A new CD of music inspired by Orkney’s rich archaeology and history was launched in St Magnus Cathedral, on Saturday night.

Devised by Bob Pegg, and Bill Taylor, and supported by Orkney Islands Council, Out of the Stones, is an attempt to chart 5,500 years of Orcadian history in music, song and sound.

From the prehistoric piping of a deer-bone flute, and the beat of a clay-pot drum, down through the centuries to the sound of harps and lyres, the voice of sacred song and the rhythms of medieval dance, the CD covers the period from prehistory through to 1468.

The skipper of the grounded Coastguard tug, Anglian Sovereign, appeared in private at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Forty-two-year-old Peter George Leask, Manitoba, Lower Gulberwick, Shetland, is charged with being in charge of the vessel, while more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Mr Leask appeared on petition containing charges under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and the Control of Pollution Act 1974. All charges relate to the grounding of the coastguard tug.

He made no plea or declaration, was committed for further examination and was released on bail.

Getting down to business - Mean Business are one of the locally-based bands to perform at this year's blues festival.

The cream of the worldwide blues world arrives in Orkney for the sixth annual Orkney Blues Festival.

Organisers are saying it’s their biggest yet, and with legends such as the British Blues All Stars headlining, they can’t be far wrong.

The festival officially opened on Friday, with an Umbrella Parade in Stromness.

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Plans to upgrade the Pierhead in Stromness will be the subject at a five day open exhibition, allowing the public to have their say.

Running from Monday, September 19, until Friday, September 23, the event taking place at the Old Ferry Terminal will give residents a chance to express their views on plans which include a proposed covered market at the Pierhead.

The exhibition will be open during normal office hours, from 12 noon on Monday, closing at 4pm on Friday.

A new breast feeding support group is to be run in the Maternity day room at the Balfour Hospital from Tuesday September 27.

The group, which is being organised by health visitors and midwives, will meet at 2pm for an hour every week.

It is aimed at pregnant women wanting more information about breast feeding, and women who are already breast feeding, both first time and experienced.

The drop-in meetings are informal so there's no need to book. Contact the Maternity Unit on 888238 or Shenagh Leiper on 888161 for further information.

Kirkwall’s CCTV project is progressing, with work in Albert Street and Bridge Street taking place to lay the ducting for the cameras, as well as for IT cables and new street lights.

Work has already been completed on Great Western Road and West Castle Street in the town.

An Orkney Islands Council spokesman said: "The tender document is nearly complete and should be out by the end of the month. It is hoped that the project can be installed after the New Year and hopefully the cameras will be in place and operational by Easter, 2006."

Accumulated debts of about £140,000 at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall, are set to be written off, after a special meeting of the OIC’s recreation and culture committee on Wednesday.

Councillors are also recommending that management arrangements at the centre be revised, although they say it should still operate as a trust.

The committee agreed to look at management, financing and governance arrangements for the centre, and later this year, the council’s policy and resources committee will discuss the amount of funding to be made available this year and in the future to maintain the current level of services.

There will be a second session of blood pressure testing for farmers, by NHS Orkney nurses, at the Orkney Auction Mart, today between 9am and 2pm.

According to an NHS Orkney spokeswoman there was a great response the first time round.

High winds left scaffolding at Casey’s “tack shop” strewn across Junction Road in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

No one was injured when the masonry was blown onto the road at about 5am.

Kirkwall police erected warning signs to motorists and contacted Casey Construction for the scaffolding to be removed.

An Orkney man appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday charged with assaulting two women.

The case against Alastair Macintyre Stewart, 39, 2 Isbister Road, was continued without plea until Wednesday, September 21.

He was released on bail.

Audit Scotland is to investigate the awarding of the Northern Isles ferry contract to NorthLink in 2000.

The Auditor General has announced that the subsequent negotiations over the additional subsidy given to NorthLink to keep them afloat will also come under scrutiny.

Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, welcomed the news: “It is wholly appropriate that Audit Scotland should inquire into the award of this franchise. A significant amount of public money has been spent, and if there are lessons to be learned, it is the role of Audit Scotland to point these up, and for the transport department to respond.”

A planning application has been lodged with Orkney Islands Council for a new restaurant in Kirkwall’s town centre.

The change of use from an unoccupied office in part of the former Orcadian Office, in Victoria Street, to a restaurant has been submitted by Norman McLennan, of Orkney Television Enterprise and McLennan Toymaster.

The application also shows a bar in part of the restaurant area.

Orkney company Opus Plus Ltd has hailed a visit to the Offshore Europe exhibition in Aberdeen as a success.

Engineering manager, Glen McLellan, said that the four-day event – the biggest oil industry exhibition in Europe – was an opportunity for companies to showcase their services.

“We help oil companies reduce their environmental discharge,” he said. “The event is a chance to show your clients that you mean business, that you are a professional outfit providing a good, quality service.”

Joint approaches will be pursued on renewable energy, broadband, language and culture, it was agreed at the second annual meeting of council representatives from Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles and the Faroes last week.

The Faroese Prime Minister and island conveners met in the Western Isles to review progress in implementing the Western Isles regeneration strategy, “Creating Communities of the Future”, and discussed areas of common interest and possible co-operation.

They agreed to joint approaches to promote the development of their island economies, with particular emphasis on encouraging population growth.

Orkney Meat has successfully passed a rigorous audit of all its food safety and quality systems and has been granted EFSIS higher level accreditation by the UKAS certified European Food Safety Inspection Service.

Managing Director, Edgar Balfour, said that as well as being a great achievement in itself, EFSIS accreditation could open doors to new customers who, more and more, were using the standard as a pre-requisite for supply. "Most supermarkets and large manufacturers insist on EFSIS before they will even talk to you.

Children are getting active in Dounby thanks to the new After School Club, which started in August.

The club has already seen an increase in members, and there has been a very positive response from parents.

The OIC's Active Schools Childcare Department have worked closely with staff from Dounby Primary School and Community Centre to make the club a success, and members of the Active School team have attended parents' evenings to provide information on the Active Schools activities.

Best known for being one of the members of HearSay, actress, singer and presenter Suzanne recently appeared in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in London's West End.

The trial of a Stromness man, charged with two counts of rape, got underway in Inverness High Court on Monday.

Robert Hamish Stanger, of Pumpwell Park, has pled not guilty to both charges.

Five vehicles were damaged by vandals in Kirkwall over the past few days.

On Thursday night, two vehicles in Willow Road were damaged. Between 4.30pm and 5pm on Friday, a Renault Clio appears to have been struck by another vehicle. Overnight on Friday, a Ford Mondeo parked in Victoria Street had its windscreen smashed. The mirrors were ripped off and the bodywork extensively damaged.

Overnight on Saturday, a black Ford Escort had its wing mirrors ripped off while parked in the Craigie Crescent area.

A "Dutch Barn" in Stronsay was destroyed by a blaze on Friday.

At 3.30pm, the island's volunteer fire unit called for backup from the Kirkwall Fire Station, who sent an appliance out on a ferry.

According to a police spokesman, it is believed the fire was started by a piece of equipment being used in the structure. There appear to be no suspicious circumstances.

The headteachers at Orkney's biggest and smallest primary schools are leaving the county.

Lynn Whitelaw is heading to Moray Council after three years at the 580-pupil Papdale Primary School, while Patricia Wilson, who looks after five pupils at North Ronaldsay school, is moving to Dumfries and Galloway.

The posts, which attract salaries of £52,680 and £42,084 respectively, will be advertised in The Orcadian.