A look back at events of 2004

October

• In October, The Orcadian revealed that only half the beds at Balfour hospital are occupied at times - leading to an unnecessarily high staff wage bill.
  
  Steve Conway, NHS Orkney's chief executive, admitted that he was baffled by a failure to recognise that savings could have been made in this area.
  Mr Conway was speaking after it was discovered that up to a third of beds at the hospital could be lost.
  
  A confidential internal document was circulated, outlining a number of options for the hospital, resulting in savings of between £50,000 and £75,000 a year.
  
  Mr Conway said: "I could not believe sitting in this office and what they (health board staff) were telling me - we are underoccupied, over-budget and no-one has done anything about it."
• There were more worries over health when it was revealed that cuts at Balfour Hospital were being considered.
  
  A "strictly confidential" internal document was circulated detailing a number of options for the future of the hospital, all of which include reducing the amount of beds. Short-term proposals were drawn up, which were expected to be put in place by next April. The St Ninian ward was hit particularly badly with a proposed drop from 30 beds to 16.
• The controversial news that NorthLink Ferries was to change its 2005 timetable was greeted with a mixed response.
  
  Plans to scrap the early morning Pentland Firth sailings - the under-used 3.45am, from Stromness, and the 6am from Scrabster, replacing them with later times - were met with concern from at least one wholesale company. George Kirkpatrick, of Wilson's in Stromness, said: "The freight operators, not getting the early morning sailing into Orkney really is quite a difficult problem for them."
• Royal wedding fever gripped Orkney in October when a Sri Lankan prince and his wife arrived in the county. Secrecy surrounded the visit of Raja Prince Jerry Remigius Kanagarajah, of the Jaffna dynasty, and his wife Princess Aishwary Rajnandhini Lusijah Kanagarajah.
  
  The prince and his wife, who married in 2002, in London, came to Orkney for a wedding blessing, which was held in Balfour Castle chapel on Shapinsay.
• BBC travel programme, Holiday 2005 filmed in Orkney focusing on Kirkwall's Fusion nightclub, as the hub of Orkney's entertainment scene. The crew, along with presenter Ginny Buckley, filmed at popular tourist attractions such as Skara Brae.
• Loganair announced an increased service between Inverness and Kirkwall at the expense of the Wick connection. As part of the company's new winter programme, it was decided to increase the service to three return flights during week days and two returns available on Saturday and Sunday.
• Three wind turbines were put up in Sanday to provide the island with renewable energy - but some residents on neighbouring Eday said that they were unhappy with the effect on the landscape of the North Isles.
  
  The turbines were put up by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE). The scheme could generate enough power to meet the needs of up to 7,000 households.