Police have confirmed that the boat found capsized in Hoy Sound on Saturday morning belonged to 23-year-old Alex Moar from Stromness.

It is believed that Mr Moar left Stromness alone on the vessel late on Friday night, with the intention of travelling to Hoy.

A police spokesman added that Mr Moar is still missing and the search, which is being carried out on land, sea and air, is continuing.

An extensive air, land and sea search took place off Stromness after the discovery of an overturned boat on Saturday morning.

A 999 call was received from a Graemsay resident who had spotted a red distress flare near the Point of Ness in Stromness.

At 1.30am the lifeboat found an upturned boat in Hoy Sound. An extensive search – involving the Stromness lifeboat and RAF and coastguard helicopters - is currently taking place around Hoy Sound.

Full planning permission has been granted for a new car park to the rear of the Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall.

Proposals are that a vehicle access be taken off Watergate at the location of the existing footpath.

An area of garden ground near to the hotel will be used to create 14 car parking spaces, and the area of the car park will be 25m x 15m.

Islands councillors have agreed to recommend the purchase of a strip of land adjacent to Happy Valley in Stenness.

The acquisition of a 0.2-acre strip of land, adjacent to the beauty spot, would, according to officials, maintain the integrity of the whole site.

Meanwhile, during a discussion on health and safety issues at Happy Valley, Councillors Roderick McLeod and John Eccles urged that the council did not go over the top with the “essential work".

After a 12 year absence the Junior Inter County Stuart Cup has returned to Orkney.

In the most nail-biting of finals on Thursday afternoon, Orkney’s netballers equalised 26-26 with Shetland with just 44 seconds to spare, meaning that Orkney’s one point lead gained from Wednesday’s football win carried them through to victory.

Orkney’s committee chairperson, Karen Oddie said; “We’re just absolutely delighted, but after this week’s tough competition everyone’s physically and emotionally drained!

Kirkwall police are appealing for information after a shed at the rear of a property in Kirkwall’s Junction Road was forced open.

The incident is believed to have taken place some time between 11am on Wednesday and 11am Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police station on 872241.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent KG, president of the RNLI, officially named the new Longhope Tamar class RNLI lifeboat on Thursday, after a visit to the three Orkney RNLI lifeboat stations.

HRH the Duke of Kent laid a wreath at the Longhope Lifeboat Memorial, after which met with lifeboat widows, crew, station personnel and fundraisers.

He officially named the Tamar class, all-weather RNLI lifeboat Helen Comrie and afterwards joined the crew aboard the new lifeboat for a short trip. 

An Orkney beer has been named the 2007 Campaign for Real Ales Scotland champion ale.

Swannay Brewery's Dark Munro beat off competition from throughout Scotland to claim the title.

At 4 per cent APV, the dark beer compares to paler ales in terms of its drinkability, and it is this which made it clinch the post from the second and third placed competitors - both pale ales.

Councillor Jimmy Moar has been named vice-chairman of the OIC's environment, planning and protective services committee.

Councillor Moar was elected unnopposed at Thursday's meeting of the committee.

Plans to introduce a single headteacher for the Firth and Evie primary schools got the backing of islands councillors last week – despite stiff opposition from the Orkney branch of the EIS teachers’ union.

Councillors at last Wednesday’s meeting of the education, recreation and cultural services committee heard that the concept of a linked head has already proved successful at the Burray/St Margaret’s Hope and Orphir/Stenness schools.

All aspects of nursery provision at the North Ronaldsay Primary School are very good or good - according to the latest inspection report from HMIE, published on Wednesday.

The only recommendation was that children should have more opportunities to experiment with sounds, musical instruments and make their own music.

A proposal to delay an extension to the North Walls nursery, was overturned by islands councillors on Wednesday.

Members of the OIC’s education, recreation and cultural services committee went against official recommendations, supporting an amendment made by Councillor John Eccles that work should go ahead as planned.

