View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Tuesday 29 November

It has turned rather a lot colder, with the mercury now barely above freezing. Yesterday's max was 10C / 50F, today's is 4C / 39F. The weather is marginally more friendly, with showers and less strong winds. But you do feel the cold now, and winter is definitely on the way in. There were severe problems with flooding near Glasgow today, particularly near Greenock, on the Clyde.

Good news today, in that the RET scheme is being extended to ferry services between Hebridean islands. RET (Road-Equivalent Tarriff) has reduced the fares on the Ullapool - Stornoway route by half, and has produced a 30% increase in tourism trade since its introduction in 2008. The scheme only applies to western Scotland, with the islanders of Orkney and Shetland complaining bitterly at being left out. The Shetlanders should, however, not complain so loudly. RET would mean an increase in fares on their long route between Aberdeen and Lerwick.

I have completed the project to add the portraits of WW1 servicemen from Lewis to the Imperial War Museum's Your Faces from the First World War group.