Activating GM/CS-111 Creag Bheag July 2026

 A pleasant summit and easy hike, accessible from Kingussie town worth 1 SOTA point

I found myself without a car and, to be frank, fancied a simpler, low summit where I could spend more radio time and a bit less effort on hiking and navigation.  I took the train to Kingussie station and walked from there, about 45 minutes from station to summit.

My route started through residential streets and into the forest, then emerged to a well made path that rose steadily to the summit.

 The summit is marked by a trig marker, but I chose to activate in a sheltered cairn a few metres below the summit.  This was a busy summit (even on a weekday) and I didn't want to trouble a steady stream of hikers and dog walkers.

 The shelter provided an excellent shack, with wind protection and comfortable operating surfaces.  Even so, a few of the walkers came over and a couple asked what I was up to.  I was pleased to explain to a Slovenian couple that I had just spoken to S57ILF!

Even on this lower summit the wind was strong and I needed to anchor my Sotapole against the cairn with 3 heavy rocks, a bungee and the antenna's string restraint at the top.

 Once set up, my antenna stayed in place and I enjoyed 19 SSB QSOs on 40, 20 and 15m including 2 Summit-to-Summit contacts.  I then had time (and mental space) to try some CW, and added 14 QSOs on 30m and 15m.

I retraced my path back to Kingussie station and dropped in to the Railway Cafe for a cuppa and piece of cake before my return train arrived.

Activating GM/ES-024 Geal Charn July 2026

 A (perhaps unnecessarily) long walk and a tiring ascent, worth 4 SOTA points

 The route to this summit is a hike of two halves.  The first part (2/3rd of the distance) is an easy walk along a farmer's track, which could be done with a normal family car.  The final third is a steep incline through fairly dense heather and peaty moss covered land, with no clear path which made it tiring and hard on the legs.

I parked at the start of the track on the Dorback Road but did consider driving through the "No Vehicles" gate.  By the time I reached the summit I wish I had!

 Beyond the gate is a derelict house and farm, an occupied house (possibly a holiday home), the occasional farm building and then just farm track for 3 or so miles.

 

The track rises gently providing 200m elevation from the car park, but the route then takes a right hand turn at the junction shown below:

 The right hand turning is not worn away or marked as you leave the track, but a white stick indicates the direction to head.  Then just keep on in the same direction through the heather to the top.  The route undulates up and down but overall provides another 300m elevation.  It becomes steep at times, it felt like 45 degrees at one point, but the vegetation provided plenty of grip despite wet moss underneath:

 Just before reaching the summit there is a small cairn and a potentially useful stake that could be used to anchor an antenna pole, within the activation zone...

 

...but I went on to the summit cairn which provided a bit more (but not much) shelter against the wind.

 I enjoyed 4 SSB QSOs on 20m followed by 8 on 15m (40m provided no replies to my CQ).

I am a CW novice but rarely have time or feel relaxed enough to try CW on a SOTA activation.  But this time I was not in a rush so called CQ SOTA and self spotted on 15m.  I enjoyed 6 CW QSOs, the most for me ever, and was astonished when I decoded JG0AWE.  I checked the callsign several times, and even when walking back was convinced it must be DG0AWE or something similar.  He gave me a 449 report and thinking back there was a bit of a flutter on the signal, often associated with polar signal paths.  I then received an email from him asking if I had logged the QSO, so yes, my first portable JA QSO!

The descent was fairly straightforward, but when I reached the farmers track I wished that I had driven that part!

Next Activation:  GM/CS-111 (Creag Bheag) >>