lot of pronounciations and even words that are not known else where. Enjoy the Fish & Chips

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They’re good. :slight_smile:

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Me and my dad Tom M1EYP activated Largo Law GM/SS-259, Mount Hill GM/SS-277, Norman’s Law GM/SS-262 and Cairnie Hill GM/SS-275 on Monday 27th June 2022. In-between Largo Law GM/SS-259 and Mount Hill GM/SS-277, we met up with Andy GM6ZAK at a bakery in Cupar for a coffee (or in my case tea) and a breakfast bap.

Jimmy M0HGY

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Continuing the story:

Monday 27th June 2022 - Largo Law GM/SS-259, Mount Hill GM/SS-277, Norman’s Law GM/SS-262, Cairnie Hill GM/SS-275

Now in the second phase of our family holiday, and settled into the accommodation in Anstruther, Fife, we nominated the Monday as our “full day out” for the week.

We started out at 6.10am BST from Anstruther and headed first for Largo Law, a hill we had spotted when first driving towards Anstruther two days earlier. “Ooh that looks steep” had remarked Marianne, looking at the darkened line of the path straight up the front (south) face of the hill. I managed to make it steeper though!

We walked from the cemetery to the farm, then turned left to approach the steeper flanks. Jimmy headed directly ahead on a path but was soon shuffling between gorse bushes. I didn’t fancy that so veered left on what appeared to be a more established and graded path. It turns out we were both wrong; the better path goes initially to the right at that point!

My approach quickly became steeper and less defined, resulting in some mild scrambling which felt rather strenuous under blazing early sunshine. When the gradient eased and I was back on two limbs rather than four, it transpired that I was ahead of Jimmy - though not for long!

On summit I made 7 QSOs on 40m CW. Jimmy made 6 on 2m FM. The descent was obviously faster, but care was needed as the paths were toppled with loose dry grainy soil, which could be slippery.

The village of Cupar would be passed through en route to the next summit, and we arranged to meet Andy GM6ZAK for a quick coffee in the Baynes bakery there. Jimmy and I also took breakfast here, which included “Fathers Day pies” - Scotch pies, but with a slice of black pudding and baked beans in place of the pastry lid!

The next summit was Mount Hill. The monument could be seen throughout much of the ascent, but frustratingly never seemed to get any nearer! The farmland became woodland/forestry, and the fences became taller indicating the presence of deer.

As we set up on summit, we got caught by a heavy rain shower. Thankfully, and as indicated by the forecast, it would be the only one of the day. We operated in our bothy bags - although initially this was to escape the swarms of flies! I made 13 QSOs on 20m, split almost equally between CW and SSB. Jimmy got five for another comfortable 2m FM qualification.

The next hill was Norman’s Law. We parked in a large layby close to the start of the track and started the walk. This was a very “prominent” looking lump with not many horizontal metres to cover - but plenty of vertical ones to ascend!

The views from the top were fantastic, but initially concerning with an approaching sheet of heavy rain advancing towards us. We sheltered in our bothy bags even before trying to set up - but then emerged when nothing happened. We could then see that we had been lucky - this very isolated shower had veered left, missed us, and was progressing along the River Tay!

It was 8 contacts for me - 4 on 30m CW, 2 on 20m SSB, one on 2m FM, and one on 40m CW. All within around half-an-hour - so no doubt out with the spirit of @G8ADD’s “Patience” thread! Jimmy made two on 2m FM, two on 20m SSB and one on 40m SSB.

We had alerted five summits for the day, but this was now looking over-ambitious and we cancelled the fifth. Jimmy pointed out that even four in a day was a new record for us in GM!

For Cairnie Hill, we parked in a wide farm entrance on the other side of the road bridge over the railway from the start of the path. The walk was relatively easy but tiring as the fourth of a day under sweltering Scottish sun. After a couple of right-angle turns in the stony track, we turned left to follow the ridge. We followed the good path to its highest point, then veered left behind some trees for the final few yards up to the summit.

I operated entirely on 20m, mainly on CW, but finishing with a couple on CW. A S2S was bagged with MM6GYU/P on GM/WS-019. Jimmy got another four on VHF, and was happy to have qualified three of the day’s summits on 2m FM.

That evening we dined in the Boathouse in Anstruther, and I very much enjoyed the house speciality seafood chowder.

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Are you working for the Scottish Tourist Board? :rofl:

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We bring it with us every time without fail Barry - and will no doubt take it home with us on Saturday.

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@M1EYP I hope you do!!

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Friday morning will be our next, and final SOTA activating session of the holiday. We’re aiming for the Lomond Hills - East and West - on Fife, and maybe something afterwards depending on time and weather.

As usual, Jimmy will be on 2m FM, and me on HF CW (band to be decided last minute according to conditions).

Other bands and modes possible according to our qualification needs, S2S opportunities etc. Cannot guarantee any of that “patience” stuff though…

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