Snow showers.....

Incoming over Graemsay!

If you are expecting photos of deep crisp snow and a Winter Wonderland, sorry to disappoint.  Orkney is fortunate to be favoured by the Gulf Stream so we don't get very cold Winters as a rule. We will get a smattering of snow for a few days, and sometimes several inches of snow.  But no Polar Vortex for us.  Our winters are characterised more by gales and rain.  However this week we did have some snow, and quite a bit of ice.  Temperatures outside dropped to -4C so although that is cold for us.  It was -14 in Aberdeenshire last night (Mainland Scotland).

Anyway, we did have some dramatic skies and the landscape looked pretty for a few days.  So here are some photos of a walk to the beach.  Button was with me but didn't hang around for pictures - cold paws and all that!

Blue skies! And snow on the beach...

Footprints in the sand/snow.  It always amazes me that the snow doesn't melt given the saltiness of the shoreline...

A smattering of snow on the East of Graemsay....

Wonderful cloudscape over Stromness - as you can see - the tide is well out!

This is what is meant by "snow on hills" - ha! Ward hill on Hoy is white. At least it will give camouflage to the mountain hares who turn white in Winter.  They stand out quite a bit otherwise - you can even spot them through binoculars form Graemsay in their winter fur!

Fancy a paddle?

Incoming!

This shag (or Cormorant?) must have cold toes!

Cloudscape....

The old sailhouse at Sandside (the sails from the yole, the sailing boat used by most families on the islands in days gone by, would have been kept here.

And a short (35 sec) video of a cold but calm day at Sandside, Graemsay