Parliamentary candidates in Westray

All five Scottish parliament candidate were in Westray on Saturday, taking part in a debate in the Pierowall School.

The public meeting was hosted by the Westray Development Trust.

Picky putting green open for business

The Pickaquoy Centre's new 18-hole putting green opened for business on Saturday.

Since the Brandyquoy green closed there has been no other recreational putting green in Kirkwall.

Jazz festival in Stromness

The seventh Orkney Jazz Festival kicked off in Stromness on Friday night, heralding a weekend of music in the Stromness Hotel.

The three day event ran until Sunday night.

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Radio Orkney broadcast Parliamentary hustings

All five candidates standing for the Orkney seat in the Scottish parliament election took part in a live debate in Kirkwall on Friday night.

It was the first time all candidates have shared the same platform in the run up to next Thursday's poll.

The debate was broadcast by Radio Orkney.

Police concerned about missing man

Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the wellbeing of a man reported missing in Shetland this week.

Robert Phillipps, who belongs to the West Sussex area, is believed to have been working in Shetland for the past three weeks.

Police believe Mr Phillips - described as 50 years old, 5' 10" tall, heavy built and with greying black hair - may have left Shetland on the MV Hrossey on Thursday bound for Kirkwall.

Stromnessians gather to quiz council candidates

Stromness Community Council are particularly pleased with the turnout at Thursday's public meeting in Stromness, with over 50 people turning out to quiz their prospective council candidates.

All eight candidates standing for election to Orkney Islands Council for wards within the Stromness area were in attendance.

At the forefront of the subjects raised were the constraints on housebuilding in the town - and objections raised by Scottish Natural Heritage.

St Magnus Festival lands three shortlist places

Three sponsorship partnerships at the 2002 St Magnus Festival are among 60 Scottish arts projects and sponsors shortlisted in the 16th Annual Arts & Business Scottish Awards.

Talisman Energy, who won Best Festival Sponsorship in 2002, will be looking to repeat their success this year, with John Jolly and Loganair also shortlisted.

The winners will be announced in Edinburgh on May 30.

Labour candidate arrives in islands

Labour's Orkney candidate for the Scottish Parliament elections is now in Orkney and plans to be campaigning until polling day next Thursday.

Richard Meade (25), a Yorkshire man, arrived in the county on Thursday night - his first visit to Orkney and the first time he has been further north than Inverness.

West Mainland care home plans on show

The new plans show the layout of the building which will be put up near the cross-roads in Dounby to provide accommodation for 30 older people who need long term care.

The plans will remain on show for the next two to three weeks, with work starting on site thereafter.

Business finally set to move into Kiln Corner complex

Prestigious offices built with public cash and which have stood empty in the centre of Kirkwall for more than a year are finally to be occupied.

The first business to move into the offices at Kirkwall's Kiln Corner is shipbrokers John Jolly - who will transfer their operations from the current Bridge Street offices in two months time.

Orkney Enterprise have been keen to attract tenants to the nine offices on the ground floor of Orkney Housing Association's complex of flats.

Monks buy Stronsay farm

One of the biggest farms in the North Isles is to be bought by the order of monks based on Papa Stronsay.

The Transalpine Redemptorists of Golgotha Monastery are buying the 540 acre farm of Houseby on Stronsay to expand their cheese making business.

Diver feared lost after three days missing

Kirkwall police confirmed on Wednesday morning that there was still no sign of the diver who went missing in Scapa Flow on Sunday.

Ronald Sidney Burrows (60) remains missing, feared lost, after failing to surface while diving on the wreck of the Kronprinz Wilhelm.

NorthLink appointments

Gordon Ross will be based in Lerwick with the rest of NorthLink's financial operation, but will make regular trips to Aberdeen and Orkney as part of his role.

Nick Saul will be based in NorthLink's Aberdeen office.

Tanker held for MCA inspection

The seaworthiness of a visiting oil tanker was inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in Flotta on Tuesday.

The Portuguese Arteaga was empty and moored at the Flotta Terminal ready to load oil when a crack was noticed in her hull.

After the inspection the empty tanker was permitted to leave Orkney to have repairs carried out.

'Major coup' for Stromness gallery

The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness is to hold a summer exhibition of work by one of the "most influential artists of the 20th Century".

The centre is the first arts centre in Britain to show a selection of pieces from the Joseph Beuys collection.

The exhibition will run from June 20 until August 23.

Perfect first day for Hamnavoe but fair-weather service reminder

MV Hamnavoe leaves Stromness on Monday morning, followed by the Hebridean Isles.

Hamnavoe's first day on the Pentland Firth route went without hitch, but NorthLink are still keen to remind travellers that the service will remain weather dependent until the new Scrabster terminal is completed.

Speaking on Monday, NorthLink chief executive Bill Davidson stressed that the alterations made to the existing Scrabster terminal could only be used in good weather, with low wind speeds.

But with the worst of the winter weather now past, he hoped there would be few disruptions over the summer.

Good turnout for Stromness hustings

Three of the five election candidates - John Aberdein (SSP), John Mowat (SNP) and Christopher Zawadski (Conservative) - attended, along with MP Alistair Carmichael representing the Liberal Democrats, and Derrick Johnstone representing the Labour party.

Search for Canadian diver called off

The search for a 60-year-old Canadian diver missing in Scapa Flow was called off on Monday morning.

Ronald Sidney Burrows (60) of North Vancouver, British Columbia, had become separated from his 'diving buddy' around noon on Sunday, during a decompression stop after diving the wreck of the Kronprinz Wilhelm in Scapa Flow.

Together with rescue teams on the shore, the Stromness and Longhope lifeboats, assisted by a fleet of local boats and the Sumburgh rescue helicopter, searched for the missing man until dusk.

New era as Hamnavoe enters service

A new era for Stromness officially began on Monday morning with the Hamnavoe's first commercial sailing across the Pentland Firth.

The NorthLink vessel, which was due to come into service in October 2002, takes over from the interim vessel MV Hebridean Isles.

Trial of pair accused of road race killing

Two Aberdeen men accused of killing an Orkney youth in a deadly race in the city last year are to go on trial this week.

Pedestrian Robert Banks (16) died in hospital from his injuries on April 21, 2002, after a road accident allegedly caused when the two men were racing.

Christopher Stalker and Alexander Freeman have denied the charges against them.

2001