Country diary: winter has been cruel to Orkney's otters

Stenness, Orkney: One recently turned up on the doorstep of a local hotel, skinny and shiveringIt’s rare for it to snow here in Orkney. But this February, our islands have taken on the appearance of the high Arctic: the smooth, treeless hills are glossy and white, like Italian meringue, and the inland lochs lidded with ice. It’s perfect winter weather. Breath hangs in the still, cold air, and the sky at sunset takes on a luminous quality with bands of rose-gold and amber sinking behi