An Orkney Field Club "expedition" on Sunday, gave walkers the chance to trek from Yesnaby in Sandwick, across the hills to Stromness.

During the coastal walk, participants looked at birds, wildflowers and sealife.

Orkney's vintage car enthusiasts were out in force on Sunday, for their annual road run.

The Orkney Vintage Club's Orkney Cavalcade 2006 saw a collection of old vehicles tour the West Mainland before heading to Holm and Tankerness.

The annual event was started when Vintage Club members decided to re-enact a photograph taken over 90 years ago at the Dounby crossroads.

Orkney’s footballers observed a minute’s silence before Saturday's Highland Amateur Cup matches, following the death of the competition’s founder.

Harry Windsor had been secretary of the Ross-shire Football Association for almost 50 years before his death on Thursday night.

Mike Berston, secretary of the Orkney Amateur Football Association, said: “Harry’s death is a tremendous loss to football in the Highlands and Islands.”

One of Scotland’s top solo pipers, Simon McKerrell, gave a recital in the King Street Hall in Kirkwall on Saturday night, courtesy of the Kirkwall City Pipe Band.

In the run-up to the Orkney Folk Festival, the performance was a nice taster for the events ahead, according to Pipe Major Davie Miller.

Simon McKerrell is currently head of studies at the National Piping Centre, in Glasgow, where he is developing the BA Scottish Music Piping degree course, and continuing his research into traditional music and performance aesthetics.

The eldery and disabled in Orkney are being urged not to miss the bus on a free Scotland-wide travel scheme.

Currently local concessionary cardholders will not be able to enjoy free bus travel, either locally or nationally, after June 30, unless they have the new National Entitlement Card.

To allow enough time to receive the new card, those eligible are being urged to apply as soon as possible.

Since its launch on April 1, over 3,460 people in Orkney have applied for the card.

A Royal Navy minehunter visited Kirkwall over the weekend.

HMS Blyth, which was launched in July 2001, was en route to conduct survey and mine countermeasures operations around the Western Isles.

The 35-strong crew entertained cadets and school children and enjoy the sights of Orkney before heading off on Monday.

A 48-year-old man walked free from Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday after the charge against him was found not proven.

Appearing from custody, John Montgomery, of Hamnavoe, Stromness, was on trial for entering a house on Cairston Road without permission, on April 7, conducting himself in a disorderly manner and putting Kenneth Moir, living there, in a state of fear and alarm.

He also faced the charge of assaulting Moir.

The Iran Damavand receiving fuel on Thursday morning.

A massive ship-to-ship transfer of oil continued all week in Scapa Flow.

The operation, involving five ships transferring fuel from the Baltic, with the mother ship, Iran Damavand, taking 280,000 tonnes of fuel oil from four smaller visiting tankers.

Orkney has been hailed a potential accident blackspot after half the heavy goods vehicles tested by vehicle inspectors in a recent crackdown were found not roadworthy.

Operators have been warned to clean up their act by the Vehicle Inspectorate after 30 prohibition notices were handed out in three days.

An Inspectorate spokesman said that the results of the Orkney clampdown were "significantly worse than any of the other major checks carried out in the north of Scotland recently."

And he vowed to continue targeting Orkney, with more vigorous inspections planned in the future

Loganair has announced its new discounted fares in line with the Airline Discount Scheme which was launched on Thursday.

The 40 per cent discount now means that Orkney fares start from £70 return, including taxes, to Aberdeen. A flight from Kirkwall to Edinburgh or Glasgow now costs £90, with a return to Inverness costing £76.

The NFUS has expressed disappointment that around £60 million in support payments have still not been issued to Scottish farmers.

However, following discussions, the union has been assured that, by the end of the month, all farmers whose applications have been cleared will receive their payments.

Anne Gasgoine with Giorgio Locatelli

An Evie-based writer has picked up an award at the Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards. 

Anne Gasgoine was the winner of the Independent on Sunday Review Magazine/Glenfiddich Restaurant Writer competition. She was awarded first prize for her critique of the café in the Orkney Auction Mart.

