A delegation of visitors from Nova Scotia has been in the county to see the European Marine Energy Centre in Stromness.

The visitors have been in England and Scotland over the past week to see the progress which is being made on the tidal energy front. They arrived in Orkney on Friday, to view the wave test centre at Billia Croo, and talk to representatives at EMEC.

There are plans in the pipeline for the Canadian government to draw up a definitive policy on renewable energy, with tidal power as a major part of that.

An islands councillor hoping to build a new home in Deerness has been given outline planning permission, despite staunch recommendations of refusal from the OIC’s planning department.

Councillor Jim Foubister left the chamber at Thursday's planning referrals sub-committee meeting, to let fellow councillors decide the fate of his application.

But although planning officials insisted that the application be rejected, permission was given provided a further "change of use application" for the unapproved 80 per cent of the site is submitted, along with any later application for full planning permission.

New figures from the Scottish Executive show there were 40 road accidents in Orkney in the nine months ending September 2005.

Most farmers should get their single farm payment before Christmas.

Ross Finnie, the rural development minister, has pledged to pay 70 per cent of the claims on time and in full. That means he should pay out about £290 million to 14,000 producers within a month of December 1. Last year, Orkney farmers received a total of £11 million under the single farm payment scheme.

Mr Finnie said the payments would start going into farmers' bank accounts from December 1.

Where there is any query about a claim, payment will be delayed until it is verified.

A beer from Orkney's newest brewery, the Swannay Brewery in Birsay, has just taken a first and a second in two beer festivals.

The Scapa Special pale ale was named beer of the festival at the Ullapool beer festival and took second place at the Loch Ness beer festival, at Drumnadrochit.

Author Ian Rankin was in Orkney selecting a cask of whisky to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his Inspector Rebus character.

The 20-year-old Highland Park whisky will be used to create ‘Rebus20’, a single-cask limited edition malt.

Ian said: “I'm a keen whisky drinker and Highland Park is one of my favourite malts so I was thrilled they were keen to get involved. I discovered Orkney a few years ago and was really pleased to go back, however, this is my first time visiting the distillery.”

Two Orkney farmers have taken first and second prize at a Mey Selection competition.

Cliff Bichan of Swanbister, Orphir, was named Aberdeen Angus Producer of the Year based on consistency of carcasses produced for the Mey Selection brand.

Second place went to Rob Seatter of Melsetter Farm, Longhope.

DC Bob Petrie, left, receiving his medal from Deputy Chief Constable Garry Sutherland

An Orkney policeman has been awarded a long service medal by the Northern Constabulary’s Deputy Chief Constable, Garry Sutherland.

DC Bob Petrie received his "Long Service and Good Conduct " medal in Inverness on Tuesday.

He joined the police in February 1984, and served at Golspie and Alness prior to transferring to his current post in Kirkwall.

From next month, passengers flying to and from the outer isles with Loganair will have to pay for their tickets at the time of booking.

The new procedure, which will be introduced on December 11, is to address the recent rise in inter-island last-minute cancellations and ‘no-shows’.

NFU Scotland has welcomed the abolition of a long-standing practice of rounding down lamb carcass weights to the nearest 0.5 kg.

The outgoing weighing system was adopted when manual scales were commonplace.  With digital scales it is no longer necessary to ‘round down’, although the practice was still being used.

SEERAD and Scottish meat wholesalers are happy with the decision and NFUS is pressing for a UK-wide start date to prevent trade distortion for farmers sending their lambs across the border.  

Concern has been raised at the economics of building a 12-bed care home in St Margaret’s Hope - on the same day a petition calling for better elderly care was handed to the OIC convener.

At Tuesday’s policy and resources committee meeting, members heard it would cost 50 per cent more per placement in a smaller unit than for a 40-bed home.

Councillor Mike Drever said, in light of the figures, it may be time to look again at provision.

It was agreed to debate the capital requirements at a members’ seminar later this month.

A project manager looks set to be appointed to oversee the Kirkwall Travel Centre and Stromness town centre developments.

A report to the OIC policy and resources committee meeting on Tuesday stated that for the sites to progress, a dedicated project manager had to be put in place, at an estimate cost of £45,000 per annum over four years.

The OIC is considering making a claim to the Scottish Executive to go towards the costs of cleaning up after last month's severe flooding.

Convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan added that along with Highland Council, attempts were being made to set up a meeting with Scottish Finance Minister, Tom McCabe, seeking additional funding outwith the Bellwin Scheme.

This additional cash would help alleviate the cost of major projects, such as replacing the Hoy bridge.

