In a return to winning form in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, Orkney Rugby Club won their latest Division Four North league game.

Orkney beat Portobello 20-12, with tries from Andrew Milne, Garry Coltherd and Glen McLellan.

Refurbished Harray Hall re-opens

The refurbished Harray Community Centre was formally opened on Sunday afternoon.

Work began earlier this year and the refurbished hall was officially opened at 2pm, with viewing until 4.30pm.

Orkney athlete Rosie Cursiter been named Sportswoman of the Year for the second year running.

Rosie picked up her award at the annual Sports Awards ceremony in the Pickaquoy Centre on Saturday night, along with the winners of the six other awards:

• Sportsman: Steve Hogsden (archery)
• Junior Sportsperson: Neil Gray (athletics)
• Coach: Malcolm Colquhoun (athletics)
• Team: Angus and Kathleen Sutherland (golf)
• Services to Sport: Peter McKinlay (rugby)
• Sports Photograph: Roderick Thorne

Snapshot into island life goes on sale in Westray

A new book cataloguing the buildings of Westray went on sale in the island on Saturday afternoon.

Produced by the Westray Buildings Preservation Trust, Fae Quoy tae Castle - The Buildings of Westray catalogues every building on the island, with photographs and a potted history of each property's occupants.

Aberdeen pair accused of deadly race

Pedestrian Robert Banks (16) of King Harald Kloss, Kirkwall, died in hospital from his injuries on April 21, after a road accident allegedly caused when the two men were racing.

Appearing in Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, Christopher Stalker (21) and Alexander Freeman (20) were released on bail after making no plea. Their cases were continued.

Archive story: Two charged after Aberdeen death

Heavy rain causes flooding

Heavy rain resulted in some flooding across the county on Thursday night.

Kirkwall police confirmed that a drain at 57 Junction Road flooded around 10.45pm but was cleared before any damage was caused to nearby property.

Flooding also occurred on the Burness Road in Rendall, Tormiston Mill in Stenness and the Redland Road in Finstown.

European funding bid for Orkney's World Heritage Site

People in Stenness were told on Thursday night about plans to improve access and interpretation to Orkney's World Heritage Site - the area around Maeshowe, the Standing Stones, Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae.

Orkney Islands Council and Historic Scotland are submitting a bid for European funding to help develop the management of the site with ideas such as improved car parking and a network of paths linking the various places of interest.

More success for Orkney Brewery

The Orkney Brewery have chalked up another two successes at the Campaign for Real Ale Scottish Championships.

The brewery took a second and third in the Champion Beer of Scotland competition for their Dark Island and Red MacGregor beers.

It will come as no surprise to motorists in Orkney, but a new survey has found that fuel in the islands is among the most expensive in the UK.

The survey cites Kirkwall as having a price for unleaded petrol of 83.5p a litre, compared to the average UK price of 74.83p per litre.

Orkney is to be the opening venue for a touring exhibition celebrating the life and achievements of cinema pioneer, James Petrie Chalmers, who was born in Tankerness.

The exhibition will open at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall on Friday, November 22, and will run until the end of the year.

Tags are fitted to the ankle of an offender.

Two men who admitted a series of break-ins in Kirkwall have become the first people in Orkney to be electronically tagged.

Carl James Howley (18) and Sebastian David Fullick (19) narrowly escaped jail this week for breaking into a number of premises in Kirkwall's Anchor Buildings.

But instead of custody the two will be confined to their homes in the evenings and at night, their compliance monitored using electronic tags. They were also put on probation for two years and ordered to carry out community service.

Archive story: Men admit to Anchor Buildings break-ins

Talks are taking place between crew members of Orkney Ferries' MV Shapinsay and their unions over working hours, after concerns raised by start the new Sunday sailings between Shapinsay and Kirkwall.

Orkney Ferries manager, Mr Alasdair Henderson, explained that the new service was operating as normal and he expected that the matter would be resolved shortly.

The OFT confirmed there are "reasonable grounds" to assume the Competition Act had been breached when three of the main freight businesses in Shetland joined forces to create their own ferry company.

Norse Island Ferries was set up by Jim Brackenridge Transport, Northwards and Shetland Transport, who control more than 80 per cent of the haulage operations in the islands.

