Two representatives from Orkney Meat set off on a study trip to the United States at the weekend to look at some of the beef production methods employed there and see if lessons could be learned and adapted for use in this country.

General manager, Edgar Balfour, and company vice-chairman and local beef farmer, Scott Harcus, will spend a week viewing farms and feed lots in Colorado and also talking to abattoir operators and butchers in the United States.

The Orkney Meat representatives are part of a larger delegation on the week-long tour arranged by Quality Meat Scotland.

The enterprise company met or exceeded most targets set for the year, and were looking forward to continuing to promote Orkney's image.

The only blot on the landscape was the failure to meet their jobs target. They say the low level of unemployment in Orkney was, in part, blamed for that. In addition Orkney Enterprise could not take credit for all jobs which supported schemes created, in the long term.

The centre was designed by the centre's clients and staff, and built by Mr Clive Chaddock, who performed the opening ceremony.

Concerns over social work staff sickness levels

However, social work's head of strategic services, Gillian Morrison, countered that other factors were also to blame for the overspend.

"It is not all to do with sickness absence," she explained. "There are uncontrollable things."

Breakdown sees mobile cinema visit postponed

The visit of the Screen Machine mobile cinema, which was due to be in Orkney at the weekend, was been postponed due to a breakdown.

The mobile cinema planned to show three recently released films, Shrek, Bridget Jones' Diary and The Parole Officer when the sixteen-and-a-half metre long articulated lorry visited Hoy, Westray, Stronsay and Sanday.

The visit is now expected to take place next week.

Members of the council's social work and housing committee heard that it was "imperative" that the project be taken forward as soon as possible given the current demand of existing services and the fact that it will take two years for the unit to open.

The home will provide up to 28 much-needed beds for older folk in the West Mainland and four short-stay beds.

Eleventh Orkney Science Festival underway

The eleventh Orkney Science Festival began on Friday, and runs until September 6.

Opening this year's festival was Professor Sue Stocklmayer, director of the UNESCO Centre for the Public Awareness of Science in Canberra, Australia.

End of an era as Burray boatyard closes

The Burray boatyard run by the Duncan family since the 18th century has been kept going single-handedly for the past 15 years by Robin Duncan.

But almost 51 years to the day he started and with no-one to take over the business, Mr Duncan will shut it down because, he says, at 66 years of age, it is time to call it a day.

Major health conference hailed a success

NHS Orkney's two-day health conference "Excellence at the Edge" came to an end in Kirkwall on Thursday. Over 200 delegates had made their way to the county for the conference on remote and rural health and social care.

Speaking on Thursday, chief executive Mrs Judy Wellden said: "The whole conference has been excellent. There have been a lot of interesting talks, discussions and debates."

"In common with other areas of Scotland, Orkney is literally out on the edge and we're hoping that Excellence on the Edge will help Orkney become a centre of excellence for remote and rural health care."

Turf-cutting ceremony marks start of work at Hatston ferry terminal

Transport Minister Sarah Boyack cut the first turf at the site of the new Hatston ferry terminal on Thursday - marking the start of work to build the terminal to accommodate the Orkney-Shetland-Aberdeen NorthLink ferry coming into service next year.

The Minister, who was in the county to see the Scottish Executive's rural transport fund grants in action, yesterday visited the Orkney Disability Forum, met users of the Dial-A-Bus and Shopmobility services and toured Kirkwall Airport and viewed the progress of the terminal building work.

New chairman for Orkney Auction Mart

Orkney Auction Mart has a new chairman, after Mr Steven Metcalf stood down from the position at Wednesday night's AGM.

Taking over from Mr Metcalf is Evie farmer Mr Michael Cursiter.

Mr Metcalf had intimated his intentions to resign some time ago but will remain on hand to help Mr Cursiter throughout the transition period.

Lifeboat assists Orkney yacht trapped in loch

The Thurso lifeboat was launched in the eary hours of Thursday morning to assist an Orkney yacht in trouble off the northern coast of Scotland.

Around 1am, coastguard were alerted that the yacht, Vastry, had run into difficulties in Loch Eriboll, Sutherland. Her propellor had been fouled and the vessel was stuck to the sea-bed.

The Thurso lifeboat attended the vessel, and after freeing a rope from the propellor, the Vastry was able to continue on its way.

OIC would consider Burwick move for Pentland Ferries

Any future plans by short-sea ferry operators Pentland Ferries to relocate their terminal to Burwick will be considered by the council, a chief official stated this week.

Calls have been made for the council to upgrade the Burwick terminal at the tip of South Ronaldsay to allow the service to operate an even quicker route from there.

The company currently run three round trips a day from St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay and the amount of traffic using the ferry at the 'Hope pier is leading to concerns.

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Kirkwall man is Lottery winner

Dreams of a winning lottery ticket have come true for a Kirkwall man who has scooped more than £136,000 in last week's National Lottery draw.

The name of the winner has not been officially confirmed, but he is out of the county this week collecting his cheque. It is understood the winning ticket was purchased at the Kirkwall Co-op on Sunday last week for the midweek draw.

North Isles scallop fishing ban lifted

The Food Standards Agency Scotland have lifted the ban on fishing for king scallops in waters around Orkney's north isles.

The agency's sampling programme has shown that levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins have dropped to a level where there is no longer a risk to consumers.

The area to be reopened surrounds southern Eday, extending down to Shapinsay and out the east of Rousay, across to Eday, Stronsay and off the southern coasts of Sanday and Westray.

Flotta selected for site of proposed hub

Councillors on the OIC economic development committee narrowly voted to accept Golta as the recommendation of the site investigation study commissioned by the council.

