THE CHALLENGES OF WINTER IN SUTHERLAND!

Welcome to my fifth tale from the far north and my first of 2025!

First off, before we get into it, I would like to say Happy New Year to you all and “long may yer lum reek!”

Unfortunately, I caught pneumonia on December 15th, so I had to abandon the fencing on said day and, apart from doctor’s appointments, I was pretty much confined to quarters and didn’t feel myself until January 3rd. Luckily, my wife and kids were on hand to pick up the slack with feeding the sheep and horses on the croft.

I had hoped to return to the fence line on January 6th, when the majority of businesses go back and do their thing, but on January 5th we woke to about 7 inches of snow, with more falling on and off. Then came the inevitable freeze with temperatures as low as minus 15 at the house. Brrrr!

It was a challenge as our main focus was getting hay and feed to the sheep and horses on the croft. I was mega unfit after my stint with pneumonia, so even climbing in and out of the tractor was a task when putting hay bales out.

All you hardworking contractors out there know only too well that you generally have to plough on through testing times.

We soldiered on as needs must! By Tuesday, January 14th, I was finally back on the fence line, building a deer fence on a local estate that I hastily abandoned due to falling ill. It’s good to be back, even though the water table is a touch high due to the obvious melting snow and ice.

It’s crazy to think that at the time I write this column, it’s currently 12 degrees—really feels like summer as compared to a week ago when it was as cold as -15—but that’s the good old, ever-unreliable Scottish weather for you!

There’s peace of mind on the business front as we are fully booked for almost the entire year ahead. That’s a great position to be in but can get stressful when the bad weather arrives and you can’t get going. It really sets you back!

Nevertheless, we will keep our heads down and push on, and I look forward to updating you all in the next issue as I tramp around the far North.