| Antarctic gig for Sanday fiddler |
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 When it comes to gig venues, you wont get much cooler than Antarctica.
And on Saturday, a Sanday man was among those seen performing there as part of the global Live Earth event.
Tris Thorne, 28, performed at the British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station — one of the science team’s indie-rock house band Nunatak.
Tris said: “For Live Earth, we’ve been recording material which has been sent to Cambridge where it is being put together to form a sort of music video. |
| Orkney features on BBC Scotland |
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Orkney featured on BBC Scotland’s agricultural series Landward on Sunday.
The programme was filmed in May when the Landward team joined art and agriculture resident artist, Rebecca Marr, as she photographed her way around the county.
Orkney Auction Mart, Skaill Farm, Corrigall Farm Museum and the Pier Arts Centre all featured in the broadcast. |
| Trial date set for Edinburgh man |
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A 39-year-old Edinburgh man appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court this afternoon, facing charges of possessing a knife, an axe and a racially aggravated breach of the peace.
John Phillip Campbell Baxter, Inchgarvie Court, Ferry Road Drive Edinburgh, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Baxter was released on bail and a trial date set for October 3. |
| Tourism development moratorium to remain |
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A call to revoke a moratorium on the building tourist accommodation in rural areas was rejected by islands councillors on Thursday.
The moratorium applies to planning applications for rural tourism accommodation on the Mainland, but outwith areas zoned for housing development. It was introduced in 2006, to allow a review of a local plan policy that favoured tourist developments over housing.
An official recommendation to revoke the moratorium failed to gain enough support at the meeting of the full council. |
| NorthLink reopens Aberdeen luggage facility |
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NorthLink has reopened its left luggage facility in Aberdeen.
The move is in light of the reduction in the UK's security threat level from critical to severe. |
| Rousay clean-up operation under way |
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 A clean-up operation by Orkney Islands Council staff was launched on Thursday following a suspected vandalism attack on a OIC emulsion tanker parked on the Rousay pier overnight.
The vandalism saw a quantity of bitumen, used for resurfacing roads, spill onto the pier and beach.
The police were called to the scene and staff from the Council’s Harbours Department were in attendance. |
| New cafe approved for The Peppermill |
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Kirkwall looks set to get another cafe, after the new owners of The Peppermill, John Webster and Lisa McAlistair, pled the case for upstairs seating at Wednesday's meeting of Orkney Islands Council's environment, planning and protective services committee.
Councillors granted permission for change of use from store to cafe in the first floor loft space in the building, despite objections from owners of two neighbouring cafes.
Councillors expressed concerns that the proposals would not cater adequately for the disabled, and that refuse facilities on the premises were inadequate to cope.
A move to defer the application was defeated. |
| Sanday benefit fund opens for applications |
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 The Scottish Community Foundation is now accepting applications for grants from the Spurness Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in Sanday are encouraged to apply.
The fund is provided by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), which operates the wind farm at Spurness. SSE will contribute between £16,500 and around £25,000 annually to local initiatives through the fund.
Further information and application forms are available from the Scottish Community Foundation's website. Application forms are also available locally from Sanday Community Council clerk, Mr Mike Smith, Ootwill. |
| Industrial action to hit North Isles transport |
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Industrial action looks set to disrupt ferries to the North Isles this month as Orkney Ferries crewmen strike over pay conditions.
Although contingency measures will be looked at, Orkney Ferries says it cannot guarantee services to the North Isles between July 9-13 and July 26-30.
Harbours director, Captain Nigel Mills said: “During the periods of strike, it is unlikely that Orkney Ferries will be in a position to provide any services to Westray, North Ronaldsay, Eday, Sanday and Stronsay."
The link between Westray and Papa Westray should be unaffected along with services to Inner north isles and South Isles. |
| Shot putter earns Orkney's first island games medal |
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Shot putter Helen Cromarty earned Orkney’s first medal of the 2007 Island Games in Rhodes on Tuesday night.
This year’s medal follows the gold she claimed for Orkney in Shetland in 2005.
