Across Shetland, the past week has been another reminder of how island life carries on even when winter digs its heels in.
With temperatures hovering close to freezing and icy side roads slow to clear, council crews have been working through difficult conditions to keep essential services going, including household waste and recycling collections.
Extra refuse runs are now planned for this weekend, Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of January, as teams push on to collect black bags, cardboard and paper that were missed during the recent cold snap and the festive period.
Collections are expected to take place across the North and South Mainland over the weekend, including Whalsay and Unst, while work in Yell is already under way today.
In Scalloway, missed cardboard and paper collections will be lifted tomorrow, Thursday the 8th, with black bag collections in East Voe also scheduled for the same day.
Further catch up collections are planned for Nesting and Vidlin on Friday the 9th, covering cardboard, paper and black bags.
Some areas are still waiting on new dates, including Bressay, which is normally collected on Wednesdays, and parts of the Westside usually serviced on Tuesdays, with apologies issued to householders affected by the disruption.
The cold weather has made access a challenge in places, particularly on untreated or narrower roads, but crews will continue to collect from individual properties and communal bins wherever it is safe to do so.
In Lerwick, several communal waste bins are now close to needing emptied and staff are working to clear these as soon as access allows.
Islanders have been thanked for their patience and understanding during what has been a testing spell of weather, made more complicated by the timing around the festive break.
As ever in Shetland, the message is one of getting on with it, looking out for one another, and working through the practical realities of winter life.
Householders are being reminded to place bins out by 7.30am on collection days to help crews make the most of available access, and any missed collections can be reported through the council website.
Recycling calendars remain available online, and for those able to travel, the Gremista Waste Management Facility in Lerwick continues to operate as normal, accepting household waste and recyclable materials.
While the forecast suggests freezing temperatures may linger for a few more days, crews will continue to adapt routes and schedules as conditions allow, doing what Shetlanders have always done, pressing on until the job is done.
