Date Published: 1st January 2023

It is New Year’s Day. This is the loch in front of our house. In the distance, behind the cloud, is Ben Hiant, a holy mountain here in the Western Highlands of Scotland. The waters of the loch are dark and still, providing a perfect mirror for the land encircling them. Everything is doubled: two forests, two promontories, two skies.

I like New Year’s Day to be still, as I have always felt that this time of year is a time for reflection. A fevered year, and a difficult one for so many, has come to an end. Now we may put our feet up for a few days, contemplate what has happened, and order our thoughts about what lies ahead.

Last night we had a small firework display in this very spot – a few rockets that soared up obediently and released clusters of crackling starlets. The bursts of light were reflected in the water of the loch, which were as still last night as it is today. To the north, the Plough looked on with approval, as did Cassiopeia, further to the east. Lesser constellations gave modest support.

Who among us does not occasionally yearn for time to slow down – just a little – so that we may savour moments of quietness, friendship, and simple affection for this lovely little planet on which we have made our home?

Happy New Year to all the readers of the books. Thank you and I hope that the new year will be a peaceful one.

Alexander McCall Smith