Looking over the Beauly Firth to Inverness, and the Kessock Bridge, from North Kessock, on a cool and beautiful morning.

Last cycle into work for this year. Kept a low profile, working in the windowless box, and shying away from the festive frivolities. Escaping after lunchtime when it was mostly over.

Outside it was inescapable. The traffic was jammed up everywhere. Bicycle made it through, and the last of the local cards were delivered to the West side of town. Only place that was quiet was Mitchell's Motorcycles, somewhere I'd never visited in all its years outside the town, by the Beauly road. Some nice bikes, but it's so many years since I've ridden one, or kept in touch with that market, that I know next to nothing of them... from the past twenty years.

Back towards town. Busy traffic and crowds, even away from the (avoided) main throng, making me feel nauseous. Queasy. Have been so tired over the past week and a half. Don't know why. Suspect the volume of traffic and associated fumes play a part. May just be the season. I have a serious phobia of this time of year, and all the things others relish, or that we're supposed to do, or enjoy.

It was good to escape from the madness, and pedal home with my basic food shopping - in daylight for a change. Much milder than during the morning frost, and a lovely evening sky followed.

Extra - quiet backroad view towards Inverness, from the Drumsmittal area of the Black Isle.