Skiing at Glenshee near Blairgowrie

A heavy fall of snow overnight and now a great possibility of Glenshee opening for business.  As usual it's very picturesque here but cold (-3 outside earlier).  The cold is a 'dry' cold and if you're dressed warmly it's lovely outside.

I didn't take the above photo of Glenshee but I've borrowed it.  Such a wonderful landscape and skiing for all levels of skill.

Why have all the hassle of airports when you can access Glenshee easily.  Blairgowrie is at the south side of the Cairngorms and the last town before the slopes, so do stop and stock up with the painkillers and moisturiser!

Autumn Colours in Perthshire, Scotland

So often recently I've been out and forgotten my camera.  Not today though!  Travelling though Alyth to visit a friend the colours of the trees were just stunning in the sunshine.  Just takes your breath away.

Another trip I enjoy at this time of year is up Glenshee to the Spittal (where you can have a relaxing cup of tea).  The enormity of the Glen is so much more obvious when its colour palette varies from a light gold to a deep deep copper, and all shades in between.  It's rather difficult to describe the intensity of colour and the atmosphere.  It feels as if the trees are making a last attempt to be centre stage before taking to the wings for the winter.

The A93 is one of these roads which has an entirely different vista driving north and driving south.  Definitely a worthwhile trip.

Botanic Gardens, Dundee University

It's a beautiful sunny day and around 25 degrees.  Too nice to stay indoors, now my work is finished, so I'm going to have a trip to the wonderful Botanic Gardens at Dundee University.  The gardens are just a 20 minute drive from here on a pleasant road.

These gardens are exceptional and so much of the work is done by volunteers.  Unfortunately, owing to the restrictions of the bed and breakfast business, I'm unable to be a reliable volunteer but I can enjoy the results of their toils.

The photograph is of a beautiful climbing, highly scented rose on the front wall of the house here.  It was just coming into flower.  I was told a few years ago it was a very old rose, possibly having been planted not long after the house was built in the 1840s.  So today, I'm taking a stem complete with a flower, in the hope that one of the experts at the Botanic Gardens can identify the rose or at least give some idea of it's heritage.  Doubt if I will get the results back for a while but they should be interesting.

Here in Scotland, there are few opportunities to really use air conditioning in the car, but today is one of them.   It's not so long ago it was thought air conditioning would never be used in a place like Scotland but I have used it for the past few months quite often.  Perhaps we don't get enough days like today but our climate isn't as bad as it is pictured at times.  England often gets far worse weather than Perthshire!