In Scotland our weather is usually cloudy with plenty of rain - May and June of 2018 have been very different with clear skies and temperatures up to 30C.

Being so far north, we are actually lucky to be surrounded by sea as the sea warms the land and prevents extremes of temperature. The tradeoff, however, is lots of rain and lots of wind. Some years, the seasons all meld into one, with cold winds and rain in the summer and colder winds and rain in the winter - All the time it is a gloomy, grey and overcast.

Here is a typical video of when I climb my local hill, King's Seat Hill in the Ochil Hills - You can see why I always pack a raincoat and my dog has his ears pinned back...

It can be quite depressing actually, no matter what time of year, I've found myself in a raincoat, wearing gloves and wondering where I can find some shelter to have some lunch. The only bonus from our typical weather is the changeable light... 

2018 though has been exceptional so far, people here will remember this weather that people in more southerly climes take for granted. Today as I write, 28th June, it has been 31C today. Everyone I meet has their heads up, they are smiling, not with their heads down hurrying to their destination, this is a different place when the sun shines, people can stand and talk for starters...

I've always enjoyed our bright summer nights, but until now, I've never realised just how bright we have it in mid-summer. With the clear skies though, I've seen it in the raw and it is magnificent - I've taken many pictures which illustrate our midsummer nights, here are a few.

00:30 19th JuneI was lying in my bed and when I noticed the light sky, I grabbed my phone and took this picture - it was 00:30 in the morning. Midnight 23rd JuneThis is looking North down my street. In summer the sun sets in the West at 22:00 and you can see its transit from west to east on the northern sky before it rises again at 04:30. 23:30 26th JuneThis is the view from my sitting room as I write this post.

The last picture was taken as I wrote this. I love the light nights, it is uplifting. The sun sets in the west after 22:00, it stays twilight and this travels northward (the view from my window) and by 04:30 it has travelled round to the east where the sun rises again.

It makes up for the dark winter nights when the sun rises at 08:40 and sets at 15:40 - usually it is cold and cloudy as well so it feels like you are living in permanent twilight. This video below was just 4 months ago and it illustrates things differently - I like the winter too for the challenge and excitement, but the bright warm nights are my favourite...when we get them.

Winter in FalkirkMarch 1st 2018 - the view from my window.