Just been up to the shop to buy the Sunday meal - having lasagna this evening. Thought it wasn't cold, and I just spotted the midday weather report: 11C / 52F. Not seen that for a while. It is feeling quite springlike with lots of bright sunshine and buds swelling on the dogrose bushes down the street. My cold is a little better this morning (thank you), so that'll continue going away in the same way it came: on its own.
Be careful what pictures you put on Facebook. It could cost you your life.
I know people who won't touch the social networking side of the Internet with a barge pole, slating teenagers for spending more time on the Net than meeting friends face to face. Worse than that, being 'groomed' by people they don't know. Facebook has a genuine purpose for people far apart to stay in touch, using text and photographs. That capacity can also be used for malicious purposes, and is in fact being used as such. It is commonly known that it is not a good idea to slag off your employer on the Net, unless you do it on a closed site to which your employer and colleagues have no access. However, there is never an excuse for murder.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Friday, 5 March 2010
Friday 5 March
Overcast with the odd light shower today, although the day ended with a colourful sunset. I spent the day going through box after box of tissues (should be better tomorrow, thanks) and processing the information on the walk I marked out on Wednesday. This will shortly be available on the walkingworld.com website, where it can be downloaded for a small fee. I hope it will attract many people; the only fly in the ointment is the prospect of the shore-side of the walk turned into a construction zone in the next few years. A tidal power generator will be constructed across Shader bay, which will probably block access there for a number of months if not years.
Half past ten, digging well into my third box of tissues. Time for bed, more tomorrow.
Half past ten, digging well into my third box of tissues. Time for bed, more tomorrow.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Thursday 4 March
Today started very wet, but after that shower at 11 o'clock, things dried up. It did not get properly sunny, but at least it was dry and not very windy. I jumped on the postbus at midday, not having read the timetable, so I had to organise a lift for the return trip. You now have to ring up the night before to get a bus out of Timsgarry at 5pm. Didn't use to be like that, so I was caught on the hop.
I spent the afternoon in the Uig Community Centre, listening to a talk by two academics from Edinburgh who insist that the famous Lewis Chessmen were not found at Ardroil, but 6 miles up the road in Mealista. Local people vigorously contested the reasoning behind the claim. I also met up with a few people I had not met before. I was offered a lift back to town, which I gratefully accepted. Had a good yarn with the driver and another passenger on the way back.
I spent the afternoon in the Uig Community Centre, listening to a talk by two academics from Edinburgh who insist that the famous Lewis Chessmen were not found at Ardroil, but 6 miles up the road in Mealista. Local people vigorously contested the reasoning behind the claim. I also met up with a few people I had not met before. I was offered a lift back to town, which I gratefully accepted. Had a good yarn with the driver and another passenger on the way back.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Picture post - 3 March
Ballantrushal Stone and view from the Stone
Shore at Shader
At Shader
Steinecleit and Loch an Duin
Jamie Bulger
Seventeen years ago, the UK was shocked by the abduction and brutal murder of toddler James Bulger. His murderers were two boys, aged 10. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson had befriended the little boy in a shopping centre in Bootle near Liverpool and led him away - an image caught on CCTV, and etched on the memory of anyone who followed that story in the 90s. The two were found guilty and sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. They were released on life licence in 2001, with new identities. Jon Venables, now aged 27, was recalled to prison after being found in breach of the terms of his licence. Details of the breach have not yet been released.
Wednesday 3 March
A bright and sunny day, although it remains cool. Out of the wind and in the sun, it felt quite warm this afternoon. I was out and about, marking a walk from Shader to Ballantrushal, taking in two ancient monuments. There is an old homestead at Steinecleit, close to Shader; and Ballantrushal plays host to a 20 ft high monolith. My attempts to find a moorland loch behind Steinecleit foundered in the bogs. I was quite surprised to notice quite a bit of snow in shaded parts of gardens in Laxdale and copious amounts on the Barvas Moor, 350 feet above sealevel.
I'll put up pictures later this evening.
On the way back, the bus driver had his radio tuned to BBC Radio 1, the pop radio station, and they set out to prove that teachers are "wild". One female teacher, her voice disguised, stated she was wild. She professed to being in class hung-over following a heavy drinking session the night before and unleashing a particularly malodorous fart by the blackboard. Right. So that's wild, is it? I call it unprofessional.
I'll put up pictures later this evening.
