Dounby champion repeats success at County Show

Orkney's show season drew to a close on Saturday with the 116th annual County Show in Kirkwall.

Overall cattle champion went the the champion at Thursday's Dounby Show, Taylor's Touch of Class - the November 2001-born heifer calf from Richard Taylor, Brencherhouse, Birsay.

Reserve went to Sanday Show champion Jubilee Rose, a Belgian Blue/Limousin heifer calf from D. Gilholm and Son, Hammerbrake, Sanday.

Riding of the Marches goes ahead

This year's traditional Riding of the Marches went ahead on Sunday, despite the county-wide precautions against the horse disease strangles.

Following the route around the old burgh boundary in Kirkwall, this year the flag was carried by Graham Bichan of Crantit, St Ola.

Click here for route details.

Ortak create Parliament jewellery

Members of the Scottish Parliament can now wear their own exclusive jewellery, courtesy of Orkney jewellery designers Ortak.

The cufflinks, lapel pins and brooches have been made in Orkney and are available only to MSPs and parliament visitors.

Orkney triathlete to represent Britain

Orkney triathlete Mark Harrison is to represent Great Britain in the ITU World Long Course Championships in France next month.

The competition in Nice consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 90 mile cycle and a 20 mile run and is rated as one of the hardest European triathlons.

Mark was selected after last year's Ibiza Ironman event.

St Andrews appointment for former Academy pupil

A former Stromness Academy pupil has been appointed as the first environment manager for Scotland’s St Andrews University.

Inga Moncrieff, formerly of Howe Cott, Stromness, will have overall responsibility for the University’s energy and environmental managements systems.

She said: “I have been here for three months now, much of that time has been spent meeting with people within the university and external organisations such as local councils.”

Heifer calf takes Dounby cattle title

Best animal in the cattle classes at Thursday’s Dounby Show was a November 2001-born heifer calf from Richard Taylor, Brencherhouse, Birsay.

The cross calf, sired by the Limousin bull Ronick Hawk and out of a home-bred Belgian Blue cross Limousin cow was christened Taylor’s touch of class by handler on the day, Leona Coghill.

The championship was decided in fairly wet conditions, after a morning of light drizzle in Dounby gave way to heavier rain in the afternoon.

Single judge for Casey appeal

A single judge will decide how long Orkney man Kevin Casey will spend in jail, when his appeal is considered over the next couple of weeks.

Casey (22), of Gaitnip Farm, St Ola was jailed for five-and-a-half years for serious assaults on two men.

Because the Scottish courts are currently on a vacation period, only one judge will hear the appeal, instead of two.

Click here for more details

Science Festival programme is biggest yet

The Orkney Science Festival announced its programme on Thursday – the biggest yet. Expanding by one day, the festival is now running for eight days from Friday, August 30 through to Friday, September 6.

This year's festival has a strong environmental theme, with the Orkney Environment Day moving to September 2 to join the festival activities.

Click here for full details and programme

Two hospitalised after Orphir crash

Two people were taken to Balfour Hospital on Wednesday night after a two vehicle road accident in Orphir.

The accident at around 10.45pm, involved a Mini Cooper and a Daihatsu four-track and saw the fire brigade cut one person from the Mini Cooper.

A police spokesman added that no-one in the Daihatsu was injured.

Police search South Ronaldsay house

Police executed a search warrant under the firearms act on a house in South Ronaldsay on Wednesday night.

A police spokesman said that a number of firearms and other items were seized, and added that inquiries are continuing.

OIC to upgrade Kirkwall lairage facilities

Following representations made to the OIC last month by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, work is due to start on upgrading the lairage facilities on Kirkwall pier.

The work will begin on August 17 and, according to the OIC, will ensure the use of lairage facilities at the pier for the foreseeable future.

The work is expected to last three weeks.

Maritime union and NorthLink meet over P&O staff transfer

Maritime union Numast was due to meet with NorthLink on Thursday to ensure ferry staff get the best deal when they transfer from P&O.

The union also met Transport Minister Lewis MacDonald to discuss the issue.

A Numast spokesman said that with the arrival of rival freight operation, Norse Island Ferries, they want the Scottish Executive to step in with guarantees in case NorthLink go out of business.

Steer calf named 'Hope champion

The overall champion animal at Wednesday's 'Hope Show was a six-month old limousin-cross steer calf owned by Cogle and Co of Newbigging, South Ronaldsay.

