OIC News
Flagstone repairs are due to be carried out in Stromness this coming week (22 to 26 October) - leading to sections of the street being closed whilst the work takes place.
A collaborative public artwork created by adults with learning disabilities, professional artists and local community groups in Orkney will be unveiled on Monday (October 22).
Orkney Islands Council has welcomed an invitation to further develop plans for local decision making on seabed leasing in the waters around the county.
An event takes place this week to help people in Orkney make the most of the internet.
On 11 November 2018, the public is invited to gather on Scapa beach for an informal, nationwide gesture of remembrance for the men and women who left their home shores during the First World War.
A programme of events in Orkney to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War has been announced.
The HMS Royal Oak Roll of Honour has gone back on display at St Magnus Cathedral after conservation work to repair damage to the book.
Orkney Islands Council is advising the public there will be widespread disruption and outages to IT and telephone systems this weekend across all Council offices and facilities, as work to install vital new equipment at the core of the OIC network takes place.
Orkney Islands Council has launched a survey into the county’s recycling provision for householders.
An event takes place later this month to help people in Orkney make the most of the internet.
Orkney Islands Council is relaunching the Abattoir Challenge Fund.
Local people are being asked to keep an eye out for disadvantage in all its guises this Challenge Poverty week.
Next Saturday (13 October) sees the opening of the first autumn/winter 2018 exhibition at the Orkney Museum, Tankerness House, Broad Street, Kirkwall.
The first phase of work to make safe headstones found to be in a dangerous condition has been completed at four kirkyards in Orkney.
Isles residents with more than one car can now have two vehicles linked to books of travel tickets issued by Orkney Ferries.
Public views are being sought on Orkney Islands Council's strategy for bringing empty homes back into use.
The Council's Orkney Library and Archive team have been in the news again - this time for their tweet about a centuries-old item in their care which documents the selling of a piece of land for 'five crowns/krona and two ky' (cattle) in 1402.
Two schools in Orkney have been recognised this week with a prestigious national award from SportScotland for innovation and achievement in delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.
Two projects have been awarded funding from the local LEADER fund - with time is running out for other projects looking to secure support from the fund.
Parking is free once again from October 1 for the first hour at a number of town centre car parks in Orkney.
Tackling plastic pollution will be top of the list of topics taken to the public this Recycling Week by the Council’s waste team.
Orkney Islands Council Leader, James Stockan, is to meet with senior Scottish Government ministers over the next couple of weeks to discuss a range of issues around Orkney's internal and external ferry services.
Orkney's annual 'Meet the Buyer' networking event takes place on 10 October.
Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Blide Trust are appealing to members of the public for their help reporting vandalism, following recent damage at Tankerness House Gardens.
Extra land is being made available to encourage further business activity at Hatston Pier in Orkney.
A new coastal flood warning service for Orkney is launched today (Tuesday 18 September).
Reminders have been sent to households in Orkney that have so far not returned this year’s Electoral Registration forms.
Two local young people have been selected to sit on a national panel designed to ensure young peoples' voices are heard as part of the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
St Magnus Cathedral, one of Orkney’s best-known landmarks, is set to become the canvas for a short film as part of events to mark the armistice of the Great War.
The Council is reminding the public of the risks of dumping explosives following discovery by staff of 26 marine distress flares at St Margaret’s Hope household waste and recycling centre.
Diversions and changes to public bus timetables will be in place from this Monday (10 September) while vital road work is carried out by the Council on Junction Road and New Scapa Road in Kirkwall.
Orkney Islands Council and West Side Cinema have secured strategic support from Film Hub Scotland to continue to develop film exhibition and community cinema provision in the county.
Feedback received during the Council's recent 'Community Conversations' consultation meetings has been published today (Tuesday September 4) by the Council.
Visitors to St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall can now access a handy app providing an audio-visual guide to the iconic building.
Orkney Islands Council is urging local people to see if they can help complete a photographic collection of all Orcadian service personnel killed during the First World War, as the centenary of the end of the conflict draws near.
The Red Ensign flag will fly this Monday 3 September over the Town Hall in Kirkwall as Orkney Islands Council joins UK-wide events in recognition of the nation's merchant seafarers.
An oil painting which at one time adorned the walls of the canteen at the Royal Navy Base in Lyness has been selected to be restored via public donations.
Free sanitary products are to be made available in Orkney's schools from the first day of the new school term (Tuesday 21 August).
The new community learning guide for Autumn 2018 is now available.
Residents in Orkney are being encouraged not to lose their voice on matters that affect them by completing and returning their annual canvass form to the Electoral Registration Office as soon as possible.
The Council is advising that King Street in Kirkwall will be closed to traffic from tomorrow morning (Wednesday 15 August) for essential work to take place.