The meeting on Wednesday heard that Golta is one of three possible sites identified as suitable for the development - the other two being Gangsta, below Netherbutton in Holm, and Hunda, off Burray. Three other potential sites - two in Orphir and one on Cava were rejected outright by the study.

Local author dies

Author and former chief reporter with The Orcadian, Mr W. S. Hewison, died at his Kirkwall home on Wednesday morning.

Mr Bill Hewison wrote a number of books on Orkney, including the classic This Great Harbour Scapa Flow, and published his latest book, Not Born to be Drowned earlier this month.

Bill Hewison was aged 84 and a full obituary/appreciation will appear in next week's The Orcadian.

Orkney MSP Jim Wallace has received an undertaking from Health Minister, Susan Deacon, that any plans to close the Tor-na-Dee Hospital, which the Grampian Health Board may put to her for consideration, will be given very careful consideration.

Mr Wallace had written to the Minister raising the concerns of Orcadians and reminding her that Orkney patients used the hospital.

Orkney Islands Council have appointed a new community council liaison assistant.

Karen Keldie will join the community council liaison department next month. She is currently a technician within the electoral registration office in Kirkwall, a post she has held for the past 11 years.

Ms Keldie will replace Anthea King, who recently moved into the community council liaison officer's post vacated by Mr Ronnie Tulloch, after he became the OIC's principal administration officer.

A man who admitted assaulting a relative he claimed was harassing his sister was jailed for nine months at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

Alexander Rutlidge (25), Lyde Road, Firth, admitted assaulting Kenneth Groundwater – his second cousin – punching him, knocking him down, kicking his head to his severe injury on June 4, last year outside the Ferry Inn, Stromness.

Sheriff James Penman said: “There is a record before me which shows you are a man of some violence and have been for some time.”

Hopes that "disgraceful" air fares to and from the Northern Isles can be subsidised by European cash were raised this week by a Scottish MEP who says island communities have been short-changed by the UK Government and Scottish Executive.

The price of a plane ticket to and from Orkney has long been a bone of contention and SNP member Ian Hudghton says London and Edinburgh have failed to take advantage of the European Union rules which allow social aid to be used to cut costs.

The MEP has taken up the matter with the European Commission and says he discovered that the French, Spanish and Greek governments already use European Structural Funds to help with travel costs from their islands to their cities.

Orkney Islands Council are “living in cloud cuckoo land” by even considering spending in excess of £9 million on a new leisure pool at the Pickaquoy Centre, according to Councillor Fred Groundwater.

His comments were made during a debate yesterday at the council’s recreation and cultural services committee as to future provision of a new pool with flumes, wave making facilities and teaching provision at the county’s leisure centre.

He spoke out, describing the whole project as “fantasy”, after the chairman, Councillor John Brown, moved that £9.9 million should be set aside from the reserve fund.

Despite Councillor Groundwater’s concerns, councillors narrowly voted in favour of retaining the project on the Capital Programme by four votes to three.

The pedestrianisation of certain streets in Kirkwall and other planning issues including businesses leasing some of the paid parking spaces within Stromness and Kirkwall is to be discussed at an open meeting in the Council Offices on Thursday, August 30.

The meeting has been arranged by the Orkney Chamber of Commerce, and will be addressed by the OIC’s new director of technical services, Mr Brian Thomson, who wants to introduce himself to the local business community. Other speakers will include the council’s chief engineer, Mr John Holmes, and principal planner, Mr Roddy MacKay.

Two letters which have distinguished Orkney vehicles from the rest of the UK become history on Saturday. A new system of vehicle registration will come into force meaning the end of the Orkney BS plate.

The BS letters have been in use since the first registered car came to the county at the beginning of the last century. BS 1 was registered on March 15, 1904 and allocated to an 8hp Peugeot owned by William MacLennan.

As of Saturday, Orkney vehicles will no longer be identified by their distinctive number plate, but will be linked with the Highlands and Islands with registrations beginning with SX or SY.

Stromness lifeboat was called out on Sunday evening after a fishing boat with engine trouble began drifting towards shore near the Bay of Skaill.

The 30ft vessel, Brilliant, with two people on board, suffered engine failure around 7pm on Sunday.

Just under an hour later the boat was taken in tow by the lifeboat and towed to Stromness harbour, where they arrived safely at 9.45pm.

Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Rhoda Grant arrived in Orkney on Tuesday for a three-day visit.

While here, she is due to meet with the representatives of the local health council, Crossroads Orkney, Orkney Disability Forum, Orkney Enterprise and councillors, among others.

Mrs Grant will also meet local Labour Party members before heading south again on Thursday.

Historic Scotland has legally protected some of the underwater shipwrecks in Scapa Flow - the first such measure to involve monuments below the high water mark.

Three battleships from the German High Seas Fleet, scuttled in June, 1919 - the Konig, Kronpriz Wilhelm and Markgraf - and four light cruisers - the Brummer, Dresden, Karlsruhe and Koln - are to be scheduled as monuments of national importance.

Historic Scotland say that this means that no permit is required to visit the sites provided they are not disturbed or damaged in any way - but divers are legally bound to treat the wrecks with the same care and respect as anyone visting a land based monument.

It was a disappointing day for Orkney's inter-county squads in Shetland on Friday night, with defeats in both the football and hockey.

Shetland took the hockey 2-0 in the game at the Brae pitch in Lerwick, while at Gilbertson Park the Orkney football squad lost 2-1.

Full reports will appear in next week's The Orcadian.

Artefact disappearance coincides with launch of rescue and research fund

According to Friends of Orkney Archaeological Trust chairman, Mr Andrew Appleby, the stone was important because it had direct signs of iron smelting on it and may have dated back to the Iron Age.

The stone was removed from an undisclosed site in the West Mainland, although Mr Appleby is sure that it was taken innocently by someone who did not realise its significance.