Sunday 16 February

Quite a nice morning out here, but now cloud is starting to bubble up. A shower would appear to be possible, but certainly not as frequent as yesterday. What did I say? Here is one of those sneaky showers that can get you thoroughly soaked in the islands, and the sun just keeps shining. The Met Office advises that a frost is possible tonight. Our freight ferry, the MS Clipper Ranger, passed the Mull of Kintyre just before midday today, and will be at Ullapool after midnight tonight. Our regular passenger ferry, the MV Isle of Lewis, remains in drydock at Birkenhead. It is rumoured to be back here on Wednesday.

I tend to get ratty when I hear all that pompous talk about climate change causing the extreme weather we've seen this winter, and the last couple of winters. Climate is measured over a period of 30 years, and as the saying goes, one swallow does not make a summer. Agreed, there is evidence of global warming, the polar ice cap is getting smaller every year, and this will have an impact on our climate in the long run. Last November, there was this extremely strong tropical cyclone at the Philippines, which could have had an impact on the jetstreams across the Pacific and the Atlantic, certainly. Let's take the long view here - and please, spare us the cr*p from certain quarters that suggest that divine (lowercase intentional) retribution for legalising same-sex marriage brought us these conditions. The Big Guy above doesn't give a hoot who loves who and how - as long as they do.

Very nice afternoon out here, but with a chilly wind. Went for an amble round Sandwick Cemetery, finding a number of interesting gravestones.