Archive News

Surface dressing is planned for Monday 2 August on the road that runs through Herston in South Ronaldsay.

The community resilience pandemic response work by a small team at Orkney Islands Council has been recognised at a national level.

The LGC Awards judging panel have shortlisted the Council’s entry “Orkney at its best – creating COVID solution through community” within the Community Involvement category.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is asking the public and businesses to share their views on shaping flood risk actions and objectives for Orkney and other high-risk areas of Scotland.

SEPA has launched a joint consultation with Orkney Islands Council and other local authorities, to help shape the direction and delivery of flood risk management across the country.

Did you know you can take a virtual tour of St Magnus Cathedral?

...just follow this link www.orkney.gov.uk/StMagnus for a video tour that will take you to all parts of the building, including the upper levels where the bells and intriguing artifacts like a hangman’s ladder can be found.

Our roads crews are planning to carry out surface dressing in South Ronaldsay on Friday 30 July.

A consultation begins today on the latest version of the Council’s Sustainable Procurement Policy.

You can find out more about the draft policy and take part in the consultation online.

Our roads crews are hoping to complete surface dressing in St Margaret’s Hope on Thursday 29 July – weather permitting.

The Council is seeking to recruit additional mobile toilet attendants to assist with the ongoing cleaning programme at the public toilet facilities across the county.

Tiny Malcolm Clark had a mountain to climb when he was born three months prematurely weighing less than a 2lb bag of sugar on 2 September 2015.

Now a strapping five-year-old – Malcolm, from Hoy, is still climbing – this time Orkney’s highest hill – Ward Hill on Hoy – raising money for the hospital that cared for him when he was born. 

A 10-year-old Glaitness School pupil says “dreams do come true when you work hard” – after making a name for herself in the competitive world of equestrianism.

Jorgi Craigie and her mum Caroline made a 1,500-mile round trip to compete in one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events – the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead in England.

Due to a vacant post, the Council and partner organisations involved in natural heritage management and protection are looking at how the Centre can be taken forward in conjunction with changes to national biodiversity recording.

The Council’s roads crews are planning to carry out surface dressing in St Margaret’s Hope on Wednesday 28 July – weather permitting.

The Westray community are being invited along to the island school on Wednesday 28 July to meet Orkney’s new Area Commander Chief Inspector Ali Garrow.

Orkney Islands Council’s School Meals’ Service has been given a resounding endorsement by the Soil Association’s Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) inspectors.

Our roads crews are hoping to carry out surface dressing at Ness Road in Burray on Tuesday 27 July – weather permitting.

The Westray community – including a number of our school pupils – have rallied to support the RNLI – taking up the “scary” challenge of designing and making their own scarecrows.

Surface dressing work planned for Ness Road in Burray today (Monday 26 July) has been postponed because of the weather conditions.

The Council’s road crews are heading to Ness Road in Burray (from the A961 Junction to Pole Farm) to carry out surface dressing works on Monday 26 July.

The Orkney flag is flying high in the heart of London’s Parliament Square this week.

The flags of 52 historic counties have been raised in a resplendent celebration of the nation’s heritage to mark the Historic County Flags Day today, Friday 23 July – and they will remain aloft until 27 July.

Surface dressing road works will take place on Kirbuster Road, Stronsay tomorrow, Friday 23 July. Full road closures will be in place from 9am.

As we pass the half-way mark of the school summer holidays, we want to remind families to check whether or not they may be entitled to free school meals and the associated benefits this could bring.

Papdale Primary School’s Sarah Seatter has challenged herself to walk 100 miles this summer to raise money for a children’s cancer charity.

Ten-year-old Sarah has also been growing her hair which she plans to have chopped next month and donate to the Little Princess Trust for a wig to be made for a child affected by cancer.

Electric vehicle (EV) owners are reminded that charge points across Scotland will be unavailable overnight between 10pm on Monday 26 July and 5am on Tuesday 27 July while the ChargePlace Scotland system migrates to a new network operator.

Surface dressing road works crews will be heading to Holland Road in Stronsay tomorrow, Thursday 22 July - full road closures will be in place from 09:00.

Papdale Primary School’s Megan Flynn is a young female motocross rider in what is historically a male dominated sport and scrambling her way to success!

The eight-year-old from Kirkwall is the only junior female rider at the Orkney Motocross Club but she hasn’t let this put her off and was recently was awarded the Robertson’s Shield and Arkh Angell Cup 2021 for her dirt bike efforts.

With the current dry weather and advice from Scottish Water encouraging wise water use by the public, Orkney Islands Council is reminding owners of private Water Supplies (PWS) to take similar steps and report any concerns they have about water levels or quality to OIC’s Environmental Health team.

The Scottish Government has moved all of Scotland into level zero – meaning domestic cruise at Scottish ports and harbours, including Orkney, can resume.

Around 1400 low income families in Orkney will receive a £130 cash boost in August, as Orkney Islands Council delivers the Scottish Government’s Low Income Pandemic Payment.

Surface dressing road works crews will move to Everbay and Hescombe Roads in Stronsay tomorrow, 20 July. Full road closures will be in place from 09:00.

Orkney Islands Council’s Sport and Leisure team working in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport are running a Disability Sport Week from 31 July - 6 August, jam packed with games and activities for children with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

Birsay Community Council is very much looking to the long term when it comes to the benefits it receives from local renewable energy projects - both in terms of the projects they use the fund for and the potential benefits that could come from new wind energy developments in the Birsay area.

Surface dressing work is due to take place in Stronsay next week.

Orkney Islands Council has appointed consultants Robert Potter Partners LLP to work up initial designs for the proposed new nursery on the grounds at Orkney College.

Orkney Islands Council is reminding users of the Cursiter Household Recycling Centre that the facility is only accepting domestic recyclable material.

Planning application documents have been submitted by Orkney Islands Council for a six-turbine wind farm development and associated marine infrastructure on Faray in Orkney’s North Isles.

Following completion of surface dressing road works at Stove Road in Deerness today crews will move to Northfield and Southbreck Roads in Burray tomorrow, Thursday 15 July.

If you’ve driven past the primary school in Evie recently, you might have spied work going on to install a new community playpark.  Designed by landscape architect Sam Green, the park incorporates modern natural play features, alongside playpark staples like chutes and swings.

For nearly twenty years, the Spurness wind turbines have been a fixture of the Sanday skyline and in that time have  - through a location specific community benefit fund – supported multiple local clubs and organisations, paid for numerous trips to the mainland for sports and training – and even helped to ensure that school bairns in Sanday get their five a day!

Following completion of surface dressing road works at Manse and Aikerskaill Roads in Deerness today, crews will move to Stove Road, Deerness tomorrow, 14 July. This is a dead end minor road. Works will be carried out on the full length of the road and full road closures will be in place.

Following completion of surface dressing road works at Halley Road in Deerness today, crews will move to Aikerskaill and Manse Road in the parish tomorrow, Tuesday 13 July.

Carness Road in Kirkwall will be closed between its junctions with Weyland Bay and Craigiefield roads,  from Monday 19 July 2021 to late August, to enable road works required by Phase 1 of the new Council housing development at Carness.

Orkney Islands Council is calling for submissions from artists and writers with proposals for a public art installation to mark the centenary this year of the birth of one of Orkney’s most