With their annual dry dock maintenance now under way, NorthLink have introduced a revised timetable until February 29.

The Hamnavoe, Hjaltland and Hrossey are travelling to Germany for their annual dry-dock maintenance.

As a result calls at Kirkwall will be reduced - with two southbound and two northbound calls each week. The Scrabster-Stromness timetable will also be altered to take into account the longer crossing time required by the stand-in vessel, Hebridean Isles.

View revised timetable details

The OIC is to carry out a survey of the underground storage tanks in Lyness, Hoy. The tanks, built for use during the Second World War in 1937-39, were emptied of oil in 1976.

Councillors decided this week that the technical services department report back to the committee with the outcome, advising whether further specialist surveys should be commissioned.

The survey aims to discover the condition of the tanks, and determine what use, if any, they could be in the future - possibly as oil storage, a visitor centre or for secure storage of electronic data.

Kirkwall's bowling alley celebrates its first anniversary this week with three open days to allow people to try the sport for free.

Buoyed by the success of the league, which has attracted 52 teams, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Power Bowl next week will be devoted to opening up bowling to a different age group.

Tuesday will be open to parents and staff of day services, such as nurseries, day centres etc. Wednesday is for the Over 50s and Thursday is open to all.

The UK has submitted an application to the European Union for measures to restrict the import of farmed Atlantic salmon from non-EU countries.

Mr Wilson echoed the Department of Trade and Industry's call for the Commission to launch an investigation, and at the same time to impose safeguard measures, to give the Scottish industry the chance to review and restructure its operation.

Click here for full story

Inquiries were continuing on Friday after the body of a man was found on the foreshore at Longhope on Thursday.

Police have identified the body as being that of John Sinclair (54) of Longhope.

Mr Sinclair's remains were moved to Kirkwall on Thursday afternoon and a report sent to the Procurator Fiscal. Police Inspector David Miller said that there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.

Police and Fire Brigade attended the fire in a bedsit in 22 Bignold Park Road just after 2am. There were no injuries, with the occupants of the adjacent flats having evacuated the building after being alerted by a smoke alarm.

The fire was extinguished but the bedsit suffered damage.

Councillors at Wednesday's OIC development committee meeting, together with a panel of archaeological representatives, discussed each application before settling on the final 11 - which include projects to continue geophysics scans of Orkney's World Heritage Site and an examination of artificial "crannogs" in Orkney's lochs.

A council spokesman said that the total of this year's funding applications vastly exceed the £30,000 available, confirming the continued popularity and importance of Orkney for archaeological research.

The policy is a collaborative effort of the Social Services, police, NHS Orkney and DASAT (Drug, Alcohol and Smoking Action Group).

Councillors have agreed to back proposals for a study into the possibility of using the Churchill Barriers for tidal energy generation.

The OIC will contribute towards the study and await the results on the feasibility of using the barriers for renewable energy, and the potential benefits it might bring to the county.

Although the proposals are at the conceptual stage, the OIC's Director of Development Jeremy Baster has given the move his seal of approval but stressed that the council would require assurances that the proposal would not affect the function of the barriers as a causeway.

See also: The Orcadian Guide to the 20th Century

The policy is a collaborative effort of the Social Services, police, NHS Orkney and DASAT (Drug, Alcohol and Smoking Action Group).

A 45-year-old man was airlifted from an Orkney fishing boat after a serious accident in the North Sea.

The incident took place on the Aalskere, overnight on Monday, and it is understood the man was involved in a fall.

The crewman's injuries were serious enough for him to be airlifted to Norway, where he is in intensive care.

Seven-month-old Stromness baby, Zoe Stanger, has put on weight over the past three weeks as she waits in hospital in Glasgow for a lifesaving heart transplant.

Her mother, Karen Stanger said: "That's good, because the more she grows, the more chance of finding a heart."

"But she's still just as she was - it could be months yet."

Archive story: Zoe's anxious wait for life saving transplant operation

Islands councillors have agreed to recommend a cash contribution to an Orkney visitor survey to be carried out throughout 2004.

Members at a meeting of the OIC development committee heard that the 2000 survey carried out by Orkney Tourist Board took place over the summer months. A new £57,000 12-month survey has now been suggested to provide more detailed information outside the peak tourist season.

Because of the steady growth in tourism in the county, councillors agreed to a £23,500 contribution to the project.

