Snow and a hard frost in Scotland

Last week started with snowfall - soft, fluffy pillows of snow that blanketed the landscape and transformed it from the grey dampness that had settled into something much more magical. But temperatures quickly dropped into the minus territory and with that, the snow became unmovable and crunchy at best and sheeny and slippy at worst. A 4 wheel drive has been a must this week. But mostly I’ve tried to walk everywhere l need to go. With decent, grippy winter boots it’s been manageable but l do worry about all the elderly people in our neighbourhood who aren’t part of a network and can’t access shopping and community facilities easily. It must be quite isolating. For those that have ventured out, there’s always the risk of a fall and there has been a huge increase in hospital admissions due to slips and falls this week.

During the day, I’ve worked with a heated blanket across my lap and many, many layers. At night, we’ve retreated to bed earlier and earlier, electric blankets maxed out and an extra throw over the bed.

This morning, l headed out on a walk along the River Dee where chunks of snow and ice were swirling downstream before gathering and coming to a standstill near the reservoir. Birds landed on top of the ice and the water gurgled underneath. There wasn’t a drop of wind and the air felt sharp.

Tomorrow, there is expected to be a dramatic change in temperatures and with it the big melt. As someone who is mobile and able to get out and about in this weather, I try and enjoy it whilst it is here. It’s mere transience makes it all the more beautiful. Soon it will be a distant memory. In a few months, when we are tentatively dipping our toes in the river and considering whether to take the plunge, we’ll look back on these videos and struggle to remember the depths of the cold we felt even walking next to it.