Aberdeen Reserves outplay Orkney squad

Orkney's senior football squad were beaten 8-1 on Saturday in their friendly match against the Aberdeen Reserve team in Aberdeen.

Welsh egg thief's car confiscated by court

An egg thief who raided bird's nests in Orkney has been placed on probation and had his car confiscated.

Mark Whitcombe of Gwent was convicted of stealing a number of eggs, including those of a red-throated diver and a wild great skua in Orkney in June 2000.

They are meeting with a number of local organisations on the Budget Scotland Bill and will be discussing the Scottish Executive's spending proposals for 2003/2004.

They are due to be in Orkney on May 23.

Eday school is a museum for the day

Eday school turned itself into a temporary museum on Friday as part of Local History Week.

The pupils appealed for exhibits for their exhibition, and have been working alongside Orkney Islands Council heritage officer, Steve Callaghan, and Tom Muir from Orkney Museum. They are also to interview some of the elderly islanders about their memories and photographing star items for their website.

New assistant director appointed at OIC social services

Orkney Islands Council have announced the appointment of a new member of staff to their social services department.

Mrs Sandra McKinlay, from Stirling, is to take up the post of assistant director to Community Social Services.

Livestock shipping announcement expected shortly

A Scottish Executive statement is expected shortly about arrangements for livestock shipments from Orkney and Shetland this autumn.

The Executive have been forced into making an announcement following repeated concerns that NorthLink’s livestock ‘cassette’ system will not be ready for the October 1 handover date.

It is understood the Executive’s plan hinges on the use of a specialist livestock vessel. But concerns have now been expressed that insufficient lairage in Aberdeen could have a serious effect on the success of the plan.

Wednesday deadline for IACS claims

Half of the farmers in Orkney eligible for European subsidies have already sent in their IACS claim forms to the Rural Affairs Department.

Around 350 claims have been received out of a total of 700 or so likely applicants. Those who have yet to submit have until Wednesday, May 15, to return their completed forms or risk incurring penalties.

Man charged with attempted murder

Orkney man Kevin Barry Casey is to stand trial later this month in Edinburgh’s High Court charged with attempted murder in Kirkwall.

Casey is also alleged to have attacked another man on December 27, 2001 at the same place. He is further charged with carrying out two other assaults in Kirkwall on February 1, this year.

His trial has been set down for a sitting due to commence at the High Court in Edinburgh on May 27.

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Orkney man admits £60,000 fraud

An Orkney man has admitted a £60,650 fraud while employed by a bank in Caithness.

Neil Rowan McCallum (34), pled guilty to a charge of embezzlement when he appeared on indictment at Wick Sheriff Court last week.

Sheriff David Sutherland called for community service and social inquiry reports and continued the case until May 31, when he will hear details of the offence from procurator fiscal Mr Gary Aitken.

Alert after oil slick spotted off Hoy

Orkney's Harbour Authority were on a state of alert on Wednesday following the report of a large oil slick west of Torness, Hoy.

Situation reports suggested that the slick is still breaking up and being carried out to sea.

The Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) is presently overseeing the operation and the Harbour Authority is monitoring the situation very closely. The source of the slick has not yet been identified.

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In a separate incident yesterday, the pilot boat sent to take samples from the Hoy oil slick ended up going to the rescue of the local fishing vessel Merlin.

The Orkney Harbours pilot boat towed Merlin and her owner Willie Sinclair back to Stromness.

NorthLink to review commercial rates

NorthLink have bowed to pressure from road hauliers, announcing yesterday that they are reviewing their commercial rates.

But NorthLink insist that they will not alter the principle of charging vehicles by length or indeed the schedule of freight rates published last December.

Hoy search for missing man fruitless

The police and Coastguard search finished at 8.45pm. Police say they will now carry out inquiries to identify the holdall found on Monday.

The man, spent most of last summer living in a tent, but concerns were raised when a tent and a few possessions were found on a hillside above Rackwick.

Archive story: Concerns grow over fate of missing man

Dounreay discharge plan "harebrained"

Environmental campaigners have condemned plans to empty a Dounreay storage tank into the Pentland Firth - the stretch of water separating Orkney from the Scottish mainland.

The management of the Caithness nuclear power station say that permission to dump the polluted liquid was authorised under previous discharge consents. However, environmental campaigners say that because of possible radioactivity the tank should not be discharged.

Mr Ray Gould from Kirkwall, a member of the Campaign Against Dounreay Expansion (CADE), said: “This is a typically harebrained idea from the operators of Dounreay, because I suspect that they don’t know what else to do with the stuff."

Cliff search after holdall found

Police officers and a Coastguard team were due to search the cliffs on the west side of Hoy yesterday, following the disappearance of a man in November last year.

The search follows the discovery of a holdall containing personal items at Sneuk Head on Monday.

Archive story: Concerns grow over fate of missing man

Knee problems stop fundraising cyclist leaving Scotland

Charity cyclist Larry Yeomans from Stromness has been forced to abandon his 3,500 mile journey, after injuring his knees during the first tenth of the journey.

Larry left Orkney on April 27 and managed 310 miles before having to abandon his attempt. Unable to complete the fund-raiser, he now plans to sell the bike, donating the money to charity.

Archive story: Seven countries to visit on Larry's charity cycle trip

Macmillan appointment eases staffing crisis

A staffing crisis at the Balfour Hospital has been eased further with news that a London nurse has been appointed within Orkney’s Macmillan House.

Kate Goodbrand is moving to Orkney with her husband to start work this summer.

Her arrival will ease pressures felt following a staffing crisis within NHS Orkney and the proposed temporary closure of Macmillan House.

2002 Parish Cup draw results

The draw for this season's Bank of Scotland Parish Cup was made at the weekend.

Cup holders Sandwick have a tough encounter with Holm, while last year's runners up St Ola, travel to Shapinsay.

Click here for full draw results

1684 manuscript goes online for Local History Week

One of Orkney’s literary treasures is being displayed on the Internet to mark Local History Week (May 4-11).

The Orkney Library chose the 1684 Wallace Manuscript for viewing this week. Written by the Reverend James Wallace, the document is an account of Orkney life in the latter part of the 17th century.

The Scottish Archive Network (SCAN) have arranged for the 84-page manuscript to be copied and is available on their website www.scan.org..uk.

College's new postgraduate archaeology course approved

Orkney College's new postgraduate degree course in archaeology has been unanimously approved by an independent academic validation panel.

The course will be led by Jane Downes, lecturer at Orkney College, supported by county archaeologist Julie Gibson and start in February 2003.

Trust withdraw millennium fund application

Tomisons Heritage Trust have withdrawn an application to the council’s millennium fund to convert Tomisons Academy into a community building for South Ronaldsay, after failing to find partnership funding.

Councillors also heard today how local primary schools are getting on with a variety of playground and wildlife projects paid for through the Schools’ Millennium Project.

Also up for consideration was a new bridleway in Deerness and St Andrews, and the refurbishment of The Smithy in Balfour Village, Shapinsay.

Preparations begin for Burgar Hill turbine replacement

Wind energy company NEG Micon are replacing one of the three wind turbines with a larger structure. This, they said, will ensure that they remain at the forefront of wind power technology.