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From a perspective, of how weather affects individual wellbeing, this benign October has been fine by me with no gales destroying trees or property, no excessive rainfall and with mellow temperatures which make it comfortable to go out and about without being happed up or swept away. Today, although a mixture of sunny periods and light showers blown along by an increasing northerly breeze, continued to be pleasant enough given the season Buchan coast this morning.

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Early morning was misty and still, tho’ I did glimpse a couple of brief sunny intervals. Temp 8C - 10C. A nippy SE breeze developed and it poured down this afternoon. Currently, 18.30 or thereabouts, the sky is clearing from the east and south and so I’m hopeful of doing some moonwatching later. Twilight

For sky watchers - Hunter's Moon tonight and tomorrow night. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/hunters-supermoon-explained-space-astronomy-science/

Storm Kp5 forecast. http://geomag.bgs.ac.uk/data_service/space_weather/3dforecast.html

There are several breeding pairs of these rather attractive Shelducks at Montrose SWT. Over the next month or so winter migrants will increase the numbers. Fading light at the Basin.

Light rain showers over Montrose too. Cool and not very pleasant this evening, 10C but feels colder.

It was a beautiful day up in the "could shoulder". Almost cloudless skies. a slight nippy breeze but fine enough for a stroll along the beach at Cruden Bay at lunchtime. 12C or there about. The weather was fine, my day was not. Arrived in Aberdeen for a meeting at 11.30 - it had been scheduled for 9.45. Things went farther pear- shaped in the afternoon! I'll spare the details. The drive home, SSW, was very unpleasant with the sun so low in the sky, now.

This little covey of juvenile Red-legged Partridges has been in the vicinity for the past few days. I think they are wild bred rather than escapees from a release. Hope they manage to dodge the guns over the winter.

Coolish earlier this morning when out with dog - 9C - hardly any breeze , which made it feel quite pleasant all in all. More bales!

It's for sentimental reasons that I like Leith - visiting old haunts from younger years. Leith has been quite transformed from that time, of course. To answer your question, Leith will be extremely busy too during the Festival as there are several Fringe venues and numerous good restaurants there. Regarding accommodation, I'm not sure if there will be a great price differential compared with Edinburgh, but there are quite a few guest houses and B&Bs in the area, particularly if you investigate the Bonnington, Restalrig, Newhaven and Trinity areas which are close to the centre of Leith. There is some interesting architecture and historic buildings to be found as well as green spaces such as Leith Links which was originally a golf links. - ( an uncle of mine played for the cricket team "Leith Franklin" which has its home ground there) - I think Leith is somewhat overlooked in these regards., Edinburgh Centre is within walking distance - 30mins maybe - depending on your base, but there is a very good bus service linking Edinburgh and Leith. Overall, Leith simply has a different character from Edinburgh - maybe a friendlier less impersonal feel. Edit: As noted above, there has been a great deal of development in the area - shopping outlets and ghastly new flats etc - with which I am not really familiar. I don't usually stay in hotels when visiting as I have friends/ reps there. On one occasion a couple of years ago, I did stay in one of the chain "Travel" types of accommodation at the new part of Newhaven, I can't remember the exact brand, but it was horrendously awful and to be avoided. .PS I'm not sure what happened, Dave - but here is my reply now. If you have any specific questions, I'll be pleased to try to help

hello claret - please see below - made a pig's ear of the original reply and quote box.

So many great places to visit, I'll list my top three in no particular order:- Lerwick (and Westside), Glen Affric, Leith

08.30 - Had to scrape ice from the car windscreen - 3C, but warmed up in the sunshine nicely during the day. The apples are just about ripe, and so I dried a few apple rings today by way of an experiment in preservation. There's only so much frozen apple puree that ends up being useful. I'm not sure if I have the patience, tho', to peel and core a loadful.

Warm enough this afternoon for some end of season butterflies, nectaring on the few remaining buddleia flowers. Two rather ragged ones. I think some bird has had a go at them. Plenty of bees too.

This is a rather surreal photo from earlier this year. I have no idea how this random effect came about. .

Pleasant and sunny start to the afternoon - 13C with a slight breeze. Still one or two swallows on passage feeding over the fields.

I completely missed the original post/link, otherwise I would have signed up. However, in the interim I registered for the OU course, SG089 - Science: the weather. It is a short (6mth), non-credit bearing course which assumes no previous knowledge of the subject and is self-assessed. I'm around half way through and enjoying the materials. My only possible criticism is whether or not it is value for money, but I'll suspend judgement in that regard until I have completed the course.

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Very nice photo, knocker, with interesting tones.

Winter thrushes are starting to arrive - this morning there was a single fieldfare accompanied by at least 11 blackbirds, 5 song thrushes and 1 mistle thrush - all causing quite a commotion among the usual garden residents.

It's been a fine day in Angus/Aberdeenshire. Long sunny intervals, slight breeze and high of around 18C.

A distant pic of Pink-footed geese at Montrose this morning - the numbers are beginning to build.

Organised a filled up of the tank on Friday in preparation. Domestic kerosene is 10p/litre more expensive than it was in March. Have to admit, the heating is timed to come on for an hour in the mornings now.