Since Thursday, images from the Orkney Mainland are available to view on Google’s Street View website.

The images, which were launched online, along with other pictures from across the UK, were taken by the Google Street Car, when it visited the county last year.

By visiting the website, at maps.google.co.uk, images of the Orkney Mainland can be seen.

Communications manager at Google, Laura Scott, said the islands were still not available to view. However, she stressed that Google is keen to add them in the future.

Orkney Islands Council advise car park users that new ticket machines will be in operation from Monday in the car parks on Great Western Road (North) and Burgh Road.

These car parks are located adjacent to the old Scarthcentre and the Police Station respectively.

In addition, new ticket machines have now been installed in the existing pay-and-display car parks in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Users are advised to display the parking ticket clearly by putting it inside the vehicle on your dashboard, so that the car park attendants can read the ticket through the windscreen.

The 24th Hoy Half-marathon will be held on Sunday, June 13.

Organisers have stressed that places are available on a “first come first serve” basis, so are appealing for people to get their applications in as soon as possible.

Jude Callister, who organises the race along with Jan Witkamp, said that numbers for the Half-marathon are “strictly limited”.

Young runners, aged nine to 17, can take part in the quarter marathon.

Entry packs for both can be obtained by e-mailing hoyhalf@googlemail.com, or by contacting Jude or Jan at Cot o’ Midhouse, Brims, Longhope KW16 3NZ, or by calling 701300.

NHS Orkney's Pharmacy Practices Committee has refused to grant the application, by NorsePharm Ltd, to provide pharmaceutical services in Dounby.

The committee concluded that, although the current provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood was inadequate, they were not convinced of the viability of the proposal and decided not to grant the application.

The applicant has 21 days to lodge an appeal.

Tickets for tonight's heat of the Talented Orkney competition have now sold out.

Tickets for the final, to be held in the Pickaquoy Centre on March 27, are also selling fast and those wishing to attend are advised to get their tickets as soon as possible. They are available from the CLAN shop and Bruce's Stores, both in Kirkwall's Victoria Street, priced at £6.

The final will see the winning acts from all three heats perform again, and will feature entertainment from Liberty Unplugged and The Silver Darlings.

The NorthLink freight and livestock vessel, mv Hascosay, has been sold to a Middle East buyer and will leave her temporary berth in Kirkwall in the coming days, bound for Beirut.

Since leaving NorthLink’s service three weeks ago, the Hascosay found a temporary home at Kirkwall Pier, but she is now scheduled to leave for a shipyard in Beirut, where she will undergo some modifications designed to facilitate her new livestock-only role.

The Hascosay has been purchased by a Jordanian buyer and will now be used for shipping livestock to Jordan from Brazil, Georgia and Romania.

Her regular NorthLink crew, of around 17, will undertake the 12-day voyage to Beirut.