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A cold summer in Scotland has led to this incredible natural phenomena with remaining ice and snow forming a network of icy tunnels and caves clinging to the edge of mountains
At long last I have the complete figures in from the August 2015 snow survey that was conducted on the 21st and 22nd of that month. There were a couple of discrepancies up until recently, but I have now ironed these out.

The total number of patches counted across Scotland was 678 (see table below). This is way more than double the amount for 2014, and hundreds more than any year since the survey was started in 2008.

Totals since 2008

2008 - 34

2009 - 35

2010 - 34

2011 - 36

2012 - 72

2013 - 81

2014 - 281

2015 - 678

We caution that this total, though very impressive, is likely to be too low. Given the amount of snow that was present all over the hills it's almost certain that some were missed. However, the patches listed here are confirmed ones, and that's what we have to go with.

Thanks are due to a lot of people who assisted in this. Everyone who went out did so at their own expense of time and cost. Without these folk the survey would have been impossible.

A small percentage of these patches will survive until winter (typically about 8% of the August total survives). Whether 8% of the August total will survive (~54 patches) is debatable. We will have to keep watching.