Webcams

I like webcams. They can give you an idea of what the weather is like before you head off hillwalking (or skiing, if you into that sort of thing). My favourite of all the webcams is that at Glencoe Mountain Resort. But for such a scenic country, Scotland has surprisingly few tourist webcams - there is a set at each of the ski-resorts - and not many more. Those that do exist tend to be low resolution affairs set up by local B&B owners, or road authority ones concentrating on traffic flow.

But imagine the advertising benefits to the local area of broadcasting somewhere like Traigh Seilebost live at high resolution? Get it sorted, Scottish tourist board.

I must confess that my main pleasure with webcams is to look at mountain areas when I am at work or home on a sunny day. As it is more often wet than not on the west coast, it cheers me up no end to see something like this:

Glencoe Mountain Resort, today:


I know I am not missing out on my favourite activity, and can get on with what I am doing without that insistent sense that I should be somewhere else. This doesn't always work, of course. Sometimes I switch the computer on on a day where other plans have been made and am greeted with this:

Glencoe Mountain Resort:


Damn, I will think, another wasted day!