A Harray farmer has been named as one of the judges for next year's Royal Highland Show.

James Wishart, of Newbigging, will judge the North Country Cheviot - Park sheep category at the annual show at Ingliston next June.

He is one of 80 leading names from all over the UK who will be officiating at the event.

Councillors at Friday's meeting of the OIC fisheries sub-committee recommended that the amount charged by the council's legal department should be raised from £1,000 to £2,000 plus VAT and outlays, when arranging reserve fund loans for fishing vessels.

This followed an estimate by accountants in Edinburgh that a realistic charge for the services should be in the region of £5,500.

The managing director of Superstation Orkney has spoken of his delight at the OFCOM decision to grant a community radio licence.

Dave Miller said: "It took an incredible amount of hard work from a lot of dedicated people to do last year's trial broadcast and to make it a success.

"We want Orcadians to be able to have a full-time station reflecting their identity and heritage. We're now on the road to making that a reality."

Management at the station will now spend the next few months meeting with their community partners across the islands and carrying out the first stages of engineering work.

Almost £50,000 of grants were approved by Orkney Enterprise in August.

Among the £49,913 worth of grants was £7,000 to the St Magnus Festival and £7,050 to the Orkney Training Group for a 2005/2006 training programme.

Islands councillors have agreed to a new pro-active approach to bring the proposed Scapa Flow Transhipment Hub closer to reality.

Members of the OIC's development committee agreed on Thursday to take a five-stepped approach to promote the project.

It has also agreed to authorise the first three steps, with a future decision to be taken on whether to continue with the final steps.

The steps are: Terminal Design and Development Brief; Public Consultation; Scoping the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); The EIA and Planning Application; Trans European Networks - Transport Application

The committee believes that growing congestion and environmental difficulties at existing European ports remains a valid reason for developing the Scapa Flow hub.

A group of schoolchildren from Malawi are visiting Sanday, part of the second leg of an exchange visit between Minga Community School and the Sanday school.

Sanday pupils spent a week in Malawi earlier this year after winning the Scottish Schools Africa Challenge competition.

The Minga pupils were met in Edinburgh by the Sanday students, who will travel north with them for their visit to Orkney.

Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, invited Mr Kynoch to join the parliamentary proceedings as a leading member of the county's business community.

The debate was part of a two-day conference on the challenges facing business in Scotland.

The refurbishment includes the installation of tele-medicine technology to provide a video link to specialists in Aberdeen and also to ensure compliance with the latest regulations.

The female ward will close from September 26 for five weeks and the male ward from November 21 for four weeks.

It is hoped the work will be complete by mid December. Further alterations and improvements to the St Ninian Ward are scheduled for 2006.

Skara Brae has topped the list of paid visitor attractions in Orkney.

According to new figures from VisitScotland, 68,812 people visited the Neolithic village in 2004. It was followed by Skaill House (51,899), Maeshowe (25.307), Highland Park Distillery (23,000) and the Broch of Gurness (12,247).

The Italian Chapel on Lambsholm saw 92,057 visitors, making it top of the unpaid attractions list, followed by St Magnus Cathedral, the Orkney Museum, Pier Arts Centre and Scapa Flow Visitor Centre.

The media regulator, OFCOM, has granted a community radio licence to the Superstation Orkney.

The radio station went off air in November 2004 following the expiry of its three month trial licence.

Now, with the five year licence granted, the Superstation aims to be a "community-focused" station, providing "news, views and information as well as music."

The station plans to resume broadcasting within three to six months.

Councillors at the OIC transport and infrastructure meeting this week were told that Orkney Islands Council is looking at the best way forward to deal with “inaccuracies” in the information provided before construction went ahead.

Committee chairman, Councillor Bob Sclater, said: “As far as OIC is concerned there were inaccuracies (with the information) because the marina did not work. We are now trying to find out the best way to go with it.”

Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, has welcomed the announcement made by Nicol Stephen, his successor as Deputy First Minister and Enterprise Minister, that renewable energy regulations are to change, hopefully kick starting a multi-million pound investments in marine energy.