Danny Upson of Lucas Ingredients present Erik (centre) and Ewan (right) Donaldson with their Silver Medals.

Kirkwall butchers, Donaldsons of Orkney, have tasted success in the North of Scotland Regional Heat of the Scottish Speciality Sausage Master in Inverness.  

Their recipe impressed the judges with three silver medals in the competition that attracted entries from all over the North of Scotland.

Erik and Ewan Donaldson were in Inverness on Tuesday night to pick up the awards for their Pork, Red Orkney Cheese & Onion Chutney Sausage, Pork & Stilton Sausage and Pork & Smoked Bacon Sausage.

Norwegian visitors, including fisheries minister Helga Pedersen, joined the people of Orkney on Wednesday for the annual celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day.

May 17 is Norway's biggest day of national celebration, commemorating the signing of the country's first constitution in 1814 and its release from Danish rule after 400 years of subjugation.

A short memorial service took place at the Norwegian war graves in St Olaf’s Cemetery in the morning, and was followed by a concert in St Magnus Cathedral.

The tog, a procession of people left the pierhead at 2.30pm and made its way through the street to a ceremony outside St Magnus Cathedral.

The Scottish Executive’s discount flight scheme for residents of Orkney begins tomorrow, after being approved by the European Commission.

The scheme, which grants a 40 per cent discount on air fares, will run from 2006 to 2008 and is expected to cost £11.2 million per year.

The Hamanvoe passing the Outer Holm while returning to Stromness earlier this year

NorthLink have confirmed that an electrical fault on the Hamnavoe saw the vessel strike the Outer Holm, the islet at the mouth of the Stromness harbour, on Tuesday morning.

A spokesman said that at approximately 6.30am the ship suffered a “brief” loss of power.

“As a result,” he said, “and while power was being restored, the vessel drifted slightly from its course and made contact with the shore at the mouth of the harbour. There was no sudden movement and no passengers were harmed.”

Police have named the cyclist who died in Orphir on Sunday.

He was John Miller, 67, a former Orkney policeman, from Kirkwall.

A diver was taken to Balfour Hospital on Monday after suffering suspected decompression sickness in Scapa Flow.

The man was diving from the Stromness vessel Invincible, the crew of which alerted the coastguard after he began to show symptoms of the bends.

He was transferred to Longhope and treated there by the local doctors. He was subsequently moved to an ambulance at Houton by the Longhope lifeboat.

Almost £217,000 worth of grants were approved by Orkney Enterprise in April.

Police are reminding motorists to adhere to the driving restrictions on Kirkwall’s Albert Street.

Albert Street is pedestrianised between 11am and 3pm, with access allowed only to delivery vehicles, disabled badge holders and emergency vehicles is allowed.

A Kirkwall school is one of number across Scotland showing how parents can get more involved in their children's education.

Papdale Primary School features in a new guide providing parents with ideas for getting more more effectively involved in education.

A man was arrested in Kirkwall on Sunday morning under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act.

At 12.30am, a 23-year-old male was taken into custody after an incident with ambulance staff involved in a call-out in the Albert Street car park.

A report is being sent to the procurator fiscal following the death of a 67-year-old cyclist in Orphir on Sunday afternoon.

Police and ambulance attended the scene at the junction of the Germiston Road in Orphir around 12.30pm after receiving information that a man had fallen from his bike. Attempts to revive the man at the scene were unsuccessful.

A police spokesman confirmed this morning that there appear to be no suspicious circumstances.

A young driver was taken to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall on Sunday night after a road accident near Dounby.

Around 9pm, police, ambulance and fire brigade attended the crash, approximately half a mile from Dounby on the Birsay Road. They found a single vehicle on its roof with two youths inside.

According to police, the girl, who was driving, was transferred to hospital for treatment to cuts and whiplash.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a suspicious fire in Holm in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in the Old Temperance Hall, Holm, at 12.30am. The building and contents were badly damaged.

A scientific support unit from Inverness are heading north tomorrow, Tuesday, to carry out a joint-inquiry with fire officers in an attempt to establish the cause.

Anyone with information can call police on 872241.