Writing has been hard this week. There’s been a lot going on in the world and it isn’t the sort of stuff that can be tuned out when you need to be productive. So, today I thought I’d share some pictures I took this morning to inspire myself and my settings. Sometimes the best thing to do is stop and look under our own feet when we need some time out.

So, I hope you enjoy some chilly photos from Scotland!

The morning was so still that the canal was a perfect mirror. A few of the trees were clinging to their last traces of green for the year, soon to turn into skeletons for the winter.

The sun spilling through the trees as it rises over the hills and the last of the mist is burnt off.

A shadowy spot behind the denser trees, the sun beckoning me forward.

The camera doesn’t do the icy leaves justice. The colours here are warm but the air certainly wasn’t.

A coot disturbs the water but hides from my camera in the shadows of the bank.

Frozen nettles for some iced tea? They stood out undisturbed on an otherwise trampled path.

And finally, a curious swan who seemed to be on a mission. I’m still wondering what it was.

Happy writing, everyone! And wrap up warm.