Orkney were back on winning form on Saturday afternoon, beating visiting team Mackie Academy FP 39-3 in their Division Five North league game.

Indications that P&O Scottish Ferries had no intention of seriously bidding for the Northern Isles ferry contract were dismissed by a company spokesman this week, who said £100 million had been earmarked for new ships.

In notes taken at a P&O board meeting back in July this year, the impression was given that P&O were not seriously interested in the contract because of its short length and the stipulation that new ferries were required.

Full story

A new club and music venue for Kirkwall got the go-ahead for a provisional grant of licence last week.

Mr Neil Stevenson, who owns Grooves Records on Albert Street, plans to turn the former Orkney Seafoods premised on Ayre Road into what's described as a "One-stop Music Venue".

Glasgow-based designers – who have transformed several famous city centre nightclubs – are being brought in to work on the state-of-the-art music venue and nightclub.

Full story

The largest British maritime course this year saw naval ships passing through the Pentland Firth on Thursday night. As part of a Joint Maritime Course, 27 ships and six submarines, were joined by nearly 90 aircraft from RAF bases around the UK.

The HM Naval Base Clyde are playing host to 13 ships and submarines and it will be some or all of these that will pass through the Pentland Firth sometime.

Joining the Royal Navy and RAF will be navies and air forces from 12 nations – Belgium, Denmark, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the US.

The construction of the third wind turbine on Burgar Hill, Evie was completed earlier this week.

Work on erecting the 1.3 megawatt generator was completed by Monday lunchtime, a few days later than expected due to bad weather.

The turbine is due to be producing power by mid-November, dependant on the arrival of a transformer.

A decision is due shortly on whether the Orkney Cheese Company will be allowed to discharge effluent into Kirkwall Bay from their new creamery at Hatston.

The company had applied to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for permission to use an outfall into the bay when their new factory is up and running.

A spokeswoman from SEPA said on Tuesday that they would be issuing their decision shortly following the completion of a consultation phase on the plans.

Concerns over the new outfall were raised earlier this year by councillors, but an assurance was given at the time that "nothing inappropriate" would be allowed to be discharged into Kirkwall Bay.

Six Orkney shellfish companies employed twelve people last year, three full-time; three part-time; and six on a casual basis, according figures published by the Scottish Executive.

The report shows a decrease in the amount of scallops and queens produced, a drop due in part to the periodic bans on scallop fishing caused by the discovery of high levels of shellfish toxins.

Orkney's economic output last year was below the Scottish average but still higher than the other isles within the Highlands and Islands region, according to latest estimates for the year.

A new report puts Orkney's economic output for the year at £218 million - a 1.4 per cent increase on the previous year.

OIC development and planning director Mr Jeremy Baster said Orkney was still below the Highlands and Islands average of 1.9 per cent growth for the year and the Scottish average of two per cent. The county's output had been dragged down, he said, by the problems in the agricultural industry.

The police are looking to reduce the number of street assaults in Orkney and, as part of a three month initiative, aim to reduce the number of bottles and glasses taken from pubs.

Inspector Paul Eddington explained that the number of bottles and glasses being smashed, or used as offensive weapons is on the rise. He said that the general public were not generally aware of the extent of smashed glass and bottles at the weekend because it is usually cleaned up before the general public see it.

As well as increased patrols during peak periods and increased supervision of licensed premises the police will be raising awareness of licensees licensing obligations.

A new mobile library took to the road this week, covering the rural parts of the Orkney Mainland, Burray and South Ronaldsay.

The new mobile, which is normally driven by Kenny Eunson and Lenise Stephen, is the fourth one to operate on the Mainland routes, since the mobile library service began in the early 1960s.