We’re known, in the UK, for our fondness for talking about the weather. This week has certainly given us cause to turn to our favourite subject time and again. We’ve had storms, rain, snow, ice and, occasionally, the sun has made an appearance.

My favourite weather word is dreich and one I frequently heard as a child from my Scottish aunts. I think it perfectly describes a miserable, grey and wet day. It’s most effective when said with a broad Scottish accent, the ‘ch’ sound similar to that used in ‘loch’.

Another very descriptive Scottish weather phrase is ‘blowing a hoolie’. It is thought that the hoolie comes from the Orkney word, hoolan, meaning a strong gale.

If it’s dreich or blowing a hoolie where you are today, why not hunker down with a good book – Dreich House maybe?