Signs of spring are appearing throughout Orkney, though we’ll not be putting away the winter woollies quite yet.
Spring may arrive a little later in the Northern Isles than elsewhere in the UK, but there’s a real sense of seasons’ change in the air as the days grow longer.
In a community where much of life is still dictated by the agricultural calendar, this shift is felt particularly keenly. Where the skies are so open and all-encompassing, the sudden sense of light is warmly welcomed after the short days of winter.
We've been out to try and capture some of that spring spirit over the last few days.
The Neolithic tomb of Maeshowe, built to harness the precious light of the mid-winter sunset, basks in the warmer rays of sunshine behind roadside daffodils in Stenness.
In Stronsay, the waters at the Sands of Rothiesholm may look tropical but March is actually the time of our lowest sea temperatures. Hardy souls should prepare themselves for a chilly seven degrees Celsius.
Lambing season is yet to get fully underway but fresh growth in the fields provides welcome fodder for livestock, while drier ground conditions means that Orkney’s farmers are busy creating a patchwork of green and brown. Mute swans gather on the Loch of Stenness as nesting season gets underway.
The longer days also mean the return of early evening walks on the coast at places like Yesnaby, where the light feels a little softer, and a little warmer.
Throughout Orkney, the daffodils are in full flower. Roadsides in Orphir and Evie are bursting out in colour, while in Tankerness House Gardens in Kirkwall, the Groatie Hoose is surrounded by a carpet of yellow.
But it’s not all about the colour. Even in near monochrome there’s an added vibrance to the light of spring. Dark clouds hanging over the hills of Hoy remind us that the days of gales may not be entirely behind us. Ne’er cast a clout till May is out is advice that Orkney’s spring visitors may want to keep in mind, for a while yet, at least.