I have been away catching up with family for three weeks. It feels like I missed most of autumn while I was gone and have come back to winter. It’s mostly been cold and windy since I arrived back on Monday. The rowan tree at the front of the house is now bare of leaves and when I looked across the bay towards Uig this morning I could see snow on the hilltops.

Life has changed too. Now all my seasonal work has finished I am looking for ways to keep me going financially through the winter. I put an advert on Skye Free Ads a few weeks ago, offering my services as a portrait photographer, painter and decorater, and maker of soft furnishings. I have had a couple of soft furnishings jobs out of my ad and will also be doing some decorating for the lady I do a changeover for in Fiscavaig. It’s an odd time. For the first time in my life I lack the structure that goes with regular work. In a way I miss it but I also want to make the most of this time by getting out and about with my camera and starting on some of my own DIY projects.

The real test starts now. My first winter on Skye.