Car park attendants in Orkney are trialling the use of personal video cameras as a safety measure.
The UK President of the Royal Town Planning Institute is to visit Orkney next week to see for himself the award-winning regeneration work carried out in Stromness.
Orkney Islands Council has today (August 8) welcomed the news that thay have secured £670,000 from the European Regional Development Fund for a low carbon travel project in Stromness.
The Council is advising households with private water supplies that help is available if these run dry.
Pupils across Orkney are today (Tuesday 7 August) receiving their examination results from the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
A scheme aimed at helping local artists and crafts people take their creative development and ideas to the next level is open again for applications, following renewed backing from Creative Scotland.
Orkney Islands Council is asking Orkney households to take it all the way when it comes to putting their bins out.
The Council is seeking feedback on plans to charge for the use of community school kitchens for a number of events.
Visit our Waste team at the Shows this year for a chance to win a 'Green Johanna' hot composter and food waste digester.
The Council is reminding people in Westray that the refuse collection postponed on Tuesday will be taking place tomorrow (Thursday 26 July) instead.
Surface dressing work on the county's roads has finished for 2018.
The final major piece of work to ready the buildings at the Scapa Flow Museum for redevelopment will get underway this week.
Due to mechanical issues the refuse collection in Westray is being postponed.
Surface dressing is due to take place on Monday 23 July in Holm, on the Greenwall Road and then the Woodstock Road.
The offices currently used by NHS Orkney are to provide a base for Voluntary Action Orkney following the opening of the new hospital in Kirkwall.
Surface dressing work in Hoy has been completed today (Thursday 19 July).
The multi-agency Orkney Local Emergency Co-ordinating Group (OLECG) met today (Thursday 19 July) in response to the grounding of the freight vessel MV Priscilla on a skerry in the Pentland Firth.
Surface dressing is due to take place on Thursday and Friday this week (19 and 20 July) on a section of the B9047 (the main Moaness - Lyness - Longhope road) from the Hoy Hotel to just past the School (Hoy and North Walls Community School).
Surface dressing is set to continue tomorrow (Wednesday 18 July) on the B9047 (the main Moaness - Lyness - Longhope road) on a 1km section either side of Lyrawa Bay in North Hoy.
Surface dressing will take place in Hoy this week, with full road closures in place while work is carried out.
Local emergency services are assisting this years' campaign urging local people to get their children's car seats checked in light of startling national and local statistics.
No surface dressing is planned for Friday or Monday (13 and 16 July).
The Council is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced consultant to assess the impact of a major redevelopment of the Scapa Flow Museum at Lyness in Hoy.
Surface dressing is planned for tomorrow (Thursday 12 July) on the B9067 (the Pierowall to Kirbest road) between Gairy and the junction at Tufter (known locally as ‘Tifter’).
Surface dressing will start in Westray tomorrow, Wednesday 11 July, on the main Pierowall to Rapness road.
There will be no surface dressing on Tuesday 10 July as the team prepare to carry out work in Westray.
We will provide a further update tomorrow.
Orkney will host the 2023 Island Games after all 24 member islands of the International Island Games Association (IIGA) voted unanimously to award the event to the county.
Experienced people with a wide range of skills in the UK energy sector are invited to apply to the post of Chair of the new Orkney Research and Innovation Campus (ORIC).
The Islands Bill has received Royal Assent and become an Act of the Scottish Parliament.
Surface dressing continues tomorrow (Saturday 7 July) in Holm, on the road from Hurtiso to Warthill, where short signed diversions will be in place.
A century of tradition has come to an end inside Kirkwall’s St Magnus Cathedral with the cathedral clock having been wound by hand for the very last time (Thursday 5 July).
Surface dressing will begin tomorrow (Friday 6 July) in South Ronaldsay, on a small side road around half a mile from St Margaret’s Hope.
A consultation event is being held this Tuesday (10 July) to gather views on the Scottish Government's consultation on the 'Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing’ (EESSH) post 2020.
Surface dressing will continue on Thursday 5 July in South Ronaldsay, on two stretches of the road from St Margaret’s Hope to Hoxa.
There has been a change to the surface dressing work planned for today.
Surface dressing takes place on Wednesday 4 July in Holm, on the road from Hurtiso Farm to Warthill. Short signed diversions will be in place.
Surface dressing is set to take place on Tuesday 3 July on two sections of the Tankerness Hall. The road will be closed in both directions while the work is carried out, with short signed diversions in place.
Surface dressing work will resume on Monday (2 July) on the main road in Evie (the A966 from the 30mph sign at the cemetery to the Old Evie School). The road will be closed in both directions.
