Sunday 16 March

Typical Hebridean day, with sunshine interspersed with fine drizzle, blown along on a strong westerly breeze, for the third day running. 11C / 52F? I'm not complaining.

Crimea voted to join Russia. Oh yeah, like we're all hugely surprised at this communist-era like vote of 95.5% in favour. Only those in favour seem to have come out to vote. Another milestone passed in this dangerous saga. Signal remaining firmly at amber.

Continuing to check the records for more Stornoway based casualties from WW1. Although a dozen have emerged, some appear to have been born away from the island, from island parents.

Saturday 15 March

Overcast and windy this morning, although the sun is just coming through the clouds! We continue with a westerly wind at force 7, 30 mph. It is not cold, although the 10C / 50F we're having at the moment is easily offset by the strong wind. Nonetheless, spring is in the air, with the blackbirds singing their heads off at dawn and dusk.

The missing Malaysian airliner remains missing, and could be anywhere from Kazakhstan to the Antarctic. I don't think anyone is left alive who left Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of last Saturday.

Greater Russia

Yesterday, I watched Russia's president Vladimir Putin deliver a major speech, live on TV. In it, he sought to justify the actions of the Russian government over the past few weeks, particularly with regards to the Crimea and Ukraine. Referring to past injustices, as so many dictators have done before him, Putin stated that Crimea's return to Russia was righting a past wrong. He said that Russian forces had been present in the Crimea in accordance with existing treaties, omitting to mention that the Russian forces could only be present within prescribed limits around Sevastopol. Some 16,000 troops are spread out all over the Crimea, in clear contravention of the relevant treaty. It is clear for all in the know that these troops are Russian; wearing Russian fatigues and carrying Russian weaponry. More worrying, he said that the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 into the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, anybody remember that?) was an injustice. The Russian leader, under loud and frequent applause, openly asserted his policy aim of reuniting the former Soviet republics under Russia's banner. In a previous post, I have stated that the removal of Yanukovych as Ukraine's president removed Putin's ally from Kiev, something he was not prepared to tolerate.

Adolf Hitler sought to reunify German speaking areas of Europe into the Vaterland, using that as justification for the annexation of the Rhineland in 1936, the Anschluss with Austria exactly 76 years ago this month and the invasion of Czecho-Slovakia in 1939 to join the Sudeten Germans to Hitler's Reich. Vladimir Putin uses the protection of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine and elsewhere as justification for violating international law.

However, this is not the 1930s, and Vladimir Putin cannot, and should not, be compared to Adolf Hitler. We can expect more of the same. This is the second occasion in about 6 years when an incursion or infiltration into a neighbouring state by the Russian Federation has not been matched by military action from the West. I'm not advocating the use of force (I never do), but particularly Barack Obama has done an awful lot of talking - but not a lot of acting. The Russian bear may change its face, but in essence, has not changed its character.

Friday 14 March

A windy morning, but the rain earlier has stopped. The sun is in fact trying to peek through the clouds. Not much change for later, or tomorrow. In the afternoon, the sun was shining, but there is this bullying west wind, making it feel cold out.

Not a shot has been fired in the Crimea / Ukraine/ Russia crisis, and no direct military confrontation has as yet taken place. However, the first casualty of the conflict has already been reported.

The truth.

Thursday 13 March

This week, three local lifeboats have been seen on the slipway across the bay.
Today, it was RNLI 14-16 Stanley Watson Parker, based at Portree


On Wednesday, it was RNLI 17-18, Tom Sandersen, from Stornoway

And on Tuesday, we had RNLI 17-40, Julian and Margaret Leonard, based at Lochinver

Wednesday 12 March

Day started very sunny, but windy. Since late morning, it has been quite hazy and cloud is gradually increasing as is the wind. Mercury at 10C / 50F.

The new ferry,MV Loch Seaforth, will come into service on 8 September. It will be launched on March 21st.

Not going into details, but I've been seeing an absolutely breathtaking display of sour grapes, greed and self-centered behaviour. Glad I'm not involved, standing well back!

