Knock of Braemoray, GM/CS-115 - 456m ASL - NJ 011 418 - OS Explorer 419 - 1 SOTA point            

GM Tour - Monday 23rd August 2010

The first part of the plan worked - we were up at 5.15am, and on the road from Nairn with a breakfast inside us by 6am. Jimmy directed me through Nairn town centre and out in a south-easterly direction on the A939. At the end of the road, we turned left and headed north on the A940, and started looking for the lay-by and access point identified in recent weeks using Google Streetview.

   

After a few false starts, Jimmy spotted a set of steps leading up to a gate in the fence, not far from a suitable lay-by. I don't think it was the one we had pinpointed in our research though!  The steps were very rotten and rickety, as well as mostly blocked with strong and stubborn tree branches. Hence care was necessary, but we were soon into the field. This was now a punishing slog up a steep grassy and heathery slope. Eventually, the slope did round off - only to reveal itself as a big fat false summit, with another big hill to climb once across a 200m boggy plateau. This did not take long though, and soon we were at the trig point on a rather pleasing summit.

       

Aerials were erected, photos taken, and we were both QRV bang on 0700z. Jimmy MM3EYP/P was on 2m FM as usual, making use of the Inverness chat channel on 145.575MHz, as well as the standard 145.500MHz S20 calling frequency.  He got his contacts without too much difficulty. I enjoyed my first 2010 activation as MM1EYP/P, making 30 QSOs on 7.032MHz CW.

   

It had been a straightforward outing with everything going to plan. We were back at the cottage in Nairn by 9.30am, just as Marianne and Liam were rising from bed and getting ready for the day. Perfection! So SOTA was finally underway despite the patient wait until the fourth day of the holiday. Bring on the next one...