On the way back, the bus driver had his radio tuned to BBC Radio 1, the pop radio station, and they set out to prove that teachers are "wild". One female teacher, her voice disguised, stated she was wild. She professed to being in class hung-over following a heavy drinking session the night before and unleashing a particularly malodorous fart by the blackboard. Right. So that's wild, is it? I call it unprofessional.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Tuesday 2 March
The day started bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky, but high clouds are beginning to drift in from the southwest. The sun has raised the temperature to a respectable 8C / 46F after an overnight low of -3C. The weatherman says it'll be downhill from tomorrow onwards, as Atlantic weather systems try to muscle in. Not with much success, if the week's weathercharts are anything to go by.
Anyone using a Weatherpixie on their site will notice that it is no longer there. The guys at the Weatherpixie site tell me that their server has crashed, so no weatherpixies, unfortunately.
The chef who allegedly absconded from a hotel in Tarbert with £7000 from the hotel safe has declared that he was beaten up and threatened at his house to come up with the money or else. He also said he was dismissed the day before, and had not fled or taken any money. The hotel's owners replied by saying the man is a fantasist and a liar. Now, my source is the Daily Record newspaper, a Scottish tabloid, so I'm glad I'm living right next to the sea which leaves me with plenty of pinches of salt.
Anyone using a Weatherpixie on their site will notice that it is no longer there. The guys at the Weatherpixie site tell me that their server has crashed, so no weatherpixies, unfortunately.
The chef who allegedly absconded from a hotel in Tarbert with £7000 from the hotel safe has declared that he was beaten up and threatened at his house to come up with the money or else. He also said he was dismissed the day before, and had not fled or taken any money. The hotel's owners replied by saying the man is a fantasist and a liar. Now, my source is the Daily Record newspaper, a Scottish tabloid, so I'm glad I'm living right next to the sea which leaves me with plenty of pinches of salt.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Missing
Missing from the Hotel Hebrides in Tarbert, Harris:
- one chef, James Stocks, thought to be headed for Glasgow
- more than £6000 from the hotel safe
Chef vanished from Harris before the weekend, is thought to have caught a flight, as the roads on the mainland were blocked by snow.
James Stocks is a celebrity chef, aged 26, who has a less than enviable track record. A quick search on Google shows a trail of opened and closed restaurants and alleged embezzlement. Until police have found and interviewed Mr Stocks, no formal link can and should be made between the two missing items from the Hotel Hebrides.
The Hotel Hebrides, situated a few yards from the ferry terminal at Tarbert, was previously operating as the Macleod Motel. It was recently reopened after a major refurbishment. The image below shows the premises in October 2007, when it was still the Macleod Motel.
- one chef, James Stocks, thought to be headed for Glasgow
- more than £6000 from the hotel safe
Chef vanished from Harris before the weekend, is thought to have caught a flight, as the roads on the mainland were blocked by snow.
James Stocks is a celebrity chef, aged 26, who has a less than enviable track record. A quick search on Google shows a trail of opened and closed restaurants and alleged embezzlement. Until police have found and interviewed Mr Stocks, no formal link can and should be made between the two missing items from the Hotel Hebrides.
The Hotel Hebrides, situated a few yards from the ferry terminal at Tarbert, was previously operating as the Macleod Motel. It was recently reopened after a major refurbishment. The image below shows the premises in October 2007, when it was still the Macleod Motel.
Monday 1 March
Well, it may now be March, but I woke up to a snow shower this morning. We should have a few more before the day is done. I'm glad I'm not on the mainland though, as the overnight low tonight will be -12C.
Yesterday, Western Europe got battered by hurricane force winds over the weekend, causing death and destruction in a wide swathe from Portugal to Germany. The UK just missed it by a whisker. German meteorologists referred to this storm as Xynthia, which originated in the eastern Caribbean Sea. As the vigour of depressions at our latitude is governed by temperature differences, Xynthia's encounter with cold air over the UK had the effect of strengthening it to the most violent storm this year. It says enough that the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris experienced winds of 175 km/h, that's nearly 110 mph. France has declared a national disaster.
Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, has spelled out why his movement acted the way it did in Bosnia in the early 1990s: with extreme brutality. He claims the Bosnian Serb cause was "holy" and that they acted in self-defence. Karadzic is making a two-day opening statement at the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, where he is standing trial on an indictment of war crimes and genocide.
