What a brilliant holiday it was. Every day was dry and sunny. Despite setting off a day later than planned we still activated all our target summits for the week. The Eskdale Hotel, Langholm was superb as usual. The fresh air and exercise did us both the power of good.
(The reports below copied from our daily social media posts so some past/present tense inconsistency).
Day 1 - GM/SS-285
Unusually late start (11.30am) from Macclesfield. Still time (just) to get a hillwalk in - Killyleoch Hill GM/SS-285 near Dumfries.
Pleasant rural track walking for most of the approach but a bit of challenging forest bashing towards the summit.
Jimmy MM0HGY/P made 3 contacts on 2m FM then qualified his activation on 20m SSB.
I, operating as MM1EYP/P made 3 contacts on 2m SSB then 3 on 20m CW.
Day 2 - GM/SS-161
We are being treated to glorious weather up here in Scotland. I remarked to Jimmy on today’s descent that it really felt more like the mountaineering we did in Tenerife rather than Scotland. This feeling continued when we refreshed with a Spanish beer (Cruzcampo) afterwards!
Today’s hike was a 7 miler on Larriston Fell GM/SS-161, 512m ASL. Pleasant track walking for most of the way but a challenging and arduous final half mile through knee-deep heather to the summit!
I made 9 contacts, all 2m SSB, including 2 summit-to-summits. There was a bit of a tropo lift, and I worked GI5JOE in County Antrim with a huge signal - even when he turned down to 5 watts - and SM6VTZ near Gothenburg!
Jimmy also made 9 contacts, 6 on 2m FM and 3 on 2m SSB. He also grabbed the same S2S and DX QSOs that I did.
Now enjoying dinner in the Eskdale ahead of popping out to watch the World Cup semi at the nearby Douglas Hotel.
Day 3 - GM/SS-146
Another magnificent day up here in Scotland. Baking sunshine and blue sky all day.
Powered by an excellent Scottish breakfast at the Eskdale Hotel, Langholm, we ascended nearby Ellson Fell GM/SS-146.
After 90 minutes of mainly steep slog, we made the summit and set up our stations.
Jimmy made 11 QSOs, 8 on 2m FM and 3 on 2m SSB.
I made 9 QSOs, 1 on 2m FM and 8 on 2m SSB.
We both made 3 summit-to-summit contacts, and a DX contact into PA (Netherlands).
Another lovely evening meal at the Eskdale, and now settled into the nearby Douglas Hotel ready to watch the World Cup semi.
Day 4 - GM/SS-114 & GM/SS-106
Today’s hike was an absolute beast!
16km and 750m of ascent - two summits.
We parked on the minor road at Braidlie, just west of Hermitage Castle. A long walk up a pretty valley became increasingly arduous until we eventually reached the saddle between the two hills.
We turned right and followed the ridge up to Greatmoor GM/SS-114, 599m ASL.
I made 7 QSOs, 1 on 2m FM (a summit-to-summit into the Pennines) and 6 on SSB. One of these was a very pleasing DX contact into LA (Norway). I called Jimmy to see if he wanted to grab the contact - but he told me he’d just worked the Norwegian station on 2m FM, and in fact had told him my frequency on SSB!
Jimmy made 6 on 2m FM including the S2S and the Norway station.
We made fairly good time over tiring boggy ground across to the second summit. This was Cauldcleuch Hill GM/SS-106, 619m ASL.
Jimmy made 4 contacts on this one, all 2m FM. I made 5 - 4 on 2m SSB and 1 on 2m CW.
We then had the very long walk back down to the car, which took us 2 and a quarter hours. We were slightly delayed by a herd of cows walking, very slowly, ahead of us on the lower part of the trail! We managed to find a way of overtaking them via rough ground and several stream crossings!
Refreshment couldn’t wait until Langholm so we popped into The Grapes at Newcastleton for a swift pint - and a chaser of corporation pop! Back at the Eskdale, a quick shower and then yet another superb evening meal - haggis bonbons followed by steak pie and chips - and another beer or two!
Superb day - but I’ll sleep tonight!
Day 5 - GM/SS-130
Last day of Scotland trip.
We checked out of the outstanding Eskdale Hotel (after scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast), and drove 45 minutes west, to south of Dumfries.
Our summit for the last day was Criffel GM/SS-130. 569m ASL - but with the walk commencing right down at 59m ASL!
A good - and I believe relatively new - engineered path led from the car park to the summit. It went up, and up, and up!
The top commanded good views, though would have been even better without the haze.
Jimmy MM0HGY/P - 10 QSOs, all 2m Fm, 5 summit-to-summit.
Tom MM1EYP/P - 18 QSOs, 3 on 2m FM, 15 on 2m SSB, 5 summit-to-summit.
Long descent then a swift cooling pint in New Abbey - then onto Gretna for our customary haggis supper from Mehmet’s.
Excellent day to conclude an excellent 5 days!