Ever driven up to Fort William with your axes in the boot, only to stand at the bottom of a route and realise it's not in nick? Yeah, me too. Scottish winter is a fickle beast. One week the high tops are plastered, the next a warm spell strips everything back to rock and wet turf. The good news is that conditions give you signals long before you're committed. You just need to know what to look for. Here's how I read Scottish winter climbing conditions, from snow depth and rim