Yesterday, Western Europe got battered by hurricane force winds over the weekend, causing death and destruction in a wide swathe from Portugal to Germany. The UK just missed it by a whisker. German meteorologists referred to this storm as Xynthia, which originated in the eastern Caribbean Sea. As the vigour of depressions at our latitude is governed by temperature differences, Xynthia's encounter with cold air over the UK had the effect of strengthening it to the most violent storm this year. It says enough that the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris experienced winds of 175 km/h, that's nearly 110 mph. France has declared a national disaster.
Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, has spelled out why his movement acted the way it did in Bosnia in the early 1990s: with extreme brutality. He claims the Bosnian Serb cause was "holy" and that they acted in self-defence. Karadzic is making a two-day opening statement at the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, where he is standing trial on an indictment of war crimes and genocide.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Spammed laughter
I normally just chuck spam in the bin and don't even read it, but there was this message that Hotmail once more failed to recognise as spam. So I had to see it. Well, apart from the usual cacophony of errors in grammar and spelling there was also this colossal turn-off. Someone passing themselves off as a 19-year old woman, saying that age doesn't matter in a real relationship, so she is comfortable with my age.
Yes dear, next please.
Yes dear, next please.
Sunday 28 February
Last day of the month and last day of the meteorological winter. And it's been a long, hard, cold, snowy and icy winter this year. Officially, winter does not end until March 21st, I know. Today is bright and clear, with visibility approaching 20 or 30 miles. Went down to the Braighe, the isthmus linking the Eye peninsula (Point) to mainland Lewis, and the northeasterly wind made it feel icily cold. Very bracing. The tide was right out - we're having the equinoctial springtides, bringing a difference between high and low tide of 18 feet, 5.4 metres, here. Spare a thought for the people along the Severn estuary in southwest England, where the tidal difference is 14 metres, nearly 50 feet. The Severn bore, a 7 ft tidal surge, will be putting in an appearance at 9 am tomorrow morning.
The tsunami has done its worst and is currently fading in the Pacific. It seems to have wrought destruction in Chile, where an 8 foot surge wrecked boats and harbour facilities. The last major impact was seen in Japan, nearly a full day after the initial quake, with a 90 cm surge. In Chile meanwhile, ungainly sights of looting mar the efforts to save people who remain trapped in ruined buildings.
The tsunami has done its worst and is currently fading in the Pacific. It seems to have wrought destruction in Chile, where an 8 foot surge wrecked boats and harbour facilities. The last major impact was seen in Japan, nearly a full day after the initial quake, with a 90 cm surge. In Chile meanwhile, ungainly sights of looting mar the efforts to save people who remain trapped in ruined buildings.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
End of day
As the tsunami, generated 16 hours ago, continues to make its way across the Pacific, the death toll in Chile rises - more than 200. The surge reached Hawaii some two hours ago and in places was nearly 1 metre above normal tidal level. In New Zealand, harbours reported that the water was like a washing machine and tidal flows running at 12 knots, a lot faster than normal. Apart from 5 fatalities on Juan Fernandez, off Chile, no casualties have so far been reported from the Pacific basin, resulting from the tsunami. It is also affecting the west coast of the US, with a surge of 5 feet above normal tidal levels reported in southern California. The wave should decline as it passes north towards Canada - the tsunami passed the US/Canadian border a few minutes ago.
The tsunami is expected to continue for another 15 hours or so, reaching the island of Taiwan and the Bering Strait by around 1500 GMT tomorrow.
If you're in an area under threat: please follow all advice and directions by local authorities. A tsunami is not a single wave and a threat will persist for several hours after the first wave has passed through.
The tsunami is expected to continue for another 15 hours or so, reaching the island of Taiwan and the Bering Strait by around 1500 GMT tomorrow.
If you're in an area under threat: please follow all advice and directions by local authorities. A tsunami is not a single wave and a threat will persist for several hours after the first wave has passed through.
Saturday afternoon
Today is a vast contrast to what the rest of the week was like. There is bright sunshine and hardly any wind. The ferry operator Calmac is busy catching up on two days of missed sailings due to the gale and swell. This morning at 6.15, the MV Muirneag left port to slowly amble across the Minch to Ullapool, followed 45 minutes later by the passenger ferry Isle of Lewis. The Muirneag took about 4 hours to cross the Minch, and returned at 4pm with some lorries. Quite a few of those would have been stuck on the A9 between the central belt and Inverness on account of the heavy snow of this week. The Isle of Lewis is due to return tonight at 9pm on her scheduled run.
