Stromness to San Diego - hyperbaric unit bound for USA

The Orkney Hyperbaric Unit, based in Stromness, has been invited to give a presentation at an American conference later this month.

Bobby Forbes, the unit operations manager, is travelling out to San Diego in California to attend the annual meeting of the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Association.

Mrs Kathleen Pye from NHS Orkney, one of the Hyperbaric Team Members, will also be attending the American meeting.

Traffic disrupted after trailer sheds load

Traffic in Kirkwall was disrupted on Friday after a trailer being towed by a tractor tipped over shedding its load of bale wrapping.

The accident occurred around 12.40pm on the roundabout outside the Ayre Hotel.

Police had to direct traffic away from the side of the roundabout while the clear up operation was taking place.

Young Orkney performers take to the stage for youth theatre courses

A total of 16 Orkney youngsters have been chosen to take part in theatre courses run by the Scottish Youth Theatre.

Some will take part in a five-week course in Glasgow next month. The rest will attend a two week course in Thurso,

The participants will be trained in acting, directing, stage management and choreography, and will receive tuition from theatre professionals when the courses starts in early July.

Appeal lodged against Casey jail sentence

Lawyers for Orkney man Kevin Casey have lodged an appeal against the High Court sentence handed down last month.

A spokesman from the Appeal Court in Edinburgh confirmed that Casey (22), of Gaitnip Farm, St Ola, lodged the appeal on May 31 - days after he was jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years for serious assaults on two men.

The appeal is against the four-and-a-half year sentence relating to the assault to severe injury and disfigurement on Mr Michael Firth on February 1.

Archive story: Man jailed for five and a half years for street assaults

Kirkwall bus station to be manned

From Monday, Kirkwall's Great Western Road bus station is to be staffed during the day.

The initiative, paid for by the Scottish Executive’s Rural Transport Fund, will see officers employed and trained by the tourist board based in the bus station until the end of September

The facility will be manned between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and from 10am-4pm on Saturdays.

Reunion for Hudson's Bay Company descendants planned for 2005

A Canadian reunion for ancestors of Hudson Bay Company employees is being planned for 2005.

By the late 18th century three-quarters of the Hudson's Bay Company workforce in Canada were Orcadians, and the event hopes to bring together descendants of employees who settled in the Red River Settlement (which now includes Winnipeg and surrounding area).

Orkney descendants or those wishing more information should e-mail the organisers at hbcreunion.committee@3web.net.

Tourist board seek to assure members over Viking deal

Orkney Tourist Board have attempted to allay "poor communication" concerns about the Viking Island Holidays project.

In a letter to board members, OTB chairman Stewart Anderson, reaffirmed the board’s support for the project - set up by the Orkney and Shetland tourist boards and NorthLink Ferries to provide easy access to inclusive holiday packages to the north.

Mr Anderson says that the board were “acutely aware” it had been some time since material information was passed to members, which was a “much regretted” situation.

Councillors recommend new Burray School after intense debate

Burray school was back on the agenda on Wednesday, when a recommendation to approve £1.2 million for a new school sparked off a debate in the Orkney Islands Council chamber.

Members of the education committee voted to set aside money for a new Burray School - but not before some councillors moved to recommend pupil transfers to St Margaret’s Hope School instead.

At the end of the debate, councillors voted in favour of recommending a new Burray school and its inclusion in the council’s capital programme.

Tackling the 'Old Man'

Pictured on the Traverse Ledge of the Old Man of Hoy is Jonathan Preston, one of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team who successfully climbed the 450 foot stack at the weekend and practised removing simulated casualties.

The rescue team abseiled down to help remove casualties from the Old Man in an exercise involving the local coastguard auxiliary team and the Longhope Lifeboat.

Eynhallow to be replaced next year?

The contract to build a replacement ferry to serve Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre could be put out to tender and built next year.

Councillors heard this week that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) had some concern about the visibility from the bridge of the ageing ferry, Eynhallow.

Harbours director Captain Nigel Mills said the new vessel will be slightly bigger - able to carry 14 cars - and be more manoeuvrable. The only problem, he added, was that a funding bid had to be submitted to the Scottish Executive by August.

Origin of ferry bug likely to remain a mystery

The cause of the virus that hit the St Sunniva last week is likely to remain a mystery according to a senior health official.

The sickness and diarrhoea bug infected around 50 people on the ferry over an 11 day period. Last Wednesday night the ship was boarded by health officials in Orkney.

