| Name ceremony for Lily |
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The Orkney Yole Association hosted an event in Stromness on Saturday, to celebrate the launch of their new yole, Lily.
The yole was built by local boatbuilder Ian Richardson using money provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
She will be named at at the navigation pier in Stromness, followed by refreshments and entertainment in the Pier Arts centre. |
| SAC consider St Rognvald sculpture |
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The Scottish Arts Council will, this month, consider the application from the Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council for funding for a sculpture in memory of Earl Rognvald.
The statue of Earl Rognvald - founder of St Magnus Cathedral - is wholly dependent on getting cash from the SAC.
The statue, proposed for the Kirk Green, will mark the 850th anniversary of Rognvald’s death. |
| Academy pupils work on show in Pier Arts Centre |
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A new exhibition of artwork by S1 and S2 pupils at Stromness Academy opens at the Pier Arts Centre on Saturday and runs until May 20.
The exhibition features a selection of classwork highlighting the range of subject matter and the variety of materials and approaches that pupils are encouraged to take in their art work.
The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a large collaborative sculpture of a flock of starlings, which will bring together a bird made by every first year pupil.
Education officer at the Pier Arts Centre, Carol Dunbar said: “This is an excellent opportunity for parents and pupils alike to see their work in a gallery setting and also a chance for those moving up to secondary level to see the breadth of work that pupils tackle so successfully at the Academy.” |
| Post Office confirm four closures |
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The Post Office has confirmed that the Burray, Harray, Rendall and Swannay post offices are closing.
Following a six week consultation, the announcement was made on Friday.
Across the Western isles, Orkney and Shetland, 16 branches are being axed, with the first closures scheduled to take place in July 2008. |
| Early start to holidays for Papdale Primary |
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Primary three to seven pupils at Papdale Primary School will enjoy an early start to the summer holidays due to the ongoing refurbishment.
Letters were sent out to all parents last week, warning them of the additional two-day closure.
Headteacher, Jane Bruce, states: “On safety grounds and because of the scale of this operation, we were given special dispensation by the local authority for the primary wing of the school to close two days early for the summer break.”
The last day of term for the P3-7s will be Wednesday, June 25. However, pre-school, P1 and P2 classes will be unaffected by the change, with their last day on Friday, June 27. |
| World Heritage Site management plan out for consultation |
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 Members of the public are being asked for their views on two key documents that will shape the future of Orkney’s World Heritage Site.
The Heart of Neolithic Orkney Management Plan 2008-13 consultation draft and its accompanying Environmental Report were published on Thursday.
The documents can be downloaded here. Printed versions will be available at the Kirkwall and Stromness libraries, OIC reception and Skara Brae visitor centre. |
| Fresson flypast a "soaring" success |
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 Pioneering aviator, Captain Ted Fresson’s son, Richard, was on board the original de Havilland DH 60 Moth G-AAWO aircraft during a flypast to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the beginning of air travel in the Highlands and Islands on Thursday afternoon.
After the flight, Mr Fresson said: “It was marvellous. It was real flying.”
Thursday’s date commemorated the anniversary of the world’s longest continually running air route, between Kirkwall and Inverness.
Cairns were unveiled at Kirkwall's original Wideford airstrip site, and the Longman site of the original Inverness Airport.
A brass plaque was also revealed at Kirkwall Airport by chairman of Loganair, Scott Grier. |
| New moon cradles the old... |
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The "New Moon" cradling the "Old Moon". The picture, from Rousay astronomer John Vetterlein was taken from Rousay on Wednesday, May 7, at 11 34pm. The bright star a little above the Moon is Elnath in Taurus. Click the image for an enlargement.
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| Three architects shortlisted for Stromness pierhead redevelopment |
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Orkney Islands Council has selected three architects to produce design concepts for the redevelopment of Stromness Pierhead.
From the 21 initial expressions of interest, a shortlist of three architects has been drawn up by a judging panel, which included Stromness councillors James
Stockan and Ian Johnstone.
The shortlisted architects are Graeme Massie Architects, Malcolm Fraser Architects, and Reiach and Hall.
They will now receive an updated brief for the project and an exhibition of their concepts will be held during this year’s Shopping Week. The public will have the opportunity to comment on each concept at the exhibition. |
| Council confirm status of Ayre House as apartment development mooted |
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 Plans to construct a four-storey complex of apartments overlooking the Peerie Sea will come before Orkney Islands Council’s planning committee in the next few months.
The private development, west of the Peerie Sea, will see the existing house - Ayre House - demolished.
