just like the signals towards the north and Edinburgh; heard nothing from either of you here! The f2 critical frequency has hovered around 5 to 6 MHz during the middle of the day lately, so to work anything relatively close in (NVIS) you would have had to try 60m !
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Back home now from GM to which we managed to activate 9 out of our 13 intended SOTA summits for this trip.
We and my dad Tom M1EYP were I believe the first to stay at Tushielaw Inn under its current owners and overall it was really good. The pub, rooms and en-suites are all good. The food is really good and you get complimentary whisky in your room as well. The landlord Alan and head chef was friendly and Kayleigh is one of Tushielaw Inn’s employees went above and beyond to be very accommodating to us. Kayleigh’s son Aiden is currently on work experience at this pub and living her as a result and Kayleigh’s daughter Maddie quite oftens helps out at this pub as well, both were friendly and good workers. This pub has also taken on 2 young female Ukrainian refugees who currently live there and work there as chefs under the landlord and head chef Alan, both are great workers and recently picked some strawberries from the nearby hillside to make some lovely homemade jam. There is no hand-pulled real ale, but there is some nice craft beer and a good range of bottled Scottish and English real ales as well. Breakfast is continental which is nice and you can upgrade to a full Scottish Breakfast for £9.50 which is also good. WIFI good in some areas and not so good in other areas. Officially food is served until 7pm, but the guests staying, food can be served at anytime.
However I would like to point out as well that this pub does quite often host private functions which results in this pub being shut to the public. Although this pub will still serve guests staying there food and drink when a private function is one, the service and capacity is very limited. When we stayed at this pub, one of the nights did have a private function on and what I believe was a 70th Birthday and we found the service and capacity to be very limited. My advice would be that when booking to stay at this pub is to check with them prior to booking if a private function is likely to happen on any of the nights that you intend to stay there. If you happen to stay there and on one of the nights a private function does take place, my advice would be to decline any offers of food and drink and drive out to Selkirk or Hawick to get a curry there instead.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Many thanks for the information on the Tushielaw as it now is. It sounds like some of the elements of the era of Rab and Gail have been retained, but perhaps it is now run somewhat more on a commercial basis. I think for Rab and Gail it was more a way of life. I noted your activations were, well let’s say not at the crack of dawn, so I assume breakfast was at a more sociable hour than the 7 a.m. service that Gail provided. Maybe something to take note of when Paul and I get back there.
Well done on all the activations on these fairly demanding hills. Nothing heard of Tom on 20m, but I did listen just in case I could grab a new Complete. With conditions being as they have been, I doubt 40m would have been any better.
73, Gerald
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Hi Gerald,
Breakfast is served at Tushielaw Inn from 8am to 10am officially. However the past few mornings, we went down for breakfast at 7:45am and all the continental breakfast was out by then. The landlord Alan who is usually responsible for the breakfast in the morning does often, but not always have the continental breakfast out t 7am and has mentioned that on some occasions, people have had a 7am breakfast. If a 7am breakfast is preferred for you and Paul G4MD, I would advise asking either Alan or Kayleigh if a 7am breakfast would be possible.
I did also send you a private message regarding Tushielaw Inn.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Tushielaw Inn spotted today on Ch5 Fifth Gear recharged whilst road testing the 2022 Lamborghini Countach.
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Hi Gerald,
Seeing as this thread recently became activate again, just wondering if you and Paul @G4MD decided to stay at Tushielaw Inn under its current owners as I understand that both of you were planning to stay there between Christmas and New Year so that Paul G4MD could activate some uniques that he had left to do in the area. My dad Tom @M1EYP and my brother Liam might be doing a road trip to GM/SS around February time and are looking to stay at Tushielaw Inn on this road trip so that Liam gets the chance to eat some of the nice food there such as the Pork and Haggis Burger.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Hi Jimmy,
Sadly my recovery hasn’t gone as quickly as I’d originally hoped and expected so we didn’t get away for our usual “between Christmas and New Year” expedition 
I am improving though and hope to be out on some smaller hills soon to start building my fitness for the challenges of GM 
Hope you have a good trip in February and will be most interested to hear about your experience at the Tushielaw 
Happy New Year to you, your Dad and the family
73 Paul G4MD
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Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear that your recovery hasn’t gone so quickly, but hopefully you’ll recover soon to be able to walk up some smaller hills and then to eventually bag some uniques in GM.