Councillor Eccles, who had been elected vice-chairman of the committee at the start of the meeting, made an impassioned plea to the chamber urging that work gets under way as soon as possible.

His amendment, that work proceed, won the day by nine votes to four.

Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney have been successful in their joint bid to receive more than £1.1million from the Scottish Executive's Efficiency and Reform Fund, it was announced on Wednesday.

To cover the first year of "Joint Working in Orkney" an initial grant of £580,000 has been confirmed, which will be used by the two organisations to develop a number of combined initiatives, which will subsequently lead to savings in the long term.

Alistair Buchan, OIC's Chief Executive, said: "We are now firmly on a journey which will ultimately secure the future of the public sector in Orkney in a way which is sustainable, values our workforce and most importantly provides the best possible services to the community."

A West Mainland councillor claims VisitOrkney is being “forced” into the new Kirkwall Travel Centre.

Councillor Alistair Gordon said at Tuesday’s OIC transportation committee meeting: “It strikes me as being slightly odd; we build a building first and then get around to looking for customers for it afterwards.

“Currently, VisitOrkney has about one of the best tourist information centre sites in Scotland next to the Cathedral in the centre of Kirkwall.”

Councillor Gordon continued: “We are more of less forcing VisitOrkney into the building. I still think it is a case of the tail wagging the dog.”

Alternative designs are still being looked at for the damaged Millburn Bridge in Hoy.

Councillors at the OIC transportation committee meeting on Tuesday heard from the director of technical services, Brian Thomson, that a budget up to £630,000 may be necessary to complete the project.

Highlands and Islands MSP Peter Peacock has tabled a parliamentary question on the level of funding the OIC receives from central government, which, overall, appears less than either the Western Isles or Shetland.

Mr Peacock said: “Although Orkney, historically, has received less overall grant from central government it also has a smaller population than the other two islands groups. That said, I do believe there remains a financial anomaly between the island groups which continues to need to be addressed."

He added that his question aimed to draw out the precise reasons for the funding differences, to find out whether the gap has been narrowing, and what the Executive plans to eliminate the gap in funding.

Councillor Andrew Drever was elected vice-chairman at the first meeting of the OIC’s transportation committee of the new session on Wednesday.

The Shapinsay Primary School is making good progress, according to the HMIE follow-through inspection report, published this week.

The school was originally inspected in June 2005 and has been working towards meeting the main points for action.

Following Monday's appeal for information relating to the vandalism of the Dingieshowe public toilets in Deerness, police would also like to hear from anyone involved in a campfire 30 metres to the east of the building.

This is in addition to speaking to the occupants of a red estate car and the owner of a lime green motorcycle seen nearby.

Between 7pm on Saturday night and 10am on Sunday morning the doors were “removed” from the toilet building.

A 17-year-old youth was remanded in custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday afternoon.

Scott Fergus Scollie, 57B Dundas Street, Stromness, pled not guilty to a number of charges, including assault, breach of the peace and resisting arrest at two separate address in Kirkwall on Friday night.

Orkney’s MSP put old trauma behind him to recognise the importance of the junior inter-county sports competition.

Liam McArthur has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating the Junior Inter-County Associations and recognising the positive impact 60 years of the Stuart Cup competition has had on sports development.

“I expect that the celebrations have enabled many former participants and organisers to take a trip down memory lane,” he said. “In that spirit, can I just say that in 1985 against Shetland, we were robbed!”

Mr McArthur’s header was controversially ruled saved on the line in that competition.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was allegedly assaulted in a Kirkwall bar on Friday night.

A police spokesman said the incident occurred in the Ayre Hotel between 11pm and 11.30pm.

The congregation of the Evie Church moved into their new church building for the first time on Sunday.

Designed by Costa-based architect, Lindsay Blair, the new kirk is the first new Church of Scotland church in Orkney since the Moncur Memorial Church was built in Stronsay in the 1950s.