I can't remember there ever being this much snow, says Berriedale-based designer
Goldsmith and designer Patricia Niemann, whose studio is in the Old Post Office at Berriedale, ventured out to take some photos of the wintry scenes in the village on Thursday – describing it as the heaviest snowfall since she came to the county 20 years ago.
Originally from Bavaria in Germany, Ms Niemann lived in Lybster for 10 years before moving to Berriedale in 2014.
Some motorists found themselves stranded for hours between Helmsdale and Dunbeath, with the A9 in that area closed from midway through Thursday until the early hours of Friday.
“I can't remember there ever being this much snow," she said. "In Bavaria it hangs around longer whereas here normally it goes away really quickly.
“There was no-one stuck here for a change, because often there are people getting stuck in Berriedale. I think they all got stuck on the Ord and up at Newport but no-one down here.
“I had an appointment in Inverness this morning [Friday] but I couldn't get out the drive and up to the A9, although the road is now open. It was just impossible. But I got a new appointment in Inverness [for Saturday] which is quite lucky."
She added: “Once I was stuck in Helmsdale and couldn't get home to Berriedale. That was a few years back. I slept in the car because I couldn't get up the incline.
"It was already three or four in the morning so I decided I'd just sleep in the car. And then at seven or eight I just managed to get past one of the stranded HGVs and get up the road."