Orkney Islands Council Leader James Stockan has expressed concern that cheaper ferry fares are not being introduced on routes between Orkney and the Scottish mainland.
Staff at Stromness Academy are appealing to local families to check their bookshelves at home - to see if there are any school books lurking there.
No surface dressing is planned for Thursday and Friday (28 and 29 June) this week.
A temporary exhibition on the wartime history of Scapa Flow is due to open at the Hoy Hotel in Lyness on Saturday (30 June).
Everyone in Orkney should keep their Eyes Open for children at risk during the school holidays.
The issue of parcel surcharging has long been a bone of contention for many internet shoppers. However, consumers across the United Kingdom, and especially those living in Northern Ireland and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland are now set to benefit from the launch of a new website which provides a one stop shop to acknowledge these concerns.
Surface dressing work will continue tomorrow (Wednesday 27 June) on the main road in Evie (the A966 from the 30mph sign at the cemetery to the Old Evie School) and the road will be closed in both directions.
Surface dressing work will continue tomorrow (Tuesday 26 June) on the main road in Evie (the A966 from the 30mph sign at the cemetery to the Old Evie School) and the road will be closed in both directions.
Orkney has the highest food safety standards in Scotland, according to a recent survey by consumer group Which?.
An electronic magnifier has been presented to the Warehouse Buildings in Stromness to help people with a range of visual impairments.
Conservation work is to be carried out to repair damage to the HMS Royal Oak Roll of Honour.
Two anti-aircraft guns from the Scapa Flow Museum at Lyness are being transported to a new home in Dumfries.
Orkney’s Community Planning Partnership is to push Scottish and Westminster Governments for faster progress on the roll out of improvements to broadband coverage and speeds for Orkney’s most remote areas.
A consultation on Orkney Islands Council’s Sheltered Housing service remains open until the end of June.
Orkney’s Community Planning Environment Partnership is seeking public views on the latest version of its Orkney Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
The Council will be continuing surface dressing in the Wald Road and Hinderayre Road area of Evie and Rendall from Monday 18 June, moving onto Gorseness Road over following days.
Recycling collections in the linked South Isles are to be cancelled next week to allow Council crews to be diverted to grass cutting duties in the area’s kirkyards.
The Council will be carrying out surface dressing for a short time tomorrow (Saturday 16 June) in Orphir in the Kirbister/Waulkmill area between the track west of Waterfold and the junction with the Germiston Road at the Kirbister Loch end.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP today (Friday 15 June) performed the official opening ceremony at Orkney’s newest school.
Kirkwall's Bridge Street will be closed to traffic this Monday (18 June) as Orkney Islands Council carries out some temporary repairs.
The Orkney community is being asked for input into future public bus services for the county, ahead of preparations by Orkney Islands Council for the next contract period.
A new cardboard recycling container is now in operation at the Council’s household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) at Cursiter Quarry in Firth.
Work on headstones found to be in an unsafe condition is about to begin at kirkyards in Orkney.
Surface dressing will be carried out tomorrow (Friday 15 June) on the A964 Kirkwall-Houton-Stromness road on the stretch from Houton to Clowally.
Orkney Islands Council is asking for views on a possible change to the way its houses are let.
June is this year’s Scams Awareness month and the Trading Standards team at Orkney Islands Council is reminding people to be on their guard for scams which can target all age groups.
Due to the weather conditions forecast for tomorrow, surface dressing work is not expected to take place on Thursday 14 June.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 13 June) will see surface dressing starting on the A964 (main Kirkwall/Stromness to Houton road), from Houton to Nealand Kennels.
A co-ordinator has been appointed to take forward the work of the Orkney Community Justice Partnership.
Surface dressing work will continue in the Bay of Skaill/Skara Brae area, on the B9056 between the B9057 (the Loch of Skaill) and Quoyloo Road before moving onto the B9055 between Aith and Queena.
An unusual Kirkwall landmark has been given a bit of TLC as part of the Council's ongoing work on Kirkwall's harbour front.
Free business workshops are being held in Orkney next week to help small businesses polish up on their tendering skills when dealing with public sector bodies such as the Council.
Road maintenance works are due to be carried out on Stromness' main street from next week (11 June - 15 June).
The Council will be carrying out surface dressing in the Bay of Skaill and Skara Brae area on Thursday and Friday this week.
A new Chief Officer has been appointed for Orkney Health and Care, the Integration Joint Board that commissions and oversees community health and social care services in the islands.
People living in Orkney’s North and South Isles are being encouraged to contribute ideas as part of the community conversations initiative.
Surface dressing will be taking place on the A965 - the main Kirkwall to Stromness road - from Binscarth Farm to Germiston Road, over the course of Tuesday (5 June) and Wednesday (6 June) this week.
