My ancestors [HALCRO, WILSON] lived on The Breck in Orphir. With the sea so close, do you suppose they ever saw the bay ice over ? What about those inlets nearby - the Loch of Kirbister and maybe the Loch of Stennes. It has to stay below freezing a long while for thick enough ice to form over inland [freshwater] ponds to ice-skate on. Being seawater, does it ever freeze at the surface ? I just heard from my daughter in Chicago, windchill is -40F. That's just too much for this Orklahoman to fathom. I'd have made a lousy pioneer. MEG =====================