Jim Wallace said: "The Minister's aim is for Scotland to generate up to 10 per-cent of Scotland's electricity from the sea around us. If this is to be achieved, as I am sure it can be, then Orkney's rich marine energy resources will have a key role to play, bringing Orkney a share of the 7,000 new jobs the Minister predicts for Scotland.

He added that, the extra support could secure a key international role for Orkney in the testing and development of wave and tidal power technologies.

Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, has backed the decision of Transport Minister, Tavish Scott, not to remove landing charges at Highland and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) airports.

Mr Scott indicated that such a move would only reduce ticket prices by about £10 and would not secure the level of reduction sought.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Wallace said: "I endorse the move not to tinker with landing charges to achieve the policy gold. The reduction would barely have any impact on the total cost and would be of little value in journeys involving non HIAL airports such as Aberdeen and Edinburgh."

No-one was injured in a two-vehicle road accident at Tormiston Mill in Stenness at lunchtime on Wednesday.

However, both vehicles were damaged. Kirkwall police inquiries are continuing.

Staffing cuts in Orkney's education department are almost inevitable ­ unless the department, or the council, receive a financial windfall, it was warned on Wednesday.

OIC education director, Leslie Manson, told education committee members that he remained optimistic of a settlement, or efficiency savings, to address an overspend facing the department.

"Probably, realistically we are looking at staffing reductions. Unless there is a financial windfall over the next couple of years, cuts will arise."

He was speaking after the revenue budget for education in 2004-2005 revealed an overspend of £316,000 ­ reduced to £223,000 by an underspend the previous year.

Nursery classes in Stronsay Junior High, Papdale Primary and Shapinsay Primary were given glowing reports following education inspections earlier this year..

Education director, Leslie Manson, told the OIC education committee on Wednesday: "If you are looking for excellence in school records, look at the excellent record in pre-schools."

He highlighted the fact that many pre-schools in the county are led by early years workers, rather than teaching staff.

The relationship between staff and children was oneof the key strengths identified by the HM Inspectorate of Education.

NFU Scotland (NFUS) is calling on the Chancellor to cut fuel duty.

The rising cost of fuel is hitting rural areas hard, according to NFUS Scotland. The longer distances between homes, businesses and essential services is seeing rural bills rise.

Stressing the need to review current duty rates, NFUS vice president Bob Howat said "It is within the Government's power to ease the pressure that fuel costs are exerting on the entire country, as 67 per cent of the fuel price is tax. It needs to cut duty now and it is a point we will be making to the Chancellor."

This follows a meeting of the North East Scotland Cancer co-ordinating and Advisory Group in Orkney last Friday.

Visiting delegates commented on the quality of the current NHS Orkney service following a visit to Orkney Macmillan House.

Professor Nora Kearney, who is Professor of Cancer Care at Stirling University, said: " The Orkney set-up is an excellent rural service which is a potential model for other rural areas to adopt".

The seminar, organised by the Transport Research Institute (TRI) at Edinburgh's Napier University, covered topics ranging from ferry services to flexible transport systems for rural areas.

Islands councillors have agreed to allocate cash to appoint a consultant to progress proposed tunnel plans - but the study will focus only on a link between the Orkney Mainland and Shapinsay.

Members of the OIC's transportation committee decided on Tuesday that a separate study into a link between the Mainland and Rousay was not required, due to geological and logistical similarities.

They approved funding and agreed to allow six competitive tenders be sought for the proposed study.

Mr Scott said: "I have listened to the concerns of ferry users from both Orkney and Shetland to the proposed timetable changes as set out in the new tendering process."

"I am therefore happy to confirm we will not change the existing timetables for services between Aberdeen and the Northern Isles currently operated by Northlink. "

The shortlist for this year's Orkney Quality Food and Drink awards has been unveiled.