As mentioned above, me and my dad Tom @M1EYP stayed at Tushielaw Inn back in September for a SOTA holiday there which overall was really good. The possible trip in February will not be a SOTA holiday which me and my dad will be going on, but a road trip which my dad and my brother Liam will be going on so any SOTA activations that trip will just be repeats of GM SOTA summits that me and my dad have already activated as I won’t be on this trip.
Me and my dad are looking to a SOTA holiday in GM later this year to which we haven’t decided yet on if we will be staying at Tushielaw Inn again to bag some more GM SOTA uniques in that area or to stay in a completely different area of GM for when we do our GM SOTA holiday.
If you and Gerald @G4OIG plan to stay at Tushielaw Inn, I would advise checking if there are any private functions happening as although they are still happy to serve food and drink to you while there is a private function on, the service and the seating is very limited compared to a normal pub night (further details regarding this on a private message to Gerald G4OIG sent back in September). If you do happen to stay at Tushielaw Inn and in the unlikely event that a private function takes place on one of the nights, my advise would be to decline offers of food and drink that night and drive to either Selkirk or Hawick and get a curry. Although breakfast at Tushielaw Inn is officially 8am to 10am, I am sure if if you ask either the landlord Alan or Kayleigh who is one of the bar staff there nicely, I am sure that yours and Gerald G4OIG’s preferred 7am breakfast can be arranged.
Happy New Year to you and your family as well.
Jimmy M0HGY
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I thought I would revive this SOTA Reflector thread due to 2 upcoming holidays that me and my dad Tom @M1EYP will be on.
From Monday 31st July to Friday 4th August, we will be on a family holiday in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Although this isn’t quite Scotland (GM), Berwick-upon-Tweed is England’s (G) most northery town any SOTA activations that we do on this holiday will be in GM. As this will be a family holiday, SOTA will not be the main priority, but we are hoping to activate Hownam Law GM/SS-197, Meikle Says Law GM/SS-148 and North Berwick Law GM/SS-280 while in holiday in Berwick-upon-Tweed. We are hoping to either do one early morning activation where we Hownam Law GM/SS-197 and one all dayer where we activate Meikle Says Law GM/SS-148 and North Berwick Law GM/SS-280 or 3 early mornings to get these 3 SOTA summits activated. This however all depends on family and also weather (wx) which I hope will have improved by the time we are in Berwick-upon-Tweed as wx has been very wet recently.
The main SOTA holiday for me and my dad will be from Sunday 20th August to Friday 25th August where will be staying at Tushielaw Inn once again and hoping it will still be as good as it was when we were there back in September last year. When we booked earlier this year, we asked whether or not any private functions were booked for that week and we were told that none were booked and they will be serving food on each of the evenings while there, so hopefully this will remain the case. SOTA wise, we are planning to activate the SOTA summits that we had planned to do while there last time, but weren’t able to plus some other uniques in the area also. This will depend on wx and energy levels.
I plan to activate the SOTA summits on 2m FM and backup of 20m/40m SSB/FT4/FT8 and I expect my dad to be activating the SOTA summits on 20/40m CW/SSB/FT4/FT8. Please listen out for us on the bands.
Jimmy M0HGY
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I am afraid we will miss you as we are returning south to Newcastle on Sunday. Knowing that you and your Dad enjoy a good curry, can I recommend that you try Amrans. For any other foods you may like, just ask.
Jim G0CQK
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Hi Jim,
We ate The Magna Tandoori the last time when we were in Berwick-upon-Tweed and that was a good curry house. Not tried The Amram yet, but this is very close to our holiday accommodation so hoping to try it when we are in Berwick-upon-Tweed this time. Not sure though if in any night while there, we will be having a curry.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Hi Jimmy - will be interested in your report when at the Inn, I think they might let me park up in the car park if I eat in the pub (In the camper) , and it looks like a good target for me in September. Would be interested in the Inn and the surrounding hills!
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Hi Paul,
When we stayed there back in September, it was overall a nice pub. In terms of being allowed to park your camper there, I’d that would depend on who you ask at this pub. Although this was a friendly pub overall, my dad Tom @M1EYP will not be risking asking them to warm up soup for us in the morning and put in our flask for us to take up the hills with us. I will let you what Tushielaw Inn is like nowadays when we stay there in August.
