The big thaw

When asked to take winter "weather pictures" the brief is such an open-ended one that I can often find myself driving around aimlessly on ice-rink roads in the vain hope of spotting a girl in red, on a unicorn, vaulting an abandoned car. The photograph can pretty much show anything happening anywhere, providing snow is the main element. Many weather pictures are just simple landscape photographs with human figures in to lend a sense of scale.

With the thaw starting, I thought I would upload a few of my favourites from this year's big freeze. The Lake of Menteith in Stirlingshire froze over, prompting hopes of the first Bonspiel in 30 years.



The grit almost ran out in the Kingdom of Fife.



But Glasgow's stocks held.



Convicted offenders on Community Service helped to clear old ladies' pathways in Dunfermline.



Sweeps cleared chimneys for Santa on the day before Christmas Eve.



And a girl in a red coat went for a walk.