Hamnavoe by her passenger walkway in calmer weather

NorthLink's passenger walkway in Stromness was out of action on Wednesday after being damaged by the Hamnavoe in strong winds.

The ferry was blown off her mooring after a rope snapped in gale force winds. She was attached to the walkway at the time, and the motion is believed to have put pressure on the connection.

But the walkway was repaired and back in use by Thursday morning.

Islands councillors at Tuesday's transportation committee meeting, agreed to the recommendation that £35,000 be spent hiring consultants to provide a study of replacing the current vessels.

Members heard that the Scottish Executive would only consider funding in the context of a complete replacement ferry programme.

Convener Stephen Hagan said: "I see this as a big opportunity to try and get the ferries up to a better standard."

Stromness Academy has received a favourable report from HM Inspectors of Education following an inspection in 2003.

The school was ranked good or very good in most areas, but self-evaluation was found to be fair. Only one aspect, staff review and development, was found to be unsatisfactory.

Overall, the report praises the pupil care and welfare arrangements, staff commitment, teaching quality and the very high quality of attainment in S5 and S6.

An OIC spokesman said: "This is a good report which confirms our own opinion that Stromness and the West Mainland are well served by its school."

Kirkwall Community Council has a new member following Monday night's meeting.

Alan Ryrie, of Meadowbank, Kirkwall, joins the eleven existing members on the community council.

But the public apathy which saw Kirkwall without a community council for five years does not seem to have improved - Mr Ryrie was the only member of the public to turn up at the meeting in Kirkwall Town Hall.

Islands councillors agreed on Monday to increase council tax levels by 4.5 per cent for 2004/2005.

The decision, taken at a special meeting of Orkney Islands Council's policy and resources committee, will see the Band D council tax level increase to £940.

This year increase follows last year's 9.2 per cent increase last year - one of the largest council tax percentage increases in Scotland.

MSP lays down amendments to protect fossils

An example fossil fish from Orkney, now in Eastern Europe and available for sale over the Internet.

If accepted, Mrs Macmillan's amendments to the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill will see the better protection of fossils and the introduction of a licensing system and code of conduct for their collection.

"It is vital that we protect our geological heritage," she said, "In the Caithness flag quarries and also in Orkney, fossil fish of world importance can be discovered in the laminated siltstone."

Annual report on Orkney's social services

In his third annual report, Angus Skinner said: "There has been considerable progress during the last year, but although social work services have advanced significantly, councils - such as Orkney - still face considerable challenges in delivering modern, effective social services."

The annual report is available online at the Scottish Executive website.

Orkney Enterprise grant approvals

A new mussel farm in Scapa Flow is one of the projects to gain Orkney Enterprise support in the latest round of grant approval.

Almost £380,000 of grants were approved by Orkney Enterprise over the period from November 11 to January 12.

Among the other notable grants was £96,600 to Orkney Herring Co Ltd in Stromness, to equip a new marinated herring factory, and £60,500 to Orkney Islands Council for marina pontoons.

Winter pictures success

Our appeal for winter pictures last week has been a great success - we have been inundated by photographs.

A small selection of the submitted pictures will be printed in this week's The Orcadian. Our thanks to all those who took the time to send in their photographs.

Although we don't need any more pictures, why not submit your photographs to the Orkney Communities website? Click here for details.

Following our website story last week, broadband registrations of interest in two areas of the county have taken a dramatic leap.

Harray and Finstown have taken the greatest step towards a broadband enabled exchange with 51 per cent and 54 per cent of the required registration achieved.

For up-to-date registration level figures see http://www.broadband.orkneyenterprise.co.uk. To register an interest visit http://bt.com/broadband.

Members at the transportation and infrastructure meeting on Tuesday morning will be briefed on the problems encountered by the development to date - primarily excessive movement in bad weather and increased turbulence for vessels berthing on the inside of the north side of the pier.

A further report will go before councillors at the next committee meeting, and following an analysis of wave action, but officials stress that presently a date cannot be given as to when the Kirkwall marina will be ready for public use.

The Stromness marina is expected to be handed over in February.

Population drop forecast for Orkney

Orkney's population is due to drop by one tenth within the next 15 years.

Figures released on Friday from the Registrar General for Scotland show that the county's population in 2018 will stand at 17,196 ­ more than 1,000 fewer than at present.

The statistics also showed that the county holds one of the steepest falls in 5-14-year-olds leaving the county - with Orkney losing 37 percent of that age group by 2018.