Letter to the Editor

Re the letter from Cheryl Brind on November 11 .. has the Largs hum returned?

I have been hearing the Hum over the last few years in various locations around the Firth of Clyde. Most noticeable was inside my home In certain rooms and some other visited houses. The hum can also be heard outside in quiet areas including Arran.

I have tried to record the droning mechanical sound which on some days is constantly in the background but by nature the low frequency of the hum rules out normal recording devices.

I can say that the hum is in tune musically to a low E dropping to Eb. The hum is not imagined or just unique to me, apparently the older you are the more likely you are to hear low frequency sounds. The hum sound can be reduced by wearing ear defenders. During the day if it is very noticeable I leave the radio or tv on in the background to reduce the sound. There are more studies being carried out at university level especially in Canada where the hum and its description is identical to the so called Largs Hum. I am looking forward to this world wide earth sound source being identified. Meanwhile I keep the ear defenders handy. I would like to hear of other people's accounts of this real phenomenon.

Jim Courtney

Fairlie