A gathering of vehicle users at the Dounby crossroads in 1913.

Vintage car enthusiasts were out in force on Sunday for their annual road run.

The Orkney Vintage Club's Orkney Cavalcade 2005 saw a collection of old vehicles drive around the West Mainland.

The event, now in its fifth year, began in 2002, when local vintage car owners decided to re-enact a photograph taken more than 90 years ago at the Dounby crossroads (see picture).

The Hall of Clestrain, Orphir

A celebrity auction took place in Stromness on Sunday night to raise cash for the Orkney Boat Museum.

The auction, in Stromness Academy saw items such as first edition Eric Linklater books, A signed T-shirt from Robbie Coltrane, signed books and House of Commons whisky signed and donated by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

The Friends of the Orkney Boat Museum was set up to support and raise money for the restoration of the Hall of Clestrain, in Orphir, and to build a boat museum. The Friends have pledged to raise £250,000 for the project.

Six hundred people are claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance in Orkney.

Of these 100 are claiming because of a mental health or behavioural disorder - the lowest percentage in the UK.

According to figures released today by the GMB Union, 2,687,000 people claim incapacity benefit for all conditions throughout Great Britain. Of these, 1,036,000 or 38.6 per cent claim because of mental and behavioural disorders.

Ocean Power Delivery (OPD), the Edinburgh company currently testing its Pelamis wave energy converter in Orkney, has been awarded the contract to build the world's first commercial wave energy farm.

The farm, in Portugal, will use three of OPD's Pelamis devices to power more than 1500 households. It is expected to be complete in nine months time.

The Pelamis, or sea-snake as it is nicknamed, prototype was berthed off at Billia Croo, on the west coast of Stromness parish in August 2004.

A group of Sanday pupils and teachers left the country on Thursday to accompany Scotland's First Minster on his visit to Malawi.

Arlene Walls, Cassie Enticknap, Kirsten Masson, Michelle Dearness and Thomas Newton won the Scottish Schools Africa Challenge, and their prize is an all expenses paid week-long trip to Africa.

The Sanday students will spend a week on visits with Malawian students and set up formal links with their own school.

In autumn, five students and two teachers from Minga Secondary School in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, will travel to Sanday on a reciprocal visit.

Viewers across the country have complained about the new 3d graphics, which by showing curve of the earth's surface, makes it difficult to see Scotland and northern England.

In his letter, Mr Carmichael has highlighted how the recent change to BBC weather forecast graphics have made it difficult to see the Northern Isles, echoing a protest he he made previously in the House of Commons.

An Orkney teenager, who admitted carrying out a vicious attack on a man, has been locked up for 14 months.

At Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Wednesday, the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted assaulting the man to severe injury On November 27, 2004.

Sentencing the youth to be detained for 14 months, Sheriff Graeme Napier condemned the attack as "a vicious and premeditated assault in which you took great pleasure."

Bosses at Fairwind Statkraft - the merged Orkney and Norwegian company behind proposals to bring up to 40 new wind turbines to the county - have promised long term benefits to the county.

In the same way it was claimed oil would secure a stable future for the islands 25 years ago, the company chairman has pledged a "longer lasting legacy" if the county embraces the 21st Century industry of renewables.

The issue has sparked a massive debate with more than 2,000 votes in our online poll and a number of letters.

The MV Thorsvoe has been drafted in to cover for the MV Shapinsay, which is back in the county following refit, but requires additional commissioning work. The Shapinsay is expected back in service next week.

Staffing problems have meant that a passenger only service to Shapinsay, using the MV Golden Mariana, has been running for the past few days.

The Black Prince, docked at the Kirkwall pier this morning.

Kirkwall played host to three cruise liners on Wednesday, with a total passenger capacity of 1,150.

The 86-metre Polar Star arrived early in the morning and left for Leith at 2pm. The Black Prince, travelling from Stavanger in Norway, arrived at 11am and left at 5pm.

The largest of the three, the Ocean Majesty, arrived at 1pm and sailed for Leith at 6pm.

A man from Rousay, who was reported missing on Tuesday, has been traced safe and well as a direct result of an appeal by Kirkwall police.

Sergeant Eddie Graham said: "The earlier appeal for help was very successful and a number of members of the public phoned in.

"As a direct consequence of the calls received, the missing person was traced safe and well in the Kirkwall area."

The man had boarded the Rousay ferry on Tuesday, and was reported missing at 7pm at night.

The Kirkwall lifeboat was called out on Tuesday to assist a creel fishing boat aground off the Rendall shore.

The RNLI vessel went to the aid of the Boreray Isle, which had run aground on the edge of a skerry, near Wald Taing in the Bay of Isbister.

The lifeboat arrived on scene at 11:25am and took the two fishermen back to Kirkwall, where they remained until the tide turned. The creel boat crew were then returned to their vessel which was safely refloated.

Orkney police have launched a two-week crackdown on drug dealers.

Although it is part of an ongoing campaign across Scotland, people in the county are again being encouraged to report dealing activities by using the confidential Crimestoppers line – 0800 555 111 or 870999.

Kirkwall Sergeant, Eddie Graham, said: “Whatever community you go into you will find drugs of some sort. There appears to be a trend for younger individuals to be using cannabis now. Cannabis and alcohol remain our biggest problem.”

Tuesday afternoon's tog through the streets of Kirkwall.

More than 40 Norwegians joined Orcadians in celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day, On Tuesday.

A short memorial service was held at St Olaf’s Cemetery, at 10.30am, followed by a concert in St Magnus Cathedral, at 1pm.

The tog, left Kirkwall Pierhead at 2.30pm, led by Kirkwall City Pipe Band, and the marchers made their way through the streets to the cathedral, where there were entertainment by the pipe band and Sanday school children.

A Constitution Day party was held in the Lynnfield Hotel to round off the day.

The question of whether that is the way forward in identified areas was raised at the symposium in the Pickaquoy Centre on Monday – part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles Councils.

Conveners for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, Stephen Hagan, Sandy Cluness and Alex MacDonald would not be drawn at this stage, however acknowledged that they would meet soon to discuss many ways forward.

OIC convener, Stephen Hagan, left, accompanies First Minister, Jack McConnell, into St Magnus Cathedral for the Thanksgiving Service. (Picture: Michael MacLeod/Style Studio)

First Minister Jack McConnell was in the county at the weekend to take part in activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the three islands councils in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

A gala dinner for about 130 guests was held at the Pickaquoy Centre on Saturday night, followed by a Thanksgiving Service at St Magnus Cathedral on Sunday.

Nineteen-year-old Fraser Anderson specialises in making traditional Orkney chairs. He set up his business, Orkney Hand Crafted Furniture, at the end of last year.

In the final, Fraser is up against a bagpipe maker from Kirriemuir and a silversmith from the Western Isles.

The winner will be announced in early June and a selection of winners' work will be on show in Jenners in Edinburgh from June 2 to 20.

Archive story: Young Orkney chair maker
ensures bright future for ancient tradition

Stromness Museum

The Stromness Museum hosted its annual open day on Saturday, allowing entry to the public for free.

Attractions at the museum include the new exhibition With Flintlock and Cutlass - Orcadians in Nelson's Navy, displays by Scottish Natural Heritage, archive photographs and all the usual museum features.