It was an almost balmy 8 degrees C in Inverness yesterday. Mild enough to go hatless & gloveless into town over the wiggly-woggly footbridge over the River Ness. The heron, fishing under the bridge by the fast-flowing river, was harder to spot than the tourists on the bridge. Trapper hats under their hoods. Mittens as big as boxing gloves! And the inevitable selfie sticks. And, of course, blocking all passage over the narrow bridge, to get themselves and the castle in the same pic. Picture perfect! I expect they come this far north, in diminishing northern daylight, in anticipation of seeing snow, or maybe the Northern Lights? They leave padlocks on the bridge as love-locks. I counted 33 one day and 3 the next. Council workers are tasked with removing them, maybe just in case Highland Council has a weighty Paris-Pont-des-Arts-Problem?  I like a bit of symbolism. So has the padlock become a new heart symbol, I mused? Do you padlock your bike because you love it so much? And ditto for your suitcase etc. My studio has a padlock, and I love going there. I think I might just have to go and padlock my coffee jar and biscuit tin!! <3