At the time of going to press, there was some debate as to whether a rule breach by another competitor in the final could see the bronze medal changed to silver. |
| Councillors push for completion of sustainable energy strategy |
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Islands councillors are pressing for the completion of a sustainable energy strategy for the county.
At Tuesday's meeting of the OIC sustainable energy sub-committee, Councillor Alistair Gordon said: “The position currently is that we don't have a policy and that we don't have a moratorium on aero-generators either. Which I don't think is at all satisfactory. We've got ourselves stuck in a hard place.”
OIC convener, Councillor Stephen Hagen and vice-convener, Councillor James Stockan agreed.
Councillor Stockan said: “It's critical that we put this in place as soon as possible. We need to have some direction and I think that this needs to come before everything else.” |
| New chairman for sustainable energy committee |
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Councillor Ian Johnstone was appointed chairman of the OIC’s sustainable energy sub-committee on Tuesday.
Proposed by convener, Councillor Stephen Hagen, Councillor Johnstone was unopposed. |
| Integrated tickets to benefit travellers |
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People travelling to Orkney using public transport can now benefit from new, integrated tickets.
A single ticket now covers the ferry crossing and the connecting bus or rail link and follows an agreement between First ScotRail, NorthLink Ferries and Rapsons Coaches.
The tickets have been welcomed by Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, who said: “This sensible and constructive move will benefit visitors and Orcadians alike.” |
| Air ambulance plea falling on deaf ears |
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A plea for a return to a Kirkwall-based Islander air ambulance service has fallen on deaf ears, according to Orkney MSP Liam McArthur.
As a result he has called for an independent review of the air ambulance service in Orkney because he is not convinced by Scottish Ambulance Service assurances that the new helicopter service has improved the service.
This review, he said, would “find that the position is not as rosy as the Scottish Ambulance Service would have us believe.” |
| MSP calls for reform of Arbuthnott Formula |
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Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has called for urgent reform of the Arbuthnott Formula - the formula used to allocate funding to Scotland’s NHS Boards.
The formula, said Mr McArthur, fails to make full allowance for the funding needs of NHS Orkney.
Mr McArthur said: "The indicators used under the formula for calculating deprivation and need are flawed, with the result that places like Orkney are put at a disadvantage when it comes to trying to deliver high quality healthcare." |
| Police step up security in response to Glasgow terror attack |
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Police in Orkney are to increase high-visibility patrols at Kirkwall Airport in the wake of Saturday’s terrorist attack in Glasgow.
A police spokesman said that although there is nothing to suggest that Orkney is in any way a target, as always the public are encouraged to report any activity they consider suspicious. |
| Orkney-bound viking ship leaves Denmark |
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 A replica Viking ship bound for Orkney and Ireland was due to leave Denmark on Sunday.
Sixty-five men and women will crew the Sea Stallion in an attempt to sail from Roskilde in Denmark, to Dublin.
After leaving Denmark on Sunday, the Sea Stallion will head north to Avaldsnes in Norway, where it will turn west, bound for Orkney. The vessel is due in the county around July 18, where it will stay for two days before setting out for Dublin. |
| North Ronaldsay gears up for third folk festival |
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The line-up is complete and the stage is set as this weekend’s North Ronaldsay Folk Festival approaches.
For the third year running, organisers have planned a weekend packed with entertainment, with 11 acts, both local and visiting, billed to appear from Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8.
Events kick off on Friday, July 6 at 11am. For more information log on to www.myspace.com/nrfolkfest. |
| New John Deere dealership announced |
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John Deere has announced the appointment of MLM Engineering as the new agricultural machinery dealer for Orkney and Shetland, following the closure of R. B. Flett Ltd last year.
The business is being run by three co-directors, Ian Mackay, David Linklater and Alan Muir, all of whom were previously employed by Fletts, and are based at the same premises in Orphir.
The new business also employs two service technicians, Mark Heddle and Edgar Thomson, and Dilys Linklater as office manager. |