I have spent the day closely monitoring the tsunami which is fanning out across the Pacific. The wave is currently traversing French Polynesia and will reach New Zealand in two hours' time. The Californian coast will see the first of this wave in just over 2 hours' time at 1202 PST, reaching the Canadian border 3 hours later. By that time, the tsunami is expected to have reached Australia, between Sydney and Brisbane. Hawaii is also due to see the wave, in 3 hours' time at 11.05 HST. At the moment, wave reports suggest that the tsunami is down to a matter of inches on passing the Mexican coastline.
Devastation in Chile is said to be great, with around 120 fatalities. Television reports show dramatic scenes of collapsed buildings and highway overpasses.
I have spent the day closely monitoring the tsunami which is fanning out across the Pacific. The wave is currently traversing French Polynesia and will reach New Zealand in two hours' time. The Californian coast will see the first of this wave in just over 2 hours' time at 1202 PST, reaching the Canadian border 3 hours later. By that time, the tsunami is expected to have reached Australia, between Sydney and Brisbane. Hawaii is also due to see the wave, in 3 hours' time at 11.05 HST. At the moment, wave reports suggest that the tsunami is down to a matter of inches on passing the Mexican coastline.
Devastation in Chile is said to be great, with around 120 fatalities. Television reports show dramatic scenes of collapsed buildings and highway overpasses.
Saturday 27 February
A fairly bright day but with a lot of high cloud about, making it a hazy afternoon.
As is being extensively reported, a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, has occurred off the coast of Chile. The quake caused extensive damage in Chile and the deathtoll currently stands at 78. Because the tremor was centred below the sea, a tsunami was generated, which came ashore in Chile some 19 minutes after the initial shock. It was 2.34 metres, 7.7 feet, in height. This tsunami is now rolling across the Pacific, and the entire Pacific coastline is under warning for a tsunami.
Warnings are issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for the entire Pacific basin, minus the Pacific coastline of the USA and Canada. These are covered by the West Coast and Alaska Warning Center. Finally, sections of the Australian coastline are under warning from their Bureau of Meteorology. It will take a full 24 hours from the time of the quake (0634 GMT) for the tsunami to make its way across the Pacific, in spite of its horizontal speed of 500 mph. All warning centers carry advice and information on what to do if you are in a warning area.
As is being extensively reported, a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, has occurred off the coast of Chile. The quake caused extensive damage in Chile and the deathtoll currently stands at 78. Because the tremor was centred below the sea, a tsunami was generated, which came ashore in Chile some 19 minutes after the initial shock. It was 2.34 metres, 7.7 feet, in height. This tsunami is now rolling across the Pacific, and the entire Pacific coastline is under warning for a tsunami.
Warnings are issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for the entire Pacific basin, minus the Pacific coastline of the USA and Canada. These are covered by the West Coast and Alaska Warning Center. Finally, sections of the Australian coastline are under warning from their Bureau of Meteorology. It will take a full 24 hours from the time of the quake (0634 GMT) for the tsunami to make its way across the Pacific, in spite of its horizontal speed of 500 mph. All warning centers carry advice and information on what to do if you are in a warning area.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Friday 26 February
The sun is out in amongst the wintry showers and strong northeasterly winds. Heavy snow and drifting is continuing to wreak havoc in the Highlands, with dozens of roads closed, rail services disrupted and schools off. Due to a heavy northeasterly swell, our ferry link with Ullapool remains disrupted for another day. Supplies are diverted through Tarbert in Harris, 40 miles south of Stornoway. The TravelScotland website is practically inaccessible this afternoon, as thousands of people try to find out whether their intended route is passable. That is better than shouting their heads off at the poor souls at Radio Scotland who only relay the news about bad road conditions - as one presenter put it at 8 am this morning, they are not causing it.
At 12.30 pm, the following routes were closed:
A939 Tomintoul - Cockbridge
A93 Braemar - Spittal of Glenshee
A889 Dalwhinnie - Newtonmore
A9 Dalnacardoch - Blair Atholl
A835 Aultguish - Braemore Junction
A cruiseliner has crashed into a dock at Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt, killing three sailors. The Costa Europa encountered severe weather as it approached the dock in the early hours of this morning. Its complement of passengers have been accommodated in hotels in the town.