6.25 am
7.25 am
Clipper Ranger, 7.35 am
10.40 am

Tuesday 11 March

Quite a nice morning, once again, with good sunny intervals. A moderate to fresh southerly breeze and the thermometer at a decent 9C / 48F. The barometer has reached the dizzying heights of 1033 mbar, something we haven't seen for quite a while. Points further south will see a higher reading, as we are on the north flank of an area of high pressure over England.

There have been a flurry of complaints about our ferry service of late. The Isle of Lewis breaking down, its replacement and the bad weather all contriving to sully the reputation of Calmac. They can't help the weather.

Monday 10 March

Quite a nice morning here, although cloud has increased over the last hour or two. Only a moderate southerly wind, and I'm not complaining about 8C / 46F. It took me about half an hour to work my way through the hurricane update, with no fewer than three tropical cyclones in the South Pacific.

My local history project continues to focus around WW1, with a steady trickle of new names from the Isle of Lewis who made the supreme sacrifice between August 1914 and November 1918 - and beyond.  I publish my findings on the Pentland Road blog.

Sunday 9 March

A bright day, with pale sunshine through a layer of mid-level cloud. The wind has abated somewhat from yesterday, but still 30 mph from the west. This should drop down further over the next 24 hours. I have slightly modified the short story I'm writing at the moment, as I was getting tangled up with one strand of it.

Back to 1936?

Anybody else got this horrible feeling we're back in 1936? Hitler invaded the Rhineland, which had been taken away from Germany after WW1, and everybody stood by and did nothing. We all know what happened a few years later.

The Crimea was part of Russia until 1954, when it became part of Ukraine. Putin is taking it back - and nobody does anything. Ukraine was part of the USSR until 1991, and the current clashes in Donetsk and Kharkiv involving pro-Russian demonstrators is likely to be used as a pretext for military intervention there - something that Putin has asserted he will do.

Tomorrow, Sunday 16th March, a vote will take place in the Crimea that will see it returned to Russian rule, in contravention of all international law.

Tomorrow, Sunday 16th March, the closing ceremony for the Winter Paralympic Games will take place in Sochi, 250 miles from the Crimea. It will also be the closing ceremony for the period of detente between East and West that started in 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, it was a phoney peace in the Cold War, as demonstrated by Russia's attitude towards Syria.

In Syria, 9 million people have fled their home, 2½ million of whom have fled the country. Vladimir Putin continues to back president Assad to the hilt. If things had really changed since 1989, he would have brought pressure to bear on the Syrian leader to step down. Putin did not. He has continued the pre-1989 policy of spheres of influence for East and West, and seeks to return to Russia's sway all the former Soviet republics. When Yanukovich fled his country and his presidency, Ukraine fell from Russia's sphere of influence. Putin is moving to take it back. Some of the other former Soviet republics are ruled by Putin's henchmen, such as Lukashenko in Belarus, and Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan, both autocratic rulers.

Hurricane update - 10 March

It's March? Compare that to September in the Atlantic hurricane season.

No fewer than three tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean today.

17P / Gillian is over the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia, but will pass back into the Gulf of Carpentaria where it will intensify to 50 knots. The storm will make landfall in 3 days' time.

A Cyclone WARNING continues for coastal areas from Gilbert River Mouth to Aurukun; A Cyclone WATCH continues for coastal and island communities from Burketown to Port McArthur, including Borroloola.

18P / Lusi is slow moving in Vanuatu, also affecting portions of the Solomon Islands. This storm will intensify to at least 85 knots as it moves southeast, later south towards New Zealand. Although the storm will no longer be a tropical cyclone upon approach to NZ, it will still carry an impact there.

Solomon Islands: A tropical cyclone watch is in force for Temotu, Makira, Rennell & Bellona, southern Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces.

Vanuatu: Gale force winds are expected to continue to affect Torba, Sanma, Penama and Malampa Provinces

Met New Zealand anticipates severe gales across the North Island over the coming weekend.

19P / Hadi is moving away from Queensland, but will track eastward, between the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu towards Fiji, intensifying to at least 55 knots.

