The Orkney Outreach Centre at Orkney College is one of nine flagship learning centres in the Highlands and Islands chosen by the Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) for the delivery of their ‘learndirect scotland’ initiative.

The University of the Highlands and Islands Project and its academic partners have set up a network of learning centres as part of the £2.4 million Learning in Networked Communities (LINC) programme, which aims to make it easier for businesses and individuals to access high quality learning opportunities in all parts of the Highlands and Islands.

UHI chief executive, Professor Alistair MacFarlane said: "Recognition of these learing centres by SUfI is a major feather in UHI’s cap which will enhance access to learning. We are confident that SUfI will recognise more of our learning centres in due course."

Orkney‘s Highland Park whisky has come out top in a taste test carried out by Which? magazine.

The 12-year-old single malt from the Highland Park, Britain’s most northerly distillery, was awarded top marks by a panel of tasters who tested 32 different whiskies from across Scotland and Ireland.

As well as eliciting comments such as "smooth", "rich" and "honeyed", Highland Park was described as "well-balanced with attractive smoky peat and citrus fruit."

Kirkwall’s Ayre Road, along the harbour front, is to be targeted by police as part of their December road safety clampdown.

Motorists are being warned, in general, to take care on the roads this month, with the Ayre Road a particular hot spot area being covered by police.

Orkney Islands Council are to receive an increase in funding from the Scottish Executive it was announced on Thursday.

The settlement, which sets the levels of funding given to local councils for the next three years, will see the council receive an extra £5.8 million over period. This is a 13 per cent increase on current levels.

The OIC greeted the announcement with caution though. Director of finance, Mr David Robertson, said he was disappointed that no attempt had been made to address the anomaly in funding between Scotland's three island authorities.

The Primary Indoor Football League are to continue playing at Kirkwall’s Pickaquoy Centre despite incidents of vandalism in the sports complex.

But any culprits caught damaging the property in the future will have to pay for the cost of repair.

Co-organiser of the league, Mr John Foulis, confirmed that during a Saturday evening tournament recently, upstairs toilets in the centre had been deliberately flooded.

However, Mr Foulis maintains that there is no definite proof whether or not the damage was actually caused by the young footballers.

Following on from a meeting at the centre, where it was decided that coaches would keep a tighter rein on the youngsters and they would be encouraged not to wander, Mr Foulis said: “I believe the situation should improve tremendously.”

The road safety message seems to be getting through to Orcadian drivers, say local police, after the first day of their December clampdown on road safety passed with relatively few offences.

Speaking on Thursday Inspector Paul Eddington said: "Based on our previous experiences when we've targeted these offences there haven't been as many - people are taking more notice of the need to use their seatbelts and to temper their speed."

As part of “Operation Blitzen”, Orkney police are clamping down on all road safety issues during December, targeting drink drivers, speeding, seatbelt use and vehicle checks.

A backlash against plans for a £9.5 million ro-ro freight terminal on the edge of Hatston Industrial Estate was mounting this week.

The plans were unveiled at last week’s transportation committee and the supporters of the project hope that the terminal will be ready for the arrival of the new ferries in 2002.

The proposal will have to be ratified by full council next Tuesday and external funds sought from various bodies including the Scottish Executive but several people hit out at the project this week including Stromness councillor John Brown.

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The situation at Shetland Coastguard - due to take over from Orkney’s Pentland Coastguard station when it closes - was described as desperate this week. But the Maritime and Coastguard Agency dismissed the claims - which relate to staffing levels - arguing that the station will be better off than most next year.

Pentland is due to close its doors next week despite a long-running battle to save the station and Orkney waters will come under Shetland’s control.

But one member of staff at Pentland coastguard claimed this week that Shetland was severely understaffed during the shifts and could find it difficult to cope.

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The five men facing charges relating to a serious disturbance at Kirkwall’s Torvhaug Inn are expected to appear in court within the next few weeks.

Among those arrested on the night was the owner of the neighbouring Kirkwall Hotel, Colin James Low (36), who was released on bail on Monday afternoon along with co-accused Jonathan Iain Gatt (20), Ian Spence (36) and David Sutherland (21).

A warrant to arrest was issued for a fifth man who later gave himself up to police. Tony Steeple (19) was also released on bail.

Police said on Wednesday that enquiries are now complete and the accused are expected to appear in Kirkwall Sheriff Court within a fortnight.

Work on Kirkwall's sewage treatment plant is likely to resume within the next few weeks following the appointment of a new contractor.

Work stopped three weeks ago when the former contractor, Christiani and Nielsen, went into administration but the North of Scotland Water Authority Board announced on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with Pierse Contracting to resume work on the plant.

The authority's original aim was to have to work completed by the end of this year. They now hope the plant will be in operation by the end of February.

Highlands and Islands Airports Limited have delayed a planned extension to the opening hours at Kirkwall Airport.

The airport is currently open between 0745 and 1845 hours, Monday to Friday but, subject to being able to employ an additional air traffic controller, HIAL intended to extend opening hours by one hour (0730 to 1930) early in the New Year.

A spokesman for HIAL said: "The extension is designed to support Loganair service improvements between Kirkwall and Edinburgh. Unfortunately the trainee air traffic controller has had to withdraw from the validation process."

