Into the freezer

 Day two of our Scottish holiday was a bit of a travelling day. We didn't have to go far (Ballater to Nethy Bridge) but the direct route was closed due to the snow and anyway we fancied doing a longer route via the north coast. After porridge in our hotel, the Balmoral Arms, we defrosted the car (-9c!), loaded up with provisions at the Co-op and set off. 

As per the previous day the weather was still very cold and the scenery was amazing. The trees were dripping with frost and the fields covered in a thin blanket of snow.

As we went north, the Cairngorm plateau started to disappear behind us but before we got out of the snow zone the temperature on the car hit -13C. Braemer is often one of the coldest places in the UK and it certainly was today!

Interestingly, the snow was unlike any I had seen before. It resembled  slush-puppy, with large crystals of ice crunching under your feet as you walked.

We saw this a number of times over the next few days. I presume it was due to the very low temperatures creating ice other than snow?

Finally we came out of the snow zone and headed to Cullen. Whilst Judith checked out the local antique shop I headed to the harbour for a bit of sea-watching. At least there was no wind but it was bloody cold!. The sea was dead flat but there was not much around. 

Gulls kept passing there breakwater but not in any great numbers,

and a shag or two were fishing nearby.

Normally there are good numbers of eider and long-tailed ducks offshore but I only saw a couple of distant eider and one smart long-tailed duck near enough to photograph (which was still a good way off!).

The best bird was a year-tick for me and was a lone black-throated diver which again was too far off for a decent photo. 

By now I was starting to get really cold so I was very pleased when Judith arrived to pick me up and we drove on to our stop for the next, our cabin in the woods at Nethy Bridge. It wasn't long before we were back in the land of snow and ice!