It has been nearly 10 years since I first set foot in Edinburgh (at bus stop opposite Haymarket station to be precise). Although clear blue sky is seldom seen, but when it is, it is worth the wait. Windy days in the recent past have dominated the weather news. At times I find the Scottish word “dreich” best to describe the weather, as the intensity of dullness is reflected in the harsh sound of the word. How strongly our moods sway with weather is also something that I noted in the city. Low pressure equates to doom and gloom and high pressure equates to proverbial high. The challenge therefore would be how to lift the mood in times of a settled low pressure as was seen during the “great drench” in southern parts of UK during Christmas 2013.
If somehow bad stormy weather was made into an opportunity to make money then we can expect the definition of bad weather to shift. And so an apparatus that churns out pounds and pennies for every gust of wind that blows should be planned and designed. But hold on, such a device already exists!! As mundane it may sound but wind turbines do this very job. Inform any farmer, who owns even a small to medium sized wind turbine about an approaching low pressure front and it would put a smile on his face. For him a blustery day is a field day that rolls money in his eyes. And we can be assured that there are plenty of such days in Scotland. A study of Aberdeenshire area confirmed regions in Scotland as being windiest in Europe. So if communities are convinced to invest in off-shore wind farms (off-shore to guard sensitivities to idyllic landscapes) and if the income generated is shared by the populace, than albeit little in amount, it would lift the mood of the nation. The thunder replaced by a soulful “kerrching”. And wind howling at night will usher a blissful sleep.
On a similar note I have come to realize how important south facing windows are. A feature that will perhaps dictate the choice of my future residence. I live in a loft of a church that has been converted into flats. Even during winters, I get several days when heating in not required and there is nothing like coming back to a warm home on a clear cold day.