"We will recruit another air traffic controller as soon as we possibly can. Subject to validation, which takes around three months, we will then be able to introduce the extension."

A man flown to hospital in Aberdeen last Friday following a road accident on Stronsay is "doing fine" and may be home shortly.

Leslie Miller of Clestrain Cottage on Stronsay was involved in a one vehicle accident in the early hours of Friday morning and was initially brought to the Balfour Hospital before being transferred to Aberdeen.

Speaking on Wednesday his parents Walter and Peace said that he was operated on on Tuesday and was “doing fine”. It is hoped he may be back home within three to five days.

Protests by the local government union Unison - who have rejected a 6.1 per cent pay rise over two years - look likely to continue despite a breakdown in negotiations.

Councils agreed last Friday that negotiations on the pay deal for 2000 to 2002 were at an end. The decision was taken at a meeting of the employers side of the Scottish Joint Council.

But speaking this week Unison's Orkney branch secretary Karen Kent told The Orcadian that the union would continue their industrial action.

"People are even more hardened to continue. We are soldiering on," she said.

It is expected future industrial action will follow a similar line to the last, which included one day strikes in the county.

Plans to build a £300,000 jetty on Eday providing a small boat link to Westray have been backed by islanders.

A public meeting to discuss the Westside jetty project was held on Eday recently where it was given general support.

Speaking afterwards, Eday community council chairman Mr Neville Judd said the pier would be around 90 metres long and would be used for small boats only - the link to Rapness on Westray being used by locals and improving the tourist trade.

Boat trips between Eday and Westray would give the island's tourist industry a much needed boost said Mr Judd and should also help to reverse depopulation trends.

British Regional Airlines - one of the airlines serving Orkney - could be subject to a takeover with a prospective buyer known shortly.

The news resulted in share prices in BRA soaring this week, followed by a statement from the company which confirmed that discussions were underway with another party.

A spokesman said this week that because BRA was a franchise operator of British Airways, whoever they were talking to would have the tacit approval of BA.

"Normally when a notice comes out we you would expect to know who is talking to who within a couple of weeks," he said.

He added an assurance that there was no need for concern that a new owner would cut any of the services to Orkney.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise are to begin a series of advanced courses to help businesses in the county make the most of the Internet.

Entitled "E-commerce, making it work", the courses will teach Orcadian companies to make full use of the Internet.

Local jewellery manufacturer Ortak are coming up to their third year of trading online. Managing director Mr Alastair Gray said: “Our website is becoming a more significant part of our business each month - in the past year alone sales using this medium increased by 480 per cent on the previous year.

"We continuously make gradual improvements to get the very best out of the site and expect much more of our future business to come from this source in the future.”

The Kirkwall course is scheduled for March 6.

The recently refurbished Dounby Stores suffered slight smoke damage on Monday following a fire in the boiler room.

Two engines from Stromness and the Evie auxiliaries attended the new store, which was bought and refurbished by David and Yvonne Harrold recently, at around 10.30am.

An fire brigade spokesman said the fire was successfully extinguished just after 11am, with only the boiler room suffering smoke and heat damage.

An unexploded bomb has been discovered in a remote area on Hoy.

Speaking yesterday, Kirkwall police Inspector Paul Eddington said that an officer was due to go to the island to secure the area near Millburn.

A Bomb Disposal Unit are expected in the island to destroy the explosive, which is believed to be a grenade.

Two men have been reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with the alleged theft of two vehicles in the early hours of Thursday morning last week.

According to Kirkwall police a vehicle was taken from Kirkwall, damaged and abandoned on Wideford Hill. A second vehicle was stolen from St Ola and later abandoned at Carness.

The contract for removing the oil from HMS Royal Oak is in the last stages of preparation with the Ministry of Defence hoping to announce the contract winner shortly.

According to OIC harbours operations manager Captain Jim Purvis the preferred contract is now in the hands of the harbours department who have until Friday to check over the proposal.

“The MoD want to issue a contract contract soonest,” said Captain Purvis. “Every effort will be made for the preferred contractor to be on site to commence the removal of the oil in January 2001."

A Royal Navy spokesman confirmed that they hope to finalise the contract by Christmas and that the oil removal operations will begin in January.

A piece of music inspired by Orkney folklore had its world premiere in Kirkwallon Monday night.

St Magnus Cathedral was the venue for ‘LORE,’ a suite comprising eight pieces of music, written by young composer Euan Smith.

Orkney was chosen as a focus for the performance because of the wealth of support for community based music and inspiration found from Orkney folklore and literature. The work of George Mackay Brown and Tom Muir have contributed to Euan’s research for this work.

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Police are appealing for witnesses after a shop in Kirkwall was broken into overnight on Thursday/Friday.

Police say that a window in Papdale Stores was broken, the premises entered and a sum of money taken. Anyone with any information should contact Kirkwall police on 872241.

Also overnight on Thursday, a child's pendant was taken from a car parked in the Hermaness car park in Kirkwall. The theft took place some time between 11pm on Thursday night and 9am on Friday morning and anyone with information about the incident should contact the police.