Every August for a long time Sarah, Mrs. FMF, used to go and spend a week or so down at her mum’s for her mum’s birthday. I used to take the time to go on a SOTA expedition. Sadly Sarah’s mum passed away 2 years this October, but she still tends to go “home” to visit brother/uncle/aunt and see some old Wirral friends in August. At the last minute I decided that this time I was definitely activating Morven (hahahahahaha) and managed to get a B&B in Golspie. I was walking the time-share dog the evening before and she went chasing some children and managed to pull me at speed into a metal handrail on some steps. Crunch said my ribs and I said some very rude words. Never mind, it will hurt a bit tomorrow.
I took the dog back to my son’s next morning and set off ‘oop North’. Traffic was a nightmare on the A9. It should be easy with the average speed cameras but it was full of holiday traffic and people who could not maintain a fixed 50/60mph. I’d guess 75% of the cars have cruise control but speeds were up and down…put the damn cruise on and keep to a fixed speed and save fuel. Grrr!. Oh and it was raining… the biblical Noah’s Ark stuff.
However, there was a chance of some dry periods later on and it looked like Hill Of Nigg GM/NS-152 was a possibility.
Hill of Nigg GM/NS-152
As I made my way over The Black Isle and up the Cromarty Firth the WX improved massively. I diverted right onto the headland and drove to Hill of Nigg. I have meant to bag this for the last 10+ years when up here but something has always made it awkward, not today. Parking isn’t wonderful here but I was able to squeeze into the end of a passing place and still leave plenty of room for cars to pass. The rain appeared to be catching me up but this is a trivial hill I thought I’d chance a smash and grab.
I made a real mess of trying to cross barbed wire fences and would have been better going down to the gate I passed earlier. But in no time at all I was at the summit and it was very blustery. I knew I was on borrowed time so I rushed the setup and went straight to 10m hoping there was propagation. There was… Europe, Africa and East and West coasts of USA. 
As soon as I had 5 QSOs I bailed as the rain clouds were closing in.
The view from the parking place to the summit… 15mins plus faffing about at fences.
Looking SE towards Aberdeenshire and GM4TOE’s QTH… a lovely day.
And from the same spot looking SW towards the Cromarty Firth. Yeuch!
Looking S to the Nigg Shipyards where they build and service oil rigs.
I got back down ASAP. Managed to slip crossing a fence, trapped my leg, hurt my sore ribs more and swore really strongly. Back at the car just before the heavens opened up. Back to the A9, into ASDA at Tain for cheap fuel then up to Golspie and check in.
Meal Dola GM/NS-147
I slept OK, a mix of Codeine tablets and lager but my ribs were proper sore now… no bruising but ow, it hurt. So obviously, big heavy bag and mountain climbing was the course of action. Actually a long hot shower made me feel good as did a full Scottish breakfast 
This is another hill I’ve had on the hit list for ages. Simply if you drive 300 miles and spend money on a B&B you better have a plan A list of summits. And a plan B list. And plan C and … so you can chop and change depending on the WX and events like possibly cracked ribs!
This summit is up near Lairg off the A839. I spoke about this road to Andy MM7MOX (SOTA activator and member of my local radio club) who rides a big sports bike. We said little but both had silly grins. It’s wide with a lovely surface, free of traffic and has fabulous bends where you can drop a cog or two and it give it the beans. So I arrived at the parking spot almost before I’d left Golspie 
Park at NC599066. I only had any pain when I lay on my side or twisted during the night. Putting on a rucksack and climbing hills didn’t hurt. Coming down hurt a bit though.
There is meant to be a track but I couldn’t see it. So I followed a fence that went about 300m S of the path on the map and it went basically to the summit apart from a dog leg at the end to get to the true top. I just kept going up and sort-of the right way. It’s such a short easy walk and the extra 500m makes no difference.
Big herd of deer scarpering as I crested a false summit.
Quite a nice day at the summit. Best smile I could do with sore ribs.
A nice group of very rarely activated summits that sit at the head of Loch Shin. Left Beinn Leoid GM/NS-039, centre Meallan a’Chuail GM/NS-054, right Meall an Fheur Loch GM/NS-085. The very distant cone far right is the fabulous Ben Stack GM/NS-063 some 65km away.
Looking North, the distinctive Morven GM/NS-067, tomorrow’s target and on the right the triple peaked summit of Scaraben GM/NS-083.
Looking South, the seldom activated distant Corbett of Carn Chuinneag GM/NS-032. Only 2 activations in 22 years. But when you see where it is on the map you know why.
Ben More Assynt GM/NS-009
On the ascent, I took this photo to remind me this is where I turned right following the decaying fence posts, target ahead and you can see the ground OK today not too wet. Will not be fun after longs and heavy rains.
The view back towards Lairg and Loch Shin. Remember I turn left here at the last post.