Saturday 8 March

Galeforce winds are keeping all ferries in Lewis, Harris and North Uist in port today. Gusts across the Outer Hebrides reach 55 mph, with the more exposed station at Eoropie, near the Butt of Lewis, peaking at 70 mph. It is a lot milder than yesterday, 9C / 48F, reflecting the influx of milder air from the south. I am watching angry white riders marching across the harbour, under a dull, grey sky. Wind is increasing, official readings 52 mph, top end of force 9, with gusts of 68 mph. In contrast, Eoropie is doing 64 mph, gusting to 80 mph. In the evening, the wind abated, from force 9 through much of the afternoon to force 7. Over the next 24 hours, the wind will drop further. It's been a lively day, but not one for being outside. I went outside at lunchtime for the purpose of taking pics, but at one or two points I was nearly blown off my feet by the strong gusts.

Friday 7 March

Having a morning of nasty weather here. As I type, snow is falling, after a couple of heavy hail showers, all propelled by a force 7 westerly wind, which is gusting in excess of 65 mph in the southern isles. The ferry is off until at least this evening, due to adverse weather I should add. The Tarbert ferry is off as well, as is the Sound of Harris service. During a hailshower, visibility falls to barely 200 yards - flurries of snow follow. Temperature 2C / 36F. The contrast with the south of England is remarkable; a station in Oxfordshire reports 14C / 57F!

After two substantial hail showers, the sun is out - and behind glass, it's feeling quite warm. However, outside it remains perishing cold. The wind has abated somewhat, now blowing at force 6 from the west. Mercury in the south of England now crossing the 60F mark, with four locations at 16C. Here in the Western Isles, it's between 4 and 6C (39 to 43F). That temperature contrast is generating all this interesting weather. At the end of the day, there was just wall-to-wall sunshine... Strange day

Was watching the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. Supreme irony - one of the pieces of music played is Mussorgsky's "Grand Gate of Kiev".

Thursday 6 March

The Royal British Legion pub on South Beach is closing on March 16th. That's the third or fourth pub in Stornoway that has closed down in recent years for economic reasons. My theory is that people now drink at home, using much cheaper alcohol bought in the supermarket. A pint in the pub costs more than £3; a pint in a can is only a little over £1.

Was watching the little Isle of Arran coming in (and going out) for its final call, before the Isle of Lewis takes up the run again tomorrow morning. The latter boat came in at around 2.30pm.

Wednesday 5 March

This is the image of the tanker leaving port in streaming rain.Worse than that was the wind, which caused the cancellation of the lunchtime ferry crossings - the Isle of Arran did come back from Ullapool in the evening.  The Isle of Lewis has left drydock at Birkenhead after repairs to her rudder and should be back here in Stornoway on Thursday afternoon.

Can we talk about something else but the flipping referendum on BBC Scotland please? I'm getting mighty tired of it, and we're in for another * SIX * months of that sh*te.

Things calmed down in the evening, with the wind shifting to the west and abating to force 4. Down in southern England, daytime maxima will exceed 60F over the next few days, but we are not likely to exceed 50F by very much. Don't mind, we have a very temperate climate with relatively minor fluctuations in temperatures. Saturday night into Sunday could see a brief but severe gale.

Tuesday 4 March

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day - the last day before Lent in the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. It was the day that Pope Francis was revealed to have mispronounced a word in Italian (his first language is Spanish), making it sound like the F-word.

A day of varying fortunes in terms of cloud cover. Tomorrow will be less favourable, and I won't be able to make it to the open day for the Isle of Harris Distillery. This is due to be built on the foreshore at Tarbert.  It will be the second distillery on the landmass that is Lewis and Harris, the first being the Abhainn Dearg [Red River] distillery at Carnish, Uig in Lewis.

Although the day started out cloudy, we had a bright interlude until about 3pm. That is when the cloud cover increased rapidly, to be followed by rain at 4pm. 

Monday 3 March

Turned on the TV at 10 am to catch updates on the Ukraine crisis. Instead I got continuous coverage of the trial of South African "blade-runner" Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend. I want to hear the main points of that, and instead wall-to-wall coverage of the crisis in the Ukrain, thanks BBC. And Sky.

Beautiful afternoon, first day of spring - at least, that's the way it felt on a 4½ mile jaunt round the Castle Grounds. Recommend the new path from the Marybank Gate to Strawberry Hill. Was standing right on the tideline at Cuddy Point - and suddenly I felt the waves lapping under, at, over my boots... Slowly, but inexorably.