Northernlights

Daffs next to south facing dykes are already fading but ones next to north facing ones have not all come out yet (probably ten per cent or so )

Fabulous spring day here blue skies and sunshine this afternoon but with a chilly NE wind off the North Sea .A really typical April day up here currently 9c. Very clear air with great visibility to the North. Fabulous day for weeding garden before it gets planted. Weeds shrivalling within an hour. Like to get the garden planted before I start cutting domestic grasses because usually by then there is enough grass in the fields to put cattle out full time to the grass and I get the time to do it

Cold here this morning too at -1c but calm with some high cloud

Same here. Currently 3c You should get out in the garden too. Very difficult not to dwell on the main issue.Speaking to a young auctioneer this morning who was keen for this to end .Had to say to him that I thought we were in for the long haul unless a vaccine could be found.BSE in cattle had an economic effect for 11 years from 1996. Good news is breeding heifers will go this week.sellers can"t go.(miss a half day out at mart) only buyers spaced out round the ring or bidding by phone with live video. One mart already geared up to bid online in real time with video.

Not sure if this is interference but the Loch Morlich Webcam appears to show odd flakes of snow falling . Loch Morlich Watersports — Webcam WWW.LOCHMORLICH.COM A stunning beach, renting of equipment of a variety of activities, lessons, and all in the beautiful settings of the Cairngorms and Glenmore Forest Certainly cold enough now for it at that height .compared to us .

Yes cows ran home up the track from the field just now.A couple of calves that sneaked out with them raced home ahead of them into the fold and immediately sat down on the fresh straw in the fold.Don"t think they will be so keen to go out tomorrow. Currently 5.5c, overcast and with a moderate N wind off the Firth a real change fom this morning.Peeling tatties and last parsnip for a warming tea.

Drizzly rain after a mild dry start but notice on the radar that sleet is falling on the hills to the NW as this belt of llght rain comes south. We are supposed to be in line for a frost tonight just after the plum trees came into blossom with the warmth yesterday. May be a second year running that we get no plums because of a badly timed frost . Currently 5c. Cows out again but will come in pretty quick again to get out of the cold wind and rain.

Grass seed sown into last field of spring barley today in ideal conditions. A bit breezy with lots of sunshine and currently 14c

In case anyone does not take the virus threat seriously then we have just had a very surreal moment. Young Mr Northernlights head of practise GP has just phoned to check that he is OK and getting help to isolate. The NHS is really putting in the overtime on a Friday night. Hats off to all of them.

16c here with sun now out.First thundery looking clouds of the season to the south over the Cairngorms. A big switch from this morning.

Stange old weather this morning overcast this side of the Firth but bright sunshine, blue skies on the north side with Tarbet Ness lighthouse very clear. Currently calm and 7c Aurora Storm and I both think the summer will be good with everyone confined to their houses. Bit of an edit from yesterdays post I was referring to an old WW2 ammunition box which we painted up as a post box for the end of the farm road during the foot and mouth in 2001.

My sympathies to you .My son with a kidney transplant 11 years ago means we are stuck at home but we are fortunate that he can get out to work on the farm with wide open spaces. We have to have supplies delivered in but here it just feels just like foot and mouth(cattle) from 2001. Have got the old post out from 2001 out again. First farm buisness hiccup will probably be us not being able to sell breeding heifers next week but an online sale using video looks as though it may happen later. Aurora Storm gave me a link to this professor who I think talks a lot of sense. https://twitter.com/devisridhar. Very cold overnight at 1.5c early am but overcast

Fine morning but has gone downhill this afternoon with heavy drizzle and occasionally moderate rain. Into sowing spring barley in the last field after neeps with 480 horsepower between three tractors but in the end the heavier bursts of rain stopped the sower and young Mr Northernlights who was taking off stones leaving just the plough. Currently 7c so feeling a bit chilly in the moderate wind

Fine sunny day here but still very windy.Cows out for their first nibble of grass with silage in a ring. Still drifts of snow below 1500feet on the Cawdor hills.

Was thinking it got a bit cooler this afternoon and small showers from the west took on a more wintry look.On the radar some are showing up as sleet. Currently 6.5 c.

From one extreme to another a month ago fields were saturated and now there are clouds of dust. Getting through the sowing now. A bit cooler after yesterday with gale force gusts of wind and currently 12c

A bit milder here too at 8c.Mostly dull but dry. As I have said before the mountains especially to the west will carry long lasting scars of the very stormy snowy February they had. Can only just see the mountains to the west in the middle of this photo. Ben Wyvis too will have scars of snow well into the summer.

-1c start to the day with blue skies and scattered snow flurries. A selection of photos showing the showers to the north and the hills emerging from the cloud covered in fresh snow right down to the sea even on the cliffs at Dunbeath. Ben Wyvis also emerging from a snow shower.

Been a few nice dry days with about half spring barley sown and sheep back to Skye. Got a lot colder today with quite a number of small wintry showers across the Firth to the north some of which made it as far as us. This made for a wintry looking sunset just now across the Firth. Currently 3c so frost looking likely

Yes our average turnout date for the cattle over the years.Have said before that there have been numerous occasions when I have put the cattle out on a warm sunny day only to have them sheltering behind a dyke a few days later in driving snow. This would not be unusual for the time of year. Currently passing showers of soft hail and 5.5c

Started sowing spring barley on Monday and managed to carry on through some brief heavy showers as the soil surface was so dry.. Temperature up but still felt cold in the moderate N wind. Hands suffering with all this washing routine,hacks everywhere so creaming up every night. Warmer temperatures would help. Currently 5c. All seems normal on the farm apart from getting getting food /prescriptions delivered in .Hopefully wintering sheep will go home to Skye today,lime may be spread and more barley sown.Even have a pair of oyster catchers scouting the fields for a nest sight. Currently 5c with a fresh west wind

Fine arctic spring day with a fresh north breeze with passing soft hail flurries my favourite spring weather as humidities are low and fields continuing to dry out .No need for rain for a few weeks in this neck of the woods. This is my favourite weather colourful sky and clouds, small wintry showers coming down from the north across the Firth ,very dry air therefore no mud and very cool for physical work outside. Stone picking just now Currently 4.5c

Fine blue sky day here. Very clear arctic air with few small showers to the north over the Firth.Wind was light between N and E. Fabulous spring day warm in sun and in tractor cab but cool in shade. Currently 6c

CALM here today damp and drizzly. Think I may have been talking to the farmer whose daffodils they are today an old college friend. Pickers had to be paid off and return to Lincolnshire. Plenty of empty planes so the cut flowers could have found a market in USA as well.

Very windy and dusty again.Currently 9c. Main road A96 quieter with mostly just vans and lorries on it. However saw one fully loaded car transporter all be it with one potentially yellow cloured emergency vehicle on it.