The Council is advising that surface dressing will take place on Monday 4 June on the Bigswell Road in Stenness.
Orkney Islands Council is looking to recruit Head Teachers for two distinct local schools.
The Council is advising that surface dressing road works will be carried out in two areas tomorrow (Friday 1 June):
Following an ongoing safety review of the county's cemeteries, Orkney Islands Council is urging local folk to check on their relatives headstones.
Orkney Islands Council has welcomed the outcome of today’s Islands Bill debate in the Scottish Parliament as an historic and momentous day for Scotland’s island communities.
Orkney Islands Council is urging local residents to share ideas on reducing their plastic footprint, as part of activities to mark World Environment Day on 5 June.
Are you a volunteer in youth services, or looking to obtain formal youth work qualifications for work you are already doing? Orkney Islands Council in conjunction with Youth Scotland have launched a rare opportunity for local people to gain a formal youth work qualification - for free.
Orkney Islands Council is urging householders to check if they could be eligible for funding to help keep their homes warm and cut fuel bills.
The Council is asking MSPs to support measures to bolster the Islands Bill during a key stage of its progress through the Scottish Parliament.
A talk taking place in Birsay next month will tell the story of an important research and archaeology project carried out as part of the Magnus 900 commemorations.
Surface dressing of the county’s roads continue next week across several locations in Orkney.
Orkney Islands Council's ‘Team Stromness’ scheme – a regeneration effort spanning the last ten years – took the top award at last night's Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence.
Council Leader James Stockan has welcomed an announcement by Transport and the Islands Minister Humza Yousaf on how the next Northern Isles ferry contract will be awarded.
Five community engagement events are to be held across the Orkney mainland and linked South Isles next month as Orkney Islands Council continues to tackle its ongoing budget challenge.
The Council's surface dressing works will move onto Back Road in Dounby tomorrow (Thursday 24 May), starting in the morning.
Orkney Islands Council is planning to carry out some road maintenance and flag repairs on Albert Street and Bridge Street, Kirkwall, tomorrow (Thursday 24 May) and Friday.
Drivers are advised surface dressing works by Orkney Islands Council will get underway again from the middle of next week (21 – 25 May).
Council Convener Harvey Johnston has described yesterday's Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations as ‘magnificent’.
There will be changes to public bus Service 9 (Kirkwall Town Service) and Service 7 (Stromness and Kirkwall to Birsay via Dounby) later this week as the Council's surface dressing work begins from Thursday 17 May.
Drivers are advised surface dressing works by Orkney Islands Council will start tomorrow, Thursday 17 May
Orkney Islands Council has welcomed the official launch of the BIG HIT hydrogen project.
Visitors from Norway will travel to Orkney to take part in the annual celebrations for Norwegian Constitution Day on Thursday 17 May.
The Council is suspending the introduction of a savings measure which reduced the number of free return trips for eligible passengers using Dial-a-Bus to 12 per year.
Drivers are reminded to check for road closures and diversions that could affect them when surface dressing work starts in Orkney this week.
Pupils from St Andrews Primary School enjoyed a visit to the Council Chamber in School Place last week.
Dog owners are being reminded to keep their dogs under control when near livestock.
Road surface dressing will bring road closures and bus service changes across Orkney. With road surface dressing due to start later this month, the Council is advising the public of how they can keep updated on road closures and bus service changes which might affect them.
A consultation on Orkney Islands Council’s Sheltered Housing service is now live.
P5 Pupils from Glaitness School have teamed up with ‘weel-kent’ local illustrator, Britt Harcus to launch a new book exploring the unique history and heritage of Kirkwall – through the eyes of an inquisitive curlew.
Orkney Islands Council is reminding the public that Council offices will be closed on Monday, 7 May for the ‘May Day’ public holiday.
Two new awards of funding will help support a major redevelopment project at the Scapa Flow Museum.
Orkney Islands Council is seeking views on design for housing in the countryside.
Road works on Junction and New Scapa Road will pause for the summer as the Council gears up for its annual surface dressing.
The next phase of a project looking at how a large scale wind farm could generate significant income and community benefit for Orkney has been announced at a public meeting in Hoy.
Orkney Islands Council’s Trading Standards team is warning local consumers and businesses about the increased use of ‘number spoofing’ by scam callers, following an increase in local residents reporting suspicious calls.
Prehistoric pottery is the focus of the Orkney Museum’s summer exhibition for 2018.
The Council's Marine Services have appointed port planning specialists to prepare a masterplan for Orkney Harbour areas.
A consultation is planned on how the Council best delivers its sheltered housing service in future.
An update from the Council will be provided for residents of Hoy and Walls on a project looking at how a large scale wind farm could serve as an important source of income and community benefit for the county.