• Best evening meal: Sands Hotel, Burray; Kirkwall Hotel; Cleaton House Hotel, Westray.
• Best lunch/high tea: The Smithy, Shapinsay; Willows Coffee Shop, Kirkwall; Orkney Auction Mart restaurant.
• Best take-away: Cafe Bar, Stromness; Peppermill Deli, Kirkwall; Harbour Fry, Kirkwall.
• Best retailer: Dounby Butcher; Donaldson's; Pottinger's, Finstown.
• Best supplier: Orkney Meat; Orkney Ice Cream; Orkney Isles Preserves.

The winners will be announced on September 17 at a ceremony in Finstown.

The HM Inspectorate of Education visited Glaitness Aurrida in Kirkwall, Eday Primary School and Stromness Primary School.

Stromness had issues to address from an initial inspection in 2004, and has now received a clean bill of health. However, continuing difficulties receiving support from health service staff at Glaitness Aurrida will see the HMIE monitoring continue.

A number of points were raised at the Eday school, including traffic safety issues at the entrance and the use of assessment information to track pupils progress more efficiently. Among the key strengths were staff commitment and pupil/staff relations.

Copies of the full reports are available on the HMIE website.

Orkney Islands Council is to ask the Scottish Executive for the cash needed to install fire-fighting equipment in the three North Isles ferries.

An extra £300,000 is needed to carry out statutory upgrading work on Orkney Ferries' three North Isles vessels.

OIC transportation committee members heard on Tuesday that the Varagen, Earl Sigurd and Earl Thorfinn must be fitted with a sprinkler system, while the Varagen needs a fire fighting system for machinery spaces.

Legally, the equipment must be installed by October 1, although the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has confirmed it will allow the work to be deferred until the vessels' next refit, between January and March 2006.

NorthLink's MV Hamnavoe, which catered for 23,000 passengers in August 2005

More people then ever before are using NorthLink Ferries' - that's according to new figures released by the ferry company on Monday.

According to NorthLink, in the year ending August 2005, they had carried 299,384 passengers, compared to the 205,159 carried by its predecessor P&O Scottish Ferries in the year ending August 2002 - an increase of more than 45 per cent in under three years.

They add that since assuming responsibility for the Northern Isles services in October 2002, passenger figures for the Shetland routes have risen by more than 40,000, with the equivalent figures for Orkney up by almost 55,000.

A Sanday resident is to be reported to the procurator fiscal for drink-driving.

Following a road accident on Friday night, police officers travelled to the island by motor launch to attend the scene.

As a result of their inquiries, a man was charged with drink driving and is due to appear in Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

A Shetland man has been charged with damaging a car outside the Auld Motor Hoose in Kirkwall on Saturday evening.

It is alleged the 20-year-old, who was part of a visiting stag party, kicked out at a passing vehicle on Junction Road.

Following police inquires a man was traced on Sunday. A report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

After a two-hour search, which also involved several local vessels, the man was found, unharmed, on a skerry near the shore.

Work to erect new street lights on Bridge Street and Albert Street, and lay ducting for future IT and CCTV cables, will see sections of the street completely closed. Work will take place between noon and 9pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 5pm on Sundays.

Residents and businesses are asked to arrange for all deliveries to be carried out prior to 12 noon as no exceptions can be made once works are underway, except for emergency vehicles.

The skipper of the coastguard tug Anglian Sovereign is expected to appear in court in Shetland after the vessel sparked off a major pollution incident on Saturday evening.

The vessel, which patrols Orkney and Shetland, ran aground in strong winds on the isle of Oxna, west of Burra, Shetland. The collision damaged fuel tanks, resulting in a spillage of approximately 200 tonne of fuel oil, and ripped the vessel's hull.

It is understood the skipper was breathalysed and arrested after the incident.

An Orkney man is among the Premium bond prize winners being sought by National Savings and Investments (NS&I), the government-backed savings and investments provider.

The company is carrying out a major search to find the missing winners of more than £25 million of unclaimed Premium Bond prizes – the largest amount ever. The unclaimed prizes range in value from £25,000 to £25.

The Orkney man's winning bond number is 079EZ070359, and his win is among the top 20 highest value unclaimed Premium Bond prizes.