Members of the public are being encouraged to get involved in two separate, major consultation opportunities which could develop the future layouts of Kirkwall and Stromness.

Islands councillors agreed last week that the masterplan studies for the two towns should go out to public consultation.

The message from councillors is clear - the public should use this unique opportunity to have their say on the future of Kirkwall and Stromness.

The consultation will run between October 9 and November 21, 2008, with public meetings, being held in Kirkwall Town Hall on Monday, October 20, from 7-9pm, and Stromness Town Hall, on Wednesday, October 29, from 7.30-9.30pm.

See www.orkney.gov.uk for more information

It's official, Orkney has the highest standard of schools in Scotland.

After a government report on school buildings in Scotland, Orkney has come out top, being the only area to have no primary or secondary schools in the “poor” or “bad” bandings.

All of Orkney’s 27 schools received an “A” banding, for good, or a “B” banding, which is satisfactory.

Also, none of Orkney’s schools were over capacity for the number of pupils on the school roll.

The QE2 pictured as it passed through the Pentland Firth on Monday night.

The QE2 slipped quietly past Orkney on Monday evening, and was captured on camera by Kirkwall's Duncan Clewett.

He positioned himself at Burwick to get a last view of the 70,000-tonne ship, which has clocked up more nautical miles than any other ship in history.

The vessel be officially retired on November 11, having been sold to the Dubai World Company in a £50 million deal.

The liner will then be berthed at a specially constructed pier at the Palm Jumeirah development in Dubai and begin a new life as a hotel and entertainment destination.

Stromness Lifeboat attended a vessel with propeller problems on Wednesday morning.

Shetland Coastguard received a call from the crew onboard the Kingfisher this morning, who were experiencing a fouled propeller.

The lifeboat attended the scene, which was about 16 miles north-west of Stromness.

One of two Coastguard rescue helicopters in Scotland was grounded on Tuesday because of a dispute over the European working time regulations.

The Shetland-based aircraft stopped flying for a number of hours, while crews sought clarification on their working time limits.

The helicopter was allowed back in the air following urgent talks involving its operator, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Northern isles MP, Alistair Carmichael, said: "It is unacceptable that seafarers in the north and west of Scotland should be left without adequate cover at this time of year. The point in dispute is a reasonable one, but it is not the sort of issue which should have left us without helicopter cover."

On Tuesday, September 23, between 3pm and 4.30pm, a large bag was removed from the rear of a vehicle which was parked at St Olafs Wynd, Kirkwall.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Kirkwall Police Station, on 872241.

Loganair has announced a new scheduled air service between Kirkwall and Bergen, in Norway, from the summer of 2009.

From the end of May, to the end of August, 2009, Loganair will operate flights each Saturday and Wednesday.

Loganair chairman, Scott Grier, said: "We are confident that the new air service will be very popular at both ends of the route and will help to renew old friendships."

The flight details are Wednesdays and Saturdays: depart Kirkwall at 11.40am, arrive Bergen at 2pm, and depart Bergen 2.40pm, arriving into Kirkwall at 3pm.

Stromness Councillor Ian Johnstone has appealed for members of Stromness community council to have their say on the Stromness Urban Design Framework (masterplan) document which was approved at a full meeting of Orkney Islands Council last week and is open to public consultation for the next six weeks.

Speaking at Monday evening's meeting, Councillor Johnstone said: "I think it's a very important document and it effects everyone.

He told community councillors: "More than anybody else, you should look into it. This is one you should look into, cover to cover. Once it is adopted by the council that will have an effect on everything that happens as far as planning is concerned in Stromness."

An emotive public meeting on anti-social behaviour was held in Kirkwall on Monday night when about 30 people turned up to question Orkney Islands Council's housing allocations policy.

After numerous concerns were raised about tenants' behaviour, vandalism, noise nuisance and littering, councillors are going to take to the streets to see, first-hand, the problems within Papdale's housing schemes.

Several councillors are planning to take a "walk around" the area on Friday at 9.30am and they want to hear from concerned residents.

Councillor Bobby Leslie said: "Stop us and tell us what you want us to know about."

A male has been reported to the procurator fiscal following an incident at Kirkwall Airport at the weekend.

A spokesman from Kirkwall Police Station said an aircraft had been "unlawfully entered".

Two men were remanded in custody after appearing at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday.

Michael Robert Scott Budge, 20, and 21-year-old Garry Raymond Sutherland appeared from custody on Monday morning.

Budge, of Block 44, Flat 21, Room E, Spring Gardens, Aberdeen, appeared in connection with an assault on Burnmouth Road, Kirkwall, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Sutherland, of 19 Linklet, Kirkwall, appeared in connection with a serious assault at the same location on the same date.

Both made no plea or declaration and were committed for further examination.

An oiled eider duck found in Caithness. (Picture: Martyn Elwell)

The RSPB in Scotland is calling for tighter controls on the marine environment following a third oil spill in the Pentland Firth in six months.

It is believed that the spillage may have been caused by a tanker washing out its tanks as it passed Caithness at the end of last week.

More than 200 oiled birds have been found with varying degrees of severity along the Caithness coast. To date, only one oiled bird has been found in Orkney.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has taken samples for analysis to confirm the oil's origin.

A former Stromness Academy pupil has seen her north east public relations company scoop an award for its charitable efforts.

Mackenzie PR, which was set up by Morven Mackenzie, 36, five years ago, won the award for “Socially Responsible Company of the Year” at the Northern Star Business awards, hosted by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.