All week, night temperatures down to -3C have steadily frozen the ground, with ice forming out on the marshes in Kilchoan Bay and thick frost carpeting the ground. The days have alternated between brilliant sunshine and sudden snowshowers, the flakes big and fluffy and serious-looking but not lasting two minutes on the ground.
The village can't remember the last time it had a winter like this: in our 16 years here we haven't seen anything like it. It's certainly having a magical effect as everyone is so much more cheerful than this time a year ago, when we'd suffered from four months of what seemed like perpetual cloud and rain.
The workmen and electricians who have spent the week erecting the two 5kw wind turbines at the back of the Community Centre could hardly have had better weather, but now they're complaining because they need some wind to try them out. The big, 20kw turbine at the Lighthouse is running late: it was supposed to be up and working by Friday, but the tower has only just arrived. To make matters worse, in laying the electric cable, they've cut the existing power supply.
Yesterday evening these magnificent clouds, back-lit by the setting sun, bubbled up over Coll and Tiree. Looking just like summer cumulonimbus anvil storm clouds, the weather underneath them must have been quite interesting.
The new wind turbine by the community centre looks smart. Thanks for including a picture.
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