Archive story: "Nothing to fear" say Norse Island Ferries
NorthLink call for competition probe into rival operators

Repair work on North Ronaldsay's famous sheep dyke (K. Woodbridge)

Repair work on the North Ronaldsay sheep dyke is under way this week after sections were damaged by the weekend's storms.

Around 500 yards of the dyke - which keeps the native sheep on the shore where they feed off seaweed - was damaged in a number of places.

The dyke is a scheduled monument and has the same protective status as St Magnus Cathedral.

Police are seeking witness to a road accident in Kirkwall on Tuesday night, in which a Peugeot 306 collided with a lorry at the Crowness Crescent entrance to the Hatston Industrial Estate.

There were no injuries, but anyone who witnessed the accident should contact Kirkwall police on 872241.

The county's first permanent traffic lights are on the cards, if Orkney Islands Council plans for the Castle Street/Broad Street junction in Kirkwall are approved.

Although officials are calling the system a pelican crossing, OIC vice-convener, Councillor Jim Sinclair, accused them of trying to hide the fact they are introducing traffic lights into Kirkwall. Councillor Robert Cormack added that the idea “filled him with gloom.”

Members of Tuesday's OIC’s transportation committee recommended the plan be discussed in detail by Kirkwall Community Council.

Pentland Ferries are launching their new Orkney-Invergordon freight and passenger service next week.

The company, run by South Ronaldsay businessman Andrew Banks, bought the ferry Claymore to operate the service.

Speaking today, Mr Banks said they would carry out a test run on Saturday with the aim of starting the six day a week service next Monday - November 11.

Orkney Rugby Club has been hit by floods for the second time this year.

Members returned from the big game against Heriot's FP this week to discover that the clubhouse had flooded over the weekend. Work will now have to be carried out to clean up the building before the next home game on November 16.

The clubhouse, owned by Orkney Islands Council was hit by severe flooding in February.

NorthLink's ferry Hjaltland was stuck in Aberdeen at the weekend after a part fell off another vessel, blocking the harbour entrance.

After Saturday's sailing was cancelled, passengers were boarded at 5pm on Sunday night for an 11pm sailing. They learned at 7pm that the harbour master was not optimistic of the boat’s chances of getting out.

Car passengers were given the opportunity to take their cars off while foot passengers were offered a bus to take them to the Scrabster ferry. The Hjaltland eventually sailed at 11am on Monday..

Waves pound the North Ronaldsay pier on Sunday morning. (Dr Kevin Woodbridge)

The Hohebank, a coaster en-route to Ireland, had 20 tonnes of wood washed overboard east of Sanday on Sunday.

Travelling from Sweden, bound for Northern Ireland with 500 tonnes of wood, the vessel resumed her journey after sheltering for a time in the North Sound.

The NorthLink ferry Hrossey made it back into Lerwick harbour on Monday afternoon - more than 40 hours after leaving the port.

Hrossey sailed from Lerwick at 7pm on Saturday, but heavy seas and gale force winds forced the vessel, which also suffered minor damage, to abandon the journey and take shelter off Shetland.

Radio Orkney are gearing up for their annual Children in Need appeal, this year being held on Friday, November 15.

As ever, the local radio station will be broadcasting the marathon appeal programme from 7pm until 1am, taking pledges and running the auction.

A total of £15,707.89 was raised last year, £5,889 coming from the auction. Anyone with items to donate for this year's auction should contact Radio Orkney (873939) as soon as possible.

Police have repeated their advice to motorists using the Churchill Barriers after another vehicle was damaged by the sea on Sunday.

Dr Helen Martini and her family were travelling on the second barrier when a wave struck their vehicle, smashing the windscreen. They escaped with minor cuts and bruises.

Police are reminding all motorists they should not attempt to cross the barriers if they are in any doubt about the safety of the conditions.

Orkney were beaten 115-6 by Heriot's FP in the third round of the Scottish Cup on Saturday afternoon.

In what was hailed as the biggest match in the club's history, Orkney's points came from two penalties against the BT Premiership First Division side.

Around 200 Orkney supporters gathered in Edinburgh to cheer on the Orkney squad.

The site saw 49,034 visits over the same period - 3,527 more than September - which averages out at 1,581 per day.

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