Three young teenagers were charged with breach of the peace near Kirkwall Grammar School on Thursday afternoon.

A report is being submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Gaia arrives at the Kirkwall Corn Slip this afternoon.

A Viking longship arrived in Kirkwall on Friday afternoon, en route to Dublin in Ireland.

The Gaia is sailing the old viking route from Vestfold to Dublin - a route that will see the 15-year-old vessel travel via Orkney down the "raiding path" past the Hebrides into Ireland, the Isle of Man and Wales.

But these modern day Viking voyagers have more peaceful intentions on their round trip, which will take them around southern Britain to arrive back in Norway in September.

The vessel, which is a replica of the world-famous ninth century Gokstad ship, will be in Kirkwall for a few days, before sailing around to Stromness prior to her departure on Tuesday.

NHS Orkney chief executive, Steve Conway, has outlined to Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, the progress made to allow Orkney patients needing dialysis to remain in Orkney.

Mr Conway reported that NHS Orkney has advertised for two nurses to provide support for dialysis patients in their own homes. Once the hospital service is functioning, the nurses would split their time between the hospital and community work.

He added that funding had not yet been indentified for the hospital-based service.

However, he wrote, "It is my intention to introduce a hospital based dialysis service in Orkney as soon as possible, not only because it would benefit an increasing number of Orkney residents but also because it is one of the services Professor Kerr's report "Fit for the Future" suggests remote communities should have access to."

Ian Sloan of Pentarq, Project Manager for the Pier Arts Centre's regeneration project, surveys the south gable of 30 Victoria Street which has been revealed for the first time in well over 100 years.

The extension work at the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness is offering an intriguing glimpse into the town's past.

Windows have been discovered in the gable of 30 Victoria Street and site clearance has also revealed that the pier (formally a Hudson's Bay Company store), has been extended on at least four separate occasions.

Archaeologist Judith Robertson's report concluded that "the walls were constructed using entirely local, easily accessible materials and, with the presence of re-used timbers, may have been built rapidly. The foundations are more robust due to the load bearing function and probably acted as the original waterfront."

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A 32-year-old Kirkwall man was been fined £875 at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday after admitting "uttering racial remarks" and causing a breach of the peace.

Alan Heddle Besant, Watson Park, Kirkwall, admitted the offences, which took place on April 29, 2005, on Great Western Road, Kirkwall.

He also admitted conducting himself in a disorderly manner and threatening Gemma Douglas with violence on the same day, in Great Western Road.

He was fined £875 by Sheriff Graeme Napier.

Orkney Islands Council might only hear how much money will be available to cover the costs of repairing damage cost by the hurricane-force storms in January in the next few months.

Highlands and Islands MSP Rob Gibson has heard from the Finance Minister, Tom McCabe, that an announcement would be made in late summer.

But Mr Gibson wants the money handed over sooner.

He said: "The money needs to given as soon as possible so that work can start to rebuild the damaged infrastructure. "

With properties evacuated, while the high tide and hurricane force winds resulted in extensive damage to Orkney's coastline, it has been estimated that long-term costs could top £1 million.

Nigel Thomson (right) with gold medal winner Dennis L McNeil from Tennessee, USA, on the podium.

Orcadian athlete Nigel Thomson has won a bronze medal in the Senior B Men's 100m in the 2005 World Police & Fire Games in Quebec City, Canada.

The medal is a bonus for Nigel, who didn't much rate his chances in the event. He is still nursing bad head cold, which he feels may even have stopped him getting into silver position

With a trackside temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, which although uncomfortable, is not causing Nigel any trouble so far.

Nigel is also to compete in the Senior Men's 200m and 400m.

A group of angry Stromness parents are demanding education bosses rethink plans to alter the P1 school day.

In a letter to OIC education department, they say the majority of parents are in favour of keeping the current system, which sees children starting all-day classes after the October break.

The proposed changes would see children starting all-day classes after just two weeks of the new term.

Nearly 80 per cent of Orkney parents told a recent OIC survey that they were happy with the existing arrangements, something the Stromness parents now say seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Skara Brae, The covering on House Seven can be seen to the right of the picture

Historic Scotland will begin investigative work aimed at preserving two of Orkney's best known archaeological sites next month.

On July 11, a reflective film is to be fitted around the glass "roof" of Skara Brae' House seven. The film is to control a potentially damaging build up of heat inside the Neolithic dwelling.

Meanwhile a series of small test trenches will be dug on the top of Maeshowe on July 20 to see whether moisture is leaking in where a Victorian roof and early 20th century concrete cap cover a hole left by Viking treasure hunters.

NFUS has made the comments in response to the Scottish Executive's consultation on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (ROS) Order - the vehicle for the Executive's development of renewable sources of energy.

NFUS has welcomed proposals to further involve agriculture in renewables projects, in particular highlighting a number of projects as beneficial to the agriculture industry.

These include the Development of biomass for electricity and heat generation and methane recovery from digested slurry.

Nigel Thomson (left) approached the end of the 100m track

Nigel Thomson, Orkney's current senior sportsperson of the year, began his campaign at the 2005 World Police & Fire Games in Quebec City, Canada, on Tuesday.

Nigel's first event was the Senior B Men's 100m first heat and his time was 11.51 seconds. This time was the third quickest of all five heats and enough to progress him into the 100m final.

He was beaten into second place in his own heat by a police officer from Memphis, USA who ran in a time of 10.84 (the fastest time of all the heats) to secure a new World Police & Fire Games world record.

