Travelled up from Edinburgh to Orkney last Thursday/Friday and it was kind of fun. Blizzard conditions through the Highlands (well only through Drumochter Pass really) and a force 7 rising to force 9 just in time for the lovely 2 hour ferry crossing.

Pretty wet on the way back down on Sunday, and again about a force 9 for the early part of the journey.

Not that bad really, considering most winters we can expect force 11 or 12 at least once in Orkney. (Admittedly our force 12's aren't hurricanes - No spinning involved, just very fast wind. And it never causes any damage because we don't have tall trees, or double decker buses, or wooden houses etc etc etc)

In fact, when I was a kid I remember being on my swing in a wind of 110 mph (measured about 80 yds from my house) and it was just normal. The only reason it is pretty funny is that at the time my swing was a telegraph pole with two 40ft ropes hanging from it, and I was damn near horizontal. Still have the photo somewhere.

Where was I going with that ramble? Oh yeah, wind - as long as it ain't a hurricane, and it's usual, it's not a problem. It's only where it is extraordinary that we have major issues.