Christmas is coming, and towns and villages across Orkney will be turning on their lights over the next few weeks.

The first ceremony takes place in St Mary’s, Holm, on Saturday, with the last event planned for Pierowall, Westray, on Saturday, December 2.

Visiting Hordaland convener, Mrs Torill Selsvord Nyborg, will turn the Christmas tree lights on at St Magnus Cathedral on Saturday, December 2, after the annual St Lucy Concert.

Click here for tree lighting schedule

The prehistoric chambered tomb Maeshowe is the venue for a reading about George Mackay Brown and Orkney next month.

Edinburgh-based writer, Stuart Delves, has been granted permission from Historic Scotland for the reading on the afternoon of December 16.

He will read from his piece, Northern Light, which opens and finishes in Maeshowe, with words taken from George Mackay Brown’s poem of that name.

A petition calling for an improvement to care facilities for the elderly in Orkney was handed over to OIC convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan on Tuesday morning.

About 3,500 people had signed the petition, which was passed to the convener prior to this morning's meeting of the OIC policy and resources committee.

Campaigner Ernie Donaldson said: "We are going to push on the fight. We will have a public meeting, if what we get back from the council is not favourable."

A list of approved designs for an Orkney community flag is to go out to public consultation.

Of the 100 designs received by the OIC, eight were passed to the Lord Lyon for approval.

Of the eight, only two were deemed acceptable so other designs were sought.

The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board has confirmed it is dropping age-related minimum wage rates.

The new details, from January 1, 2007, are:

• £5.35 per hour for the first 26 weeks of employment
• £5.70 for workers employed for more than 26 weeks by the same employer.
• Additional sum payable to workers with appropriate qualifications: £0.86 per hour.
• Dog allowance £4.33 per week, for each of up to four dogs

NorthLink’s new livestock shipping containers and the new Hatston lairage will both be ready by autumn 2007, the livestock shipping working group was assured on Monday.

At a meeting, which included officials from the Scottish Executive, more than 40 representatives of organisations ranging from the NFUS to Orkney Islands Council were told the prototypes of the new containers would be here in January.

Building the lairage at the Hatston pier will go ahead as soon as the funding is approved by the OIC, expected to be within the next month.

A 28-year-old man was remanded in custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday, after failing to make a court appearance in October.

Charles Henry Hutchison of St Margaret’s Hope, is charged with stealing six credit cards from various people, then spending thousands of pounds on a TV betting channel.

The latest book from The Orcadian was launched in Kirkwall on Monday night.

Birth Blood and Boundaries by Jockie Wood is a detailed history of Orkney's Parish Cup. Mr Wood is pictured right signing a copy of the new title.

From the competition's inception in the 1920s, each competition, from 1930 to 2006, is documented, with anecdotes and match details.

The author will be signing copies of the book in The Orcadian Bookshop this Saturday, November 25.

The Kirkwall Hydro-Electric shop is one of 40 across Scotland that could be affected by industrial action in a dispute over “draconian” cuts in working conditions.

Unison, the union that represents the retail staff, announced a 77 per cent vote in favour of strike action. Negotiations were scheduled to resume on afternoon, Monday.

Businesses in Orkney are being invited to submit ideas that could earn them a share of a £120,000 funding package set up by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The £120,000 Tourism, Heritage and Technology Challenge Fund is launched today, Tuesday, and aims to encourage "innovative and collaborative working" across the Highlands and Islands using technology to link tourism and heritage.

Anyone interested can find out more and register interest online at www.hie.co.uk/tht-challenge.

A speech promoting arranged marriages won the Orkney round of the Young Farmers Clubs' junior speechmaking competition on Sunday.

The Harray 'A' team, comprising speaker Charles Copland, chairperson Aison Aim, and Inga Nicolson, who gave the vote of thanks, will go on to the North Area finals in Forres, on December 3, along with at least one of the two other Harray teams, which were placed second and third.

There were also two Sandwick teams in the competition at Stromness Academy, which was judged by Richard Shearer, Kathryn Sclater and Derek Tait.

Billy Brown from Stromness, whose canary was supreme champion at the Orkney Cage Bird Society’s show in Kirkwall on Saturday.

Councillors on the OIC’s policy and resources committee will be asked on Tuesday to approve an increase in charges to shipping operations in Scapa Flow.

Sanday athlete William Sichel began his attempt at a six day, non-stop ultra endurance event on Saturday – taking part in the “No finish Line” six-day ultramarathon in Monaco.

William toed the line, with about 40 other competitors on the harbour-side one kilometre course in Monaco.

The purpose of the event is to cover the greatest distance possible, on foot, in six days.