A man and a woman were released on bail from Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Kelly Ann Harcus, 17, of Berstane Road, Kirkwall, and Alastair Macintyre Stewart, 39, of Isbister Road, Kirkwall, are both accused of committing a breach of the peace and assaulting a woman on Kirkwall's Junction Road in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The case was continued without plea until July 12.

Over the next few months Christine West will be developing and running an island based audiology service for the first time in Orkney.

Although the service is under development, some services are due to begin shortly.

Building work is due to commence in the Balfour Hospital to provide a new audiology suite, which, it is hoped, will be completed sometime in September.

The sponsorship funding will take the form of free travel and discounted fares and those to benefit will include rising sports stars and the arts.

NorthLink will also be contributing to the first North Ronaldsay Folk Festival, Stromness Shopping Week and the Orkney Blues Festival. Other groups to benefit from the company's support include Orkney Motorcross Club and Orkney Sailing Club.

Orkney Islands Council, who provided £3.5 million to develop the facility, opened the centre to visitors between 2pm and 8pm.

The threatened closure of the Aberdeen Met Office was raised with Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, last week, when, on his last day at Scotland's Deputy First Minister, he stood in at First Minister's Question Time last week.

After confirming that the Met Office is a responsibility of the Westminster Parliament, Mr Wallace said, "I hope that people who have a genuine interest in the issue will take the opportunity to make their views known.

He added: "I would encourage Orcadians to contact Alistair Carmichael to set out their concerns about the proposal as this will strengthen his hand when he takes the matter up with Ministers in London."

Northern Isles MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called on the Government to look into the operation of the Maritime Coastguard Agency.

This comes after a BBC television programme claimed that the computer system logging incidents was unreliable and that an internal report had questioned the competency of staff.

Mr Carmichael said: "I have nothing but the utmost respect for staff who work for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. They are committed to preventing deaths and injuries at sea. They deserve the best possible support from those at the very top of the agency. This programme would suggest that they are not getting it. This is something that the government must now look at."

Work has started on the extension to Kirkwall's north pier.

Contractors Edmund Nuttal Ltd, who built the original marina breakwater, have been appointed to carry out the work.

It is hoped the extension will counter the adverse swell conditions which have plagued the new Kirkwall marina to the east of the pier.

Police have repeated their appeal for information on a car stolen in Stromness last week.

The blue Volkswagen Polo ­ registration number Y102 VBS ­ was removed from a garage on North End Road between 11pm on Wednesday and 9am on Thursday morning.

Despite an extensive search, the vehicle has still not been traced, something that a police spokesman said was unusual for Orkney.

Anyone with information can contact the police on 872241.

Education Minister Peter Peacock today urged local groups to apply for a share of the £300,000 Read Together Home Reading Initiative.

Mr Peacock said: "Over £1.3 million has already been shared between 1,070 projects across Scotland thanks to our small grants scheme.

"For example, Orkney Library received a grant to set up Bookworms - a project targeted at encouraging all primary pupils living on Orkney mainland to take up reading at home.

"I hope the extra cash now available will help more schools and community groups in Orkney set up projects to support home reading."

A child' s bike trailer was set fire in the early hours of Saturday June 25, at Eastabist in Papdale East. Police believe the fire was started deliberately and would like to hear from any witnesses.

Meanwhile, information is being sought after a window at Orkney Cycles in Kirkwall was smashed around 3am on Sunday morning.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call Kirkwall Police Station on 872241.

The birthday celebrations at Tait & Style's Stromness studio on Friday

Stromness fashion company Tait and Style celebrated its fifteenth birthday at the weekend.

To mark the occasion, the company held an open evening at its studio in the Old Academy on Friday, when all the latest designs were on show.

Ingrid Tait - the daughter of Ola Gorie, recognised as a pioneer in jewellery designing in Orkney - started the company after leaving the Royal College of Art. Although the output from the workroom at the Old Academy building is not vast, the products are now found in some of the most exclusive fashion shops around the world.

Sanday won the Millennium Cup in Saturday's North Isles sports, thus repeating their success in Westray last year. The Millennium Cup goes to the island with the highest combined adult and school total.

The Challenge Cup for the adult competition went to Stronsay.

The games, now in their 55th year, allow athletes from Sanday, North Ronaldsay, Westray, Eday and Stronsay to compete in a number of sports. This year it was Sanday's turn to host the event.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has issued its annual reminder warning the public not to touch or pick up common seal pups.

The pups, which are born during June and July, are usually not abandoned and should be left alone.

A spokesman said: "Although the advice may seem very negative, every year hundreds of seals are brought into the Scottish SPCA and other wildlife centres by well-intentioned members of the public who, sadly, are doing more harm than good."

Thistle Theatre youth team in rehearsal in Orkney Arts Theatre

The Thistle Theatre Company, based in Greenock, presented The Trees They Grow So High, by Tony Powell, beating groups from Grangemouth, Tain and Aberfeldy.

The producer, Christine Currie, said Thistle was formed in September last year and now had 50 members. "I¹m really delighted,"she said. ³It¹s a difficult play which stretched the young actors, but they triumphed."

An Orkney yacht has taken second place in an annual sailing competition between Norway and Shetland.

Competing in the Bergen/Shetland Race 2005 for the first time, the Exile, skippered by George Ratter, left Bergen at noon on Wednesday, arriving in Shetland on Thursday afternoon. She took second place overall, first in her class and earned the Best Newcomer title.

The yacht, one of 29 competing, was crewed by Orkney men Robbie Bruce, John Wallace, Bob Farrer and John Mainland.

George Ratter was named an ambassador of the race at the prize-giving ceremony in Shetland on Friday.