Jimmy M0HGY
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So far this holiday, my dad Tom @M1EYP activated Lamberton Hill GM/SS-286 this morning (see SOTA SSTV - #44 by M1EYP) and may do another early morning activation tomorrow. On Thursday 3rd August, we plan to activate North Berwick Law GM/SS-280, Meikle Says Law GM/SS-148 and Hownam Law GM/SS-197. I plan to activate the SOTA summits on 2m FM with 20m SSB/FT4/FT8 backup and my dad plans to activate the SOTA summits on 20m CW/FT4/SSB. Please listen out for us on the bands. We had a lovely curry also earlier this evening at Amran in Berwick-Upon-Tweed which was recommended to us by Jim @G0CQK and Paul @W6PNG.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Last time I did that one, the nearby wind farm caused significant HF QRM. It was worse on 10m and reduced as I went down the bands. Still a problem on 20m. It may well be different now but I’d suggest you have HF antennas for the lower bands as well as higher just in case it is still a problem.
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If you count county tops GM/SS-148 has two Scottish county tops.
| 26 | East Lothian | 535 m (1,755 ft) | Meikle Says Law | NT581617 | 55.846678 | -2.670732 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Berwickshire | 532 m (1,745 ft) | Meikle Says Law shoulder | NT581616 | 55.845779 | -2.670716 |
The boundary does not run through the trig point and also is not the summit fence line but is about 100m further south. I will have to go back sometime if I want the Berwickshire county top, I should have read the map more closely.
73 de
Andrew G4VFL
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Cheers Andrew!
But TBH all I want is the activator points and activator unique!
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No issue on 20m from GM/SS-148 today, QRM-wise. I overheard a few noise from Jimmy’s 2m station, but nothing disruptive.
Rather a long walk! (Yes, I know there are much longer ones still to be encountered for 1/2 point summits in GM!)
Earlier on North Berwick Law GM/SS-280, was in contrast a very short approach. Fabulous views over the Firth of Forth to Fife from the summit.
It was 3.15pm local after the return walk on the 2nd summit, and moreover, I was exhausted. I had a look at the map for the planned 3rd summit - Hownam Law. I cancelled it. Jimmy’s disappointment was tempered by instead heading for England’ most northerly pub for a pint and a frame of pool.
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Alerts are now posted for me and my dad’s Tom @M1EYP GM holiday where we will be staying at Tushielaw Inn once again which I hope will be as good as last time because after this trip, there will be 1 or 2 mores trips where Tushielaw Inn would be suitable accommodation for the SOTA summits. Below are the summit plans so far, but these will most likely change depending on how we are doing for time and wx also.
On Sunday 20th August, we will be travelling up to Tushielaw Inn and on the way up, we plan to activate Calkin Rig GM-SS-196 if we are able to get an early start that morning.
Monday 21st August, we plan to activate Capel Fell GM/SS-082, Croft Head GM/SS-100 and Ettrick Pen GM/SS-074. We plan to visit these 3 SOTA summits as one circular walk, but we may decide on the day to skip Croft Head GM/SS-100.
Tuesday 22nd August, we plan to activate Andrewhinney Hill GM/SS-083 and we plan to only do this summit on this day so may stick around on this summit doing some radio.
Wednesday 23rd August, we plan to take a drive out and activate Hownam Law GM/SS-197 which is the only SOTA summit that we haven’t activated in that area yet. Afterwards, we plan to visit Kirk Yetholm which we was we ended our Pennine Way nearly 17 years ago for a pint at The Border.
Thursday 24th August, we plan to activate Deucher Law GM/SS-144 and Minch Moor GM/SS-133.
Friday 25th August is the day that we will be travelling home and we plan to activate before or drive home White Coomb GM/SS-030. If however, we end up skipping Croft Head GM/SS-100 on Monday 21st August, we may activate this summit on Friday 25th August instead of White Coomb GM/SS-030.
I plan to activate the SOTA summits on 2m FM with backup of 20m SSB/FT4/FT8 and I expect to be needing this backup from some of the SOTA summits. My dad plans to activate the SOTA summits on 20m CW and 20m SSB and maybe some 2m FM also. We hope to work you on the bands.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Monday looks to be a big day 
Minch Moor is just special to me. White Coombe is better than Croft Head especially if you walk up by the Tail Burn and look at The Grey Mare’s Tail.
I’ll have earned 8 days extra vacation by un-retiring and working some extra days so I may spend 1 of them and wander out to Minch Moor.
I do hope you don’t bring the bad WX with you the way Gerald does and you get some OK to great WX instead.
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