According to NHS Grampian's Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Dr Arun Mukerjee, the cause could remain a mystery, although it is possible it was brought on board by someone already infected.

Archive story: St Sunniva sickness alert

Calling archaeology students

Now that their new postgraduate archaeology course has been validated, Orkney College would like to hear from students interested in studying archaeology in Orkney.

The post graduate diploma and masters course in archaeological practice is due to begin early February 2003.

For further information contact Jane Downes at Orkney College (tel 01856 569000).

Not-so-fond farewell to the Shorts 360

The unpopular, unpressurised Shorts 360 aircraft used by Loganair are to be phased out by the end of August.

The planes are used on the new Sunday Sumburgh - Kirkwall - Inverness - Glasgow service which began in April.

A Loganair spokesman said this week that the planes will be replaced by Saab 340s, adding this would mean all air routes to Orkney would be served by Saabs in the future.

OIC want meeting to clarify progress with Scrabster terminal

Orkney Islands Council have called for a meeting with Scrabster Harbour Trust to find out how far behind schedule the new ferry terminal is.

Transport chairman, Councillor Stephen Hagan, said that after hearing rumours about anticipated delays, the only way to find out the truth was to meet the harbour trust and hear the situation first hand from them.

Contract to Loganair but cash still needed

It is being recommended that Loganair be awarded a two-year contract to provide Orkney’s inter island air service.

Members of OIC's transportation committee supported the move and are to call on the policy and resources committee to find ways of funding the service.

Councillors said that if no funding assistance came from the Scottish Executive, the council should consider using its cash reserves to underwrite the cost. The third option, to tie up a North Isles ferry was seen as a last resort.

Archive story: Ferry cutbacks on the cards unless
Executive come up with cash
Executive help sought over Orkney Ferries overspend

Councillors accept walkway plans despite Stromness objections

Islands Councillors have backed the amended design of the new passenger walkways for Stromness and Hatston.

Members of the transportation and infrastructure committee voted by nine to three to accept the revised plans for the high level walkways at both locations.

This was despite a move by Councillor Fred Groundwater for further discussions between the OIC’s technical services department, NorthLink and the people of Stromness.

Archive stories:Petition after Stromness folk declare walkway "unacceptable"
Revised design welcomed but more
walkway discussions needed says Brown

Ro-Ro will be considered for Papay and North Ronaldsay say councillors

Orkney Islands Council’s transportation committee yesterday overruled an official recommendation that North Ronaldsay and Papa Westray not be considered for a ro-ro ferry service in the near future.

Councillors instead recommended that costings be prepared for the provision of ro-ro facilities to both islands, possibly starting in 2004.

Committee chairman, Councillor Stephen Hagan, said: “The sooner that these smaller islands get ro-ro services the better, because it would save a lot of disruption to the rest of the ferry schedule.”

Archive Story: Pier improvements recommended but
no ro-ro for Papay or North Ronaldsay

Mystery of 'viking burial' dinghy solved

The mystery of last week's North Ronaldsay Firth dinghy has been solved, with police saying the items in the vessel belonged to a man who died in a recent climbing accident in Europe.

Although buried in England, the man's father wanted to realise his son's wish for a Viking boat burial, so sent some of his possessions out to sea in Orkney. He had placed rocks in the dinghy hoping it would sink.

Police added that the family were “very sorry” for alarming the emergency services, and were distraught at the situation.

Archive story: Inquiries after drifting dinghy found

Three questioned over wildlife offences

Three people were interviewed by Kirkwall police this weekend in connection with offences relating to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The alleged offences took place in an area in Evie known to be a nesting ground for rare bird species.

Police inquiries are continuing and a report is being submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Boredom leads to crime says survey

Young people in Orkney are bored and that's why they turn to crime, according to a survey of Stromness Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School pupils.

The findings form part of this year's Orkney Local Youth Crime Action Plan, which says the boredom factor was due to lack of facilities.

Welsh company win Stromness harbour dredging contract

The contract to carry out the dredging of the Stromness harbour has been awarded to Welsh company, Holyhead Towing Company Ltd.

The company have been told their bid, which is almost £140,000 less than the nearest tender, had been accepted under delegated powers.

Orkney Islands Council estimated £900,000 for the contract.

Reps to view NorthLink livestock cassettes in action

Representatives from Orkney and Shetland are to view the new livestock transport cassette system in action this week.

SSPCA officers and National Farmers Union representatives are travelling to Edinburgh tommorow to see a prototype of the livestock cassettes to be used by NorthLink.