Councillors consider cable contribution

OIC councillors are to be asked if they are willing to put in more cash for a fibre optic cable linking Orkney and Shetland to mainland Scotland.

Following oil giant Shell's announcement they were pulling out of the project, the existing partners are being asked to put in a bigger share of the £11.5 million estimated cost.

Initially, the OIC were asked for £50,000, but that figure soon trebled to £150,000. The special meeting is to take place next Monday.

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Tilly is Shapinsay cattle champion

The champion in the cattle section at Tuesday's Shapinsay show was a black heifer in calf named Tilly, owned by R. J. Johnston of Hewan, Shapinsay.

Fog delays Health Minister

Thick fog at Kirkwall Airport delayed the arrival of Scottish Health and Community Care Minister Malcolm Chisholm for a two-day visit to Orkney on Tuesday.

Among other things, Mr Chisholm met senior NHS Orkney officials and board chairman Jenny Dewar, toured the Balfour Hospital and visited the OIC's Community Social Services Department in Kirkwall.

Fire destroys fast-food trailer

A fast-food trailer was destroyed on Monday night in a Kirkwall car-park, in a fire thought to have started in a chip pan.

Kirby's Last Stand, owned by the Kirby family of Yarpha, Deerness, was parked in the Pickaquoy Road car park, opposite the Safeway supermarket when the fire began in the early evening.

Kirkwall Fire Brigade attended the scene but were unable to save the trailer.

Orkney looks set to go it alone and push ahead with a cassette system to ship livestock out of the county, despite the setting up of a rival freight service in Shetland.

The decision was made on Monday after a series of meetings hosted by Orkney Islands Council, involving representatives from NorthLink, the National Farmers Union, Orkney Tourist Board and Orkney Auction Mart.

Over £110,000 grant cash awarded to two Orkney companies

Two Orkney companies have benefited from the latest round of grants from the Scottish Executive and European Union.

Orkney Fishermen's Society have been awarded £92,595 to develop their crab processing business and Westray Salmon are due to get £18,225 for an organic salmon farm.

Grants worth more than £4 million were announced this week. They are awarded through the EU's latest Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance – a six year programme introduced in 2000.

Orkney recruitment drive for Highlanders

The Highlanders are on a recruiting drive in Orkney this week, visiting a number of locations.

During their tour of the county, the team will advertise jobs in the army. The team will be at Broad Street car park today from 11am to 6pm, at the St Margaret’s Hope Show on Wednesday, the Dounby Show on Thursday, back at the Broad Street car park on Friday, and at the County Show on Saturday.

Riding of the Marches to go ahead despite strangles fears

Fears of the horse disease strangles have not affected this year’s traditional Riding of the Marches in Kirkwall, which is due to go ahead on Sunday.

Travelling along the old burgh boundary, the old town flag will be carried this year by Graham Bichan of Crantit, St Ola.

Dating back centuries, the event fell dormant until it was revived to coincide with the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Kirkwall’s Royal Charter in 1986.

The overall champion of Saturday's East Mainland show was an Aberdeen Angus bull, Ebony of Burnside.

The five-year-old bull, owned by Phyllis Hepburn of Messigate, Tankerness, was cattle champion before being voted best in showyard.

A "good crowd" of people turned out for today's show, in cloudy, but warm weather.

Wallace challenges scallop closure

Orkney MSP Jim Wallace has written the Food Standards Agency (FSA) challenging the recent scallop fishing ban imposed on an area of Scapa Flow (Box 019).

Mr Wallace highlights that the sampling results that were used to justify the ban only came from a small part of the banned area, adding that in past years the box was divided in two and bans applied accordingly.

Comenting on his letter, Mr Wallace said he was disturbed by this move by the FSA and wanted to "nip it in the bud".

Strangles alert for Orkney equestrians

Orkney’s horse and pony community are on high alert following an outbreak of the disease strangles in Shetland and Caithness.

Owners should watch for symptoms of the contagious condition which include a raised temperature, nasal discharge, swelling around the jaw and a cough.

Chairman of Orkney Riding Club, Mrs Day Wishart, said: “At the first sign of symptoms they should isolate the horse and call the vet. Any horse that the infected animal has come into contact with should also be isolated and strictly monitored.”