The drier than usual start to 2023, alongside other gradual climate shifts, is having implications for everything from native wildlife and species—including Scotland's famous salmon population—to farming and power production.

Figures released in May by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) confirmed what seasoned observers could already see: Loch Ness's fresh waters—Scotland's largest by volume—had dropped to their lowest level in decades.

"Everybody thinks of Scotland as a wet country, but the droughts are becoming more frequent now, as a result of climate change," explained Nathan Critchlow, the head of water and planning at Sepa.

"We used to see drought very rarely, about once every 18 years. By 2050, we predict you will have very low water levels about every other year.