An OIC document, dating from 1999, stating the building is listed was dismissed as a mistake by the council this week.
A spokeswoman said that although the council recognised the document was received by the then owner in March, 1999, checks with the Scottish Government have confirmed that Ayre House is not a listed building.
She added: “We're unsure as to how it was suggested in 1999 that this was the case. We can only assume that there has been some confusion between Ayre House and Ayre Mills.” |
| Theatre suggested for power station site |
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The future of the power station site on Great Western Road was discussed at this week’s Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council, with a new arts theatre mooted as one preferred option.
Member, Alastair MacLeod, raised the matter at the meeting claiming he had been “reliably informed” that the power station was going to be decommissioned and the building closed down in the next five or six years.
Chairman, Spencer Rosie, commented: “There is no doubt, if they do decommission the power station, it is a wonderful opportunity. It is one of the worst eyesores for Kirkwall.
“The building itself, is a fine building, it would make a wonderful arts theatre.” |
| Tesco due to submit planning application |
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Tesco is due to submit a planning application to Orkney Islands Council this week for their planned store extension.
The supermarket giants, who took over the Somerfield store in Kirkwall on Saturday, met with council officials recently.
A spokeswoman from Orkney Islands Council said: "They undertook to get a planning application in this week but it has not been received as yet. Any planning application will have to go through the normal planning channels." |
| Chairman and vice-chairman re-elected to Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council |
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Spencer Rosie and Bryan Taylor were re-elected chairman and vice-chairman respectively of Kirkwall and St Ola Community Council.
Mr Rosie thanked his fellow members for having the confidence in him for another year.
"This is my ninth year as chairman and I think ten years is probably enough. I should do a Tony Blair, but I won't as I want to stay on as a back bench member!" |
| New Rousay GP starts on Thursday |
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Dr Sue Macalister is due to start as the new resident GP for Rousay on Thursday.
According to NHS Orkney, the appointment will offer the island residents a period of stability while work continues through the NHS Orkney Shaping Up Programme to agree the future delivery of primary care services.
NHS Orkney would like to thank the community nursing team and Rousay practice staff for continuing to support provision of services to the community. |
| Public invitation to NHS workshops |
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NHS Orkney is looking to find better ways of involving the public in planning and delivering health care services in Orkney.
Health Board staff, patients and anyone with an interest in health are invited to workshops in the King Street Halls, Kirkwall, on Thursday, May 15, to air their views.
Rhoda Walker, lead director for patient focus and public involvement, said: “Public involvement is a key area of all the work we do and we hope this event will help to get views on how folk want to be involved and how we can communicate to keep them involved and informed.”
Anyone interested in attending should contact 888044. |
| New study into MS in Orkney |
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 A major study looking at Multiple Sclerosis has been launched in Orkney by Dr Jim Wilson, of the University of Edinburgh.
He is appealing for people with the condition to come forward after attracting funding of £215,000, over two years, from the MS Society of Scotland.
He said it was important to understand why the rates are so high in Orkney and Shetland.
GPs will be writing to patients known to have the condition to ask them to come forward, but Dr Wilson wants anyone with MS, whether an Orcadian living at home or away, and those who moved to the county with the condition, to get in touch.
For more information or to take part contact Kay Lindsay, project manager, on 0131 651 1643 or e.mail orkney@ed.ac.uk. |
| Eday resident charged with drink driving |
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A 60-year-old man from Eday appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Friday charged with being four-and-a-half times over the legal drink drive limit.
A police spokesman said the driver was stopped on Broad Street in Kirkwall after coming off the ferry.
The case against him was continued without plea and he will appear at court again later this month. |
| Record number of passengers at airports |
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Passenger number at Kirkwall airport continue to grow, according to figures published by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.
The annual total for 2007/08 as 149,924 – an 8.8 per cent increase over the previous year.
A spokesman for HIAL said: “Increases to frequency and capacity on routes operated by Loganair have been a significant contributory factor to the growth achieved this year, helping to make the region’s remotest locations more accessible.”
Over the Highlands and Islands network as a whole, passenger numbers reached a record high of 1, 270, 023 in the past year. |
| Orkney Economic Review released |
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The new Orkney Economic Review 2008 was released on Friday and is available to download at the Orkney Islands Council website.
The document contains a range of statistical information including data on population, industry performance and transport. It also contains the latest employment figures and information on ferry and airport use.
A limited number of hard copies are also available from the Council’s Customer Services Reception and at Kirkwall and Stromness libraries. |
