I’ve not done a lot of exercise this summer. There is a good reason for this. I am building a 6x6 (6 wheel drive) Land Rover. It is consuming every evening, spare morning and day off. And all of my money. So, SOTA has been relegated to special occasions, like my recent overnight with my nephew, or grabbing a summit when on holiday (Switzerland) or when away with work (with @GW4BML) or at a far off rally. Yesterdays activity fell into the “having to take Mo for an MRI in Glasgow” category.
Mo was concerned that we’d be away for a whole day and that would mean no Land Rover building, so she suggested I find a SOTA en-route, so at least I’d feel like I’d achieved something on my day off. A quick glance at sotl.as provided a shortlist of summits along the way. I settled on Earl’s Seat GM/SS-126, given it was just a 30 minute drive from the hospital, a three hour drive from home, and looked to be just about do-able in a couple of (long) hours.
Thursday 25th July 2024
We left home at 0730 (all times BST), headed up Deeside, over Glenshee and down to Blairgowrie, where we were met with a scene akin to a zombie movie. Police cordons, deserted streets and the very strong smell of gas. Yes, a major gas leak and the entire town centre had been evacuated – two days ago(!) and they still hadn’t sealed the leak.
Onwards to Perth, Dunblane, across to Doune, heading west and then finally south to Glengoyne, parking just to the south of the whisky distillery. We arrived at 1050, a bit late thanks to the delays around Blairgowrie. A solo mission, as Mo didn’t want to arrive at the hospital looking and smelling like a hill walker.
I headed straight up the grass beside the distillery and this became a grassy trail leading directly towards the steep lump of Dumgoyne, a striking feature, visible from miles around, but one which is not a Marilyn.
Most hikers would head over this spectacular knob of rock, however I took the bypass path to the north, reaching it via steep and slightly greasy grass slopes, worn into foot treads with the passage of many boots. As I neared the top of the bypass, the gradient eased. I saw several bumps ahead of me. “It must be one of those”, I thought. Nope. As I closed in on them, I saw the earthy path climb and weave between knolls. This thought was to repeat several times over the next few km. I was on a very lumpy moor, with lots of undulations. Each time I thought I could see the summit, but no, there were always more ahead. The land of false summits!
Readers will ask why I didn’t check my map. Well I had mapping on my phone and I looked at it regularly, but somehow the scale of the landscape and the scale on the map didn’t compute in my head. One top had a cairn. Yes! No…still 2km to go.
not the top
A quick mention of the weather. The forecast was for sunny intervals with a 40% chance of a shower. Well, I found 100% of the 40%. Regular light showers closed in. Very dark grey cloud seemed to hover at eye level, however the tops remained clear in the most. I pressed on.
also not the top
Eventually a top appeared that seemed to fit the bill and the map. However, I was wrong again. This was the top that led to the top, unfortunately via a bog. The walkhighlands website warns of the boggy moor, but I had found the going OK until the dip before the last climb. This last climb was trivial and I was soon standing next to a white trig up in the cloud, having covered the 3 miles / 5km in 1 hr 15 mins. I was 15 mins. late for my noon alert.
the top
The Activation of Earl’s Seat GM/SS-126
This was to be a VHF only activity. Douglas @MM7DCD had told me there was a handy fence across the top, so I took his advice and dispensed with guys. Radio-wise, all I carried was my Yaesu FT-3d, a 4m pole, a Velcro strap and a Slim-G antenna. I also carried my Lo-Ra 70cm tracker, which was silently doing its work the entire hike. Only when I got back would I realise how well.
With 75% of the population of Scotland laid out in front of me, I had hopes of an easy qualification and high hopes of 10+ QSO’s on 2m FM with my set up. I got off to a great start, with a very recognisable voice coming back to my first CQ. It was Andy @MM0FMF calling from Black Mount GM/SS-158 down near Biggar. He was up there with @WU7H Josh, who I would speak with later.
Light drips of rain fell from the ever darkening skies. Phone logging with no back-up note pad. Could bite me! The radio was waterproof, I had already put my jacket on. It was just the phone screen that was the issue. Anyway, I managed to keep going and the rain didn’t get any worse. I quickly got 11 contacts in the log. That took just 8 minutes! With two unanswered calls, I decided it was time to go.
contacts map
The Return Journey
I took the direct path that leads down to the west from the summit. It was initially good, but then boggy. I mean proper soft, spongy, peaty and wet boggy. Then it rained, and boy did it rain. A torrential summer shower. I started running, firstly to try and “float” over the bogs and secondly to get out of the rain as soon as I could. Eventually my path joined the ascent route (I hadn’t noticed the junction on the way up, but it is a shorter route). Soon the rain stopped, but I kept jogging. I feared the steep grass down the side of Drumgoyne would be like a bobsleigh run, but it wasn’t too bad. Well, I managed to remain upright, which I think calls for a round of applause (I did this in my head).
clouds clearing from Dumgoyne
I got back to the car at 1330, having taken 35 minutes to descend. Mo handed me a clean T-shirt, trousers and trainers, which I changed into at the side of the road. Off we went, with time to stop for a late lunch at a nice fishery just north of Garvel Bridge. I had a Morton’s roll for the first time since I worked in Glasgow. The bread rolls up in Aberdeenshire are no match for these! Somehow with Globalisation and centralised food production every region in Scotland has still maintained local bakeries and variations. Long may it continue.
the LoRa tracker working superbly well
Anyway, hospital reached (Clydebank) in plenty of time, MRI done (just a follow up from an operation), hospital departed at 1600, google sensibly routing us up north of Glasgow and along to Lenzie to hit the Motorway well past any evening traffic. Home for 1930. We sat on the patio and enjoyed a glass of wine in the last of the days sunshine.
A good day off.
73,
Fraser MM0EFI
PS here’s a video. I didn’t edit the brief activation, so it’s all in there.
