I am actually quite tempted to activate all the GM/SS SOTA summits South of Glasgow and Edinburgh myself (excluding Kintyre). However there are all of GM/SS SOTA summits south of Glasgow and Edinburgh and quite a few really difficult ones also, so probably won’t happy given that we’ll never complete the GM SOTA Association anyway.
Jimmy M0HGY
Just go for it Jimmy. There are lots of super summits to activate and enjoy, though you’ll need to get into training ready for Galloway ground. Doing them in groups from local accommodation is the best way… a minimum of 3 days at a time to get reasonable value for money. Even so. going back and forth might make you fed up with the M6. 
Hi Jimmy
I am based in West Cumberland so the Southern Uplands a day trip or drive up the night before sleep in the van (Peugeot Partner) then off early in the morning. I don’t do multiple days of activation so an odd night in the van is fine.
I put my routes on the mapping database if they are not a duplicate of what is there already. G4OBK has a lot of routes on the mapping database. Walkhighlands is a good source of routes when planning. There is catch, if you use an old route you can find that a forest has been cut down or planted. It is worth checking the satellite view of a route to see the state of the forest because it can be more up to date than the map.
I generally try to have a summit photo for SOTL.as if nothing exists.
Hope this helps
73 de
Andrew G4VFL
Thank goodness for Tebay Services. If it wasn’t for that treat to look forward to and break up the each-way journeys, it would be considerably more tiresome.
Starting from Birmingham Tebay is just a bit too far for me, but yes, the journey has to be broken.
My first foray into GM was back in the days when the M6 stopped at Preston, the A5 to the border was no fun! On that first trip we explored the Southern Uplands and had a lot of fun, but my second trip took us into the Highlands, and the stretch from Lomondside to Glencoe and onwards made the Southern Uplands somewhere to get past as soon as possible to get to the good stuff! Even now, when SOTA in my old age has tempted me up a few SS summits, I find them dreary and undramatic compared with what awaits in WS, and ticking off SS numbers about as exciting as stamp collecting. Head further north, Tom, and see what I mean!
We’ve already booked Brian, stop trying to cheer me up.
The beauty of SOTA and the Marilyns definition is the rich diversity of hillwalking styles that it encompasses. We like and appreciate them all.
If you delve into my activator record Brian, you will see that I’ve activated in GM/WS, GM/ES, GM/NS and GM/CS as well as GM/SS. And will continue to do so!
GM/SI is my only unactivated UK SOTA region (although really GM/SS-246 should really be in the SI region), but one day, one day…
Tebay is certainly a cut above other M6 services… A regular stop-off for Gerald and I on our way North, to grab some breakfast. Just wish the restaurant would open earlier than 7am, we usually end up waiting round for it to open and it restricts how early we can arrive at the first summit parking of the day 
The 07:00 local start for the food certainly limited us… 02:30 local alarm, 03:00 depart Northampton, 04:20 arrive Stourbridge, 04:40 depart Stourbridge, 07:00 arrive Tebay +/- roadworks of course. I think my last fall out of bed was 02:10 local. Hardly worth going to bed.
Maybe we should have packed a bacon sandwich?
Hi Andrew, many thanks for the overview picture of the summits I still need to do South of Edinburgh/Glasgow line. Looks a lot less daunting than in list form 
Hopefully I’ll be fit enough soon to start mopping up the stragglers 
73 Paul G4MD
I think you meant the A6 Brian.
73 Phil
PS Just recalling stories from my late dad, an HGV driver for some years. He would mention the famous Jungle Transport Cafe at Shap on the A6. Found this picture online.
Yes the A5 would take you to the wrong border 
Seeing you fit enough to start any of the summits in GM is going to make a lot of people smile. By the time you start knocking them off I should be on my new short working week and will be able to join you (and him if he comes with you!) either for joint summits or to offer you some simple handy-range completes.
Thanks Andy I’m looking forward to a busy schedule in the near future and your support will be very gratefully received
Not tackled any hills yet but am doing walks round the local golf course with my Bro and hope to start on something with more elevation soon. My surgeon advised a support appliance to lessen the risk of stoma herniation for more strenuous climbs, I guess that will be many in GM I’m being measured up for it next week.
73 Paul G4MD
Yep, the A6, sorry. It was awful in heavy traffic, so I guess my mind was trying to block it out!
Given the recent events, I thought now would be a good time to post something much more positive. Alerts are now on SOTAwatch for me and my dad’s Tom M1EYP walking holiday in GM. I will be activating the SOTA summits on 2m FM and my dad Tom M1EYP will be activating the SOTA summits on 20m CW and 20m FT8, backup for both of us will be 20m SSB. Plans could well change if there are days with bad wx or if we are running out of time to get an evening meal at Tushielaw Inn as I believe that they do stop serving food at 7:30pm which is a bit early, but we are miles away from any to get food of an evening so ideally, we want to be eating at Tushielaw Inn each evening.
Jimmy M0HGY
I’ll try and listen out for you on your first hill (White Hill) Jimmy. I should be driving past around that time.
White Hill will be an interesting one. It will increase our Activator Uniques score by one - but not our Marilyns total!
The new farmer there has padlocked all the gates but happily unlocked the vital one for us - hope you meet him or you enjoy going over gates. It seemed a bit strange to be basically going up the same hill as last time but turning right instead of left this time - but a new unique is always welcome. Good luck for the ‘holiday’.
73 Viki
HI Vicky / Tom / Jimmy
I went a different way and avoided the farm and barking dogs. It was early morning on the first day of the newly placed summit. Info here and track uploaded to SOTAMaps. No fences or gates to climb when I was there.
73 Phil
Jimmy, when you do Belling Hill, will you take plenty of photos up near the top around the walls. The plantation was growing very fast last time I was there and I want to see just how accessible it still is. It may get quite a challenge to get to the AZ in a few years, like it was back in 2006 etc.