As I watched BBC Breakfast at around 7am this morning, it was minus 10 in Tulloch Bridge just south of Fort William and plus 12 at St Mary’s in the Scilly Isles yet it’s the same means tested winter fuel allowance for pensioners in both places.

Still months away from the real Scottish winter, we see the first signs of how different Scotland is from the southern parts of the UK and how important the Winter Fuel Allowance is for many here.

In a year or so, we’ll see the winter mortality data for all parts of the UK and it will be interesting to see if the media connect those directly with the removal of the allowance.