In this week’s edition of The Orcadian

This week’s edition of The Orcadian has gone purple in aid of CLAN Cancer support and is now available from all the usual outlets and online, here.

This week’s front page features all the latest news on the closure and re-opening of one of Orkney’s foremost historical sites — Maeshowe, in Stenness.

• The ongoing saga of Maeshowe’s closure took a twist this week when, just hours after Historic Environment Scotland (HES) closed the monument on Monday, it was announced to would re-open today.

• Terms including “blackmail” and HES “holding a gun to the council’s head” were used in the OIC council chamber on Tuesday, during discussions on the ongoing Maeshowe situation.

Also in this week’s paper:

• Councillors have given their backing to the building of a new 60-bed care home for Kirkwall — at a cost of £15 million.

• It was reported this week that a convicted murderer from Orkney, Michael Ross, planned to escape from prison using an angle grinder stolen from a prison workshop.

• The number of patients in Orkney who can receive certain types of chemotherapy has almost doubled, thanks to a generous donation which will save numerous patients travelling to Aberdeen.

For full round-ups of all Orkney’s farming, sports, marine and entertainments news pick up a copy of the paper today.