Country diary: winter has been cruel to Orkney`s otters
(WorldNews Environment)

It`s rare for it to snow here in Orkney. But this February, our islands have taken on the appearance of the high Arctic: the smooth, treeless hills are glossy and white, like Italian meringue, and the inland lochs lidded with ice. It`s perfect winter weather. Breath hangs in the still, cold air, and the sky at sunset takes on a luminous quality with bands of rose-gold and amber sinking behind...