Back garden, Wednesday morning

The view out over Ura Firth and the Ness of Hillswick towards St Magnus' Bay, 8.30am

Snow, hey ho...

Brutally cold, ice on powdered snow, and very windy. Don't let the brightness fool you! Now, after dark, the wind is really gathering force. We've already had one power cut, both the peat fires are on, and both tomorrow and Monday are looking grim. And yet..

The truth is, I love this sense of isolation, the notion that we're thrown back on our own resources. It's one of the reasons I was so attracted to life in Shetland in the first place. Having said that, I've booked the hotel for lunch tomorrow...