At 12.30 pm, the following routes were closed:
A939 Tomintoul - Cockbridge
A93 Braemar - Spittal of Glenshee
A889 Dalwhinnie - Newtonmore
A9 Dalnacardoch - Blair Atholl
A835 Aultguish - Braemore Junction
A cruiseliner has crashed into a dock at Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt, killing three sailors. The Costa Europa encountered severe weather as it approached the dock in the early hours of this morning. Its complement of passengers have been accommodated in hotels in the town.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Horrors beyond description
Alistair Urquhart is a sprightly and vivacious 90-year old Scotsman. He was in the news today because of the publication of his book The Forgotten Highlander: One Man's Incredible Story Of Survival During The War In The Far East. It is a story of his suffering whilst a prisoner of war of Japan during the Second World War. As my post title states, his experiences are beyond description and beyond comprehension. There are explanations for the extreme brutality, meeted out by the Imperial Japanese Forces between 1941 and 1945 to the POWs that they captured. However, that does not exhonorate them. Mr Urquhart continues to harbour a deep-seated hatred of the Japanese, undimmed by the passage of 65 years.
At the end of the BBC article, he summarises his continuing dislike of the Japanese. The Germans have atoned for their misdeeds between 1933 and 1945, and their youth is being taught about the abomination that national socialism was. The Japanese are being taught nothing of the sort.
I can understand and do not seek to negate the suffering of Mr Urquhart. I once knew someone who was married to a man who had been held in a Japanese prisoner-camp. The experience left indelible psychological scars and caused the break-up of the marriage. At one point, Emperor Hirohito, who died 20 years ago, was intending to visit the Netherlands, a visit quickly aborted after a public outcry - the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies from 1942 until 1945, incarcerating many colonial Dutch people in the process.
I will say that the Japan of 2010 is a completely different society to the Imperial Japan of the years before the end of World War II. How a nation deals with its collective guilt is a very difficult issue. From my point of view, a lot of the present day ills of the world can be traced back to appalling policy decisions by successive British governments - the Middle East being a prime example. Other colonial powers, the Dutch included, also have blood and guilt on their hands. However, you only have to look at Northern Ireland or the Balkans to see the consequences of holding grudges. Ulster's "troubles" are going back to the Battle of the Boyne in 1688, and the July parades in Belfast are a reminder of that. The war in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s go back to a battle in 1389 - and the former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic frequently referred to that event.
We should never forget the atrocities committed during the Second World War. We must learn the lessons, pay homage to those that lay down their lives in those years, but also continue to look to the future.
At the end of the BBC article, he summarises his continuing dislike of the Japanese. The Germans have atoned for their misdeeds between 1933 and 1945, and their youth is being taught about the abomination that national socialism was. The Japanese are being taught nothing of the sort.
I can understand and do not seek to negate the suffering of Mr Urquhart. I once knew someone who was married to a man who had been held in a Japanese prisoner-camp. The experience left indelible psychological scars and caused the break-up of the marriage. At one point, Emperor Hirohito, who died 20 years ago, was intending to visit the Netherlands, a visit quickly aborted after a public outcry - the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies from 1942 until 1945, incarcerating many colonial Dutch people in the process.
I will say that the Japan of 2010 is a completely different society to the Imperial Japan of the years before the end of World War II. How a nation deals with its collective guilt is a very difficult issue. From my point of view, a lot of the present day ills of the world can be traced back to appalling policy decisions by successive British governments - the Middle East being a prime example. Other colonial powers, the Dutch included, also have blood and guilt on their hands. However, you only have to look at Northern Ireland or the Balkans to see the consequences of holding grudges. Ulster's "troubles" are going back to the Battle of the Boyne in 1688, and the July parades in Belfast are a reminder of that. The war in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s go back to a battle in 1389 - and the former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic frequently referred to that event.
We should never forget the atrocities committed during the Second World War. We must learn the lessons, pay homage to those that lay down their lives in those years, but also continue to look to the future.
Politicians
The political world in Westminster is all awhirl because Labour politician Harriet Harman ostensibly sent a tweet to Conservative politician Alan Duncan. Except she did not. A direct message (DM) came to Mr Duncan from Ms Harman's Twitter account, which had been hacked into. She must have received a DM herself, reading something along the lines of "LOL that you?" followed by a dodgy link. Having followed the dodgy link, she will have put her username and password into the boxes and hey presto, her account was hacked.