Radio. I started on 40m SSB but conditions were awful and I could only work 2 stations. 40 CW was better but it was a hard work though S57S was ODX. I checked and there hadn’t been a flare so I wondered why conditions were pants. Then I noticed the EFHW ran up the pole about 4m then fell to the floor with most of the antenna on its winder still. Oops! 
Antenna deployed for 30m CW which was surprisingly better. I finished off with 20 and 15m CW.
Now the forecast was for rain at 2pm so I didn’t think I would have time for another summit so I packed up and ambled out rather than getting a move on. I was meant to turn at the last post… I forgot and ended up following another line of decaying posts. No matter, it added about 750m extra walk on across some rough ground but I was back at the car. I had a drink and another Codeine tablet as my ribs were hurting. I checked the forecast and perhaps, just perhaps I could do another summit as the 2pm rains were now 5pm rains.
Ben Horn GM/NS-107
Another spirited drive along the A839, navigate the speed bumps in Golspie and I was up the road to Ben Horn. Loads of parking at Bridge of Horn NC800047 in the lay-by built for the windfarm traffic. NOTE: there are gates so you could get locked in here. It doesn’t look like the gates have moved in at least 10years. Caveat emptor! (I have a junior hacksaw and a bag of blades in the boot/trunk just in case )
This is a trivial summit, 2.2km and 250m of ascent. It starts with a great 1km track through the woods. You come to a deer gate but there is a style to the left, 100m more track and you turn right at the cairn and follow the slightly wet track to the top.
First view of our target… track is obvious all the way. Not too steep either. Nice!
My ribs were aching a bit now but I was at the top in good time. I set up HF in the now very blustery winds and pulled a connector off. Damn! Out with the penknife and the insulation stripped and the wire pushed into the connector. I set up 23cm on the DJ-G7 handy and called Barry GM4TOE who is true LOS to here. He was going to be ten minutes more getting home. So I took some photos, then the phone rang and using 1.8GHz 4G QPSK voice and 1.3GHz FM voice we got pointing at each other and the first 23cm QSO logged. I was planning 23cms for Morven and Smean and Struie and …
Then HF. Conditions were cruddy and the antenna was deployed. 2 on 20m CW, 1 on 40m SSB and 6 on 30m CW. I called for a while and there were no takers. So I packed up for the walk out.
Ben Griam Mor GM/NS-089 and Ben Griam Beg GM/NS-091. A bit blurred as the autofocus picked the grass. Contrast adjusted to try to get the haze reduced.
Ben Klibreck - Meall nan Con GM/NS-014
Morven GM/NS-067 and Creag Scalabdale GM/NS-097 (right and in front of Morven)
Officially the most remote Corbett in the UK. The whole range is Ben Armine but often people say Ben Armine for the main hill. They are left, Creag Mhor GM/NS-065 and centre Ben Armine - Creag a;Choire Ghlais GM/NS-069. Following the right slope down in the distance is Ben Hiel GM/NS-103 which is next to Ben Loyal and Ben Hutig GM/NS-132 (which has only been activated once, by me!)
How remote? Well there’s a 13km bike ride to Ben Armine lodge on private tracks then a 5km 500m ascent to Creag Mhor and then 4km and 250m down and 240m up for Creag a’Choire Ghlais. Then you have to come back 
I found coming down very painful and so I was tensing my back so I didn’t get jolts of pain. But I kept on and was back at the car where more chocolate was consumed and I got the 12v soldering iron in use to fix the connector. Soldering was electrically OK but it looked like Stevie Wonder had done it. Then the rains started.
The next day was due to be wet and my ribs were giving me real gyp and my back was spasming. This was because I tensed myself for the descent and strained back muscles. As it was wet I took the day off and did the Clyneish distellery tour, expensive but I did get some very expensive samples ( £220/bottle in one case) to drink. As I was driving I had a taste and then my drams were bottled and boxed for me. I did some touristy stuff and went back to the B&B were I watched the TV as it rained and I tried to relax my back.
The following day was good WX. I meant absolute peach of a day. And my back/ribs were saying no. I took the decision it would be stupid to drive North for 1hr to a remote part of Scotland. Walk 8.5km from the nearest people, climb 400m up a 1 in 3 slope, play radio, descend and climb another hill, play radio and then get back to the car. That sounds like Darwin Award activity. So I came home a day early and lost one day’s cost. It’s a month later and my ribs still have the odd pain, so I think I probably cracked a rib. Certainly didn’t stop me doing Ben More the last week. Annoying to miss out on Morven on one of the best days of the year but life’s a bitch and then you die.
I’m carefully watching for a few days nice WX in October and if I can stay nearer to Morven then I may do a smash and grab on it and Smean. But the WX has to be good and we’re starting to run into short days. It’s awfully remote to be using head torches but we’ll see.
So that’s 3 times Morven has defeated me. Definitely will get it next time.