Thanks for the responses. As you can guess theAmerican west is a place that almost demands one carry a rescue beacon. And "The Boss" is another one that demands it. She has greater peace of mind that in the event of my accidental demise in the wilds my body will be found and insurances will be paid promptly.
I can see that cell phone coverage in England is very likely OK in most areas but Scotland is a different matter and sea kayakers anywhere along the UK coasts should carry a beacon. Being a belt-and-suspenders guy I also carry a portable marine radio when sea kayaking along the California coast.
FYI, The Garmin InReach beacon is better than SPOT in that it uses the Iridium satellite array which has the best coverage for beacons and sat phones. Maybe I'll sell my SPOT Gen 3 beacon and get the InReach beacon with its limited texting. The house is paid for in April and that frees up a lot of money for "necessities' like new beacons, riflescopes, Dyneema tents, etc.
Eric B.