Rather than making a whole song and dance about it (as the BBC did), prominent Twitter users like Harriet Harman and Alan Duncan should keep abreast of developments on the Internet in order not to fall for hackers like described above.
Rather than making a whole song and dance about it (as the BBC did), prominent Twitter users like Harriet Harman and Alan Duncan should keep abreast of developments on the Internet in order not to fall for hackers like described above.
Thursday 25 February
Blowing a full gale this morning and the windspeeds are gradually increasing. Gusts reach 55 mph, and it is therefore not a surprise that our ferry service has been cancelled for today. Plane services to and from Stornoway are also disrupted, but I have this sneaking suspicion that this is more due to snow problems at mainland airports than our force 8. The mercury is stuck at +2C, making it feel especially cold with a windchill of -7C.
As I said, the mainland is coping with two feet of snow in places. This has led to major problems on the roads and the railways. Dozens of drivers were trapped in their vehicles overnight, and hundreds of schools are closed in the north of Scotland. This contrasts with southern England, with temperatures of +10C. Beware of hurricane winds on Saturday or Sunday down there.
More later.
As I said, the mainland is coping with two feet of snow in places. This has led to major problems on the roads and the railways. Dozens of drivers were trapped in their vehicles overnight, and hundreds of schools are closed in the north of Scotland. This contrasts with southern England, with temperatures of +10C. Beware of hurricane winds on Saturday or Sunday down there.
More later.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Evening notes
Strong easterly winds continue to blow, and there is some light rain about tonight.
An avalanche in the western Highlands has killed two climbers on Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe, this afternoon. The avalanche struck just before 5 pm. A major search operation was mounted, which resulted in the recovery of two bodies this evening. Police advise intending climbers to check for avalanche risks before setting out for the hills.
Bad weather is headed our way, meaning that ferry services are likely to be disrupted. It is starting tonight, with our freight ferry (MV Muirneag, shown below) not crossing to Ullapool due to heavy swell. The Muirneag is not a terribly good seaboat.
An avalanche in the western Highlands has killed two climbers on Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe, this afternoon. The avalanche struck just before 5 pm. A major search operation was mounted, which resulted in the recovery of two bodies this evening. Police advise intending climbers to check for avalanche risks before setting out for the hills.
Bad weather is headed our way, meaning that ferry services are likely to be disrupted. It is starting tonight, with our freight ferry (MV Muirneag, shown below) not crossing to Ullapool due to heavy swell. The Muirneag is not a terribly good seaboat.
Wednesday 24 February
Overcast and cold today, although the thermometer is at +4C / 39F this afternoon. The snowballs I had put out as ammo for chasing seagulls away from bread put out for birds have melted on me. Snow is causing extensive disruption across the eastern Highlands, with dozens of schools closed by lunchtime and major delays on arterial routes. Here in Stornoway, there is only an easterly breeze.
Over the weekend, an Atlantic storm will power up and pass Spain en-route for the UK with potentially hurricane force winds. At the moment, the arrival of the low pressure system off the English Channel is timed at the end of the 5-day forecast period, so no specifics at present.
The deputy First Minister of Scotland has apologised to the Scottish Parliament in the matter of a badly written letter. Ms Nicola Sturgeon had written to a court on behalf of a constituent, who had been convicted as a second time fraudster. This caused a political storm at Holyrood two weeks ago, and the minister made a statement to Parliament on the matter this afternoon. She admitted that the wording and composition of the letter was more reminiscent of her previous profession as a lawyer than of her present occupation as MSP. There have been calls for her resignation, but I don't think it will come to that.
Over the weekend, an Atlantic storm will power up and pass Spain en-route for the UK with potentially hurricane force winds. At the moment, the arrival of the low pressure system off the English Channel is timed at the end of the 5-day forecast period, so no specifics at present.
The deputy First Minister of Scotland has apologised to the Scottish Parliament in the matter of a badly written letter. Ms Nicola Sturgeon had written to a court on behalf of a constituent, who had been convicted as a second time fraudster. This caused a political storm at Holyrood two weeks ago, and the minister made a statement to Parliament on the matter this afternoon. She admitted that the wording and composition of the letter was more reminiscent of her previous profession as a lawyer than of her present occupation as MSP. There have been calls for her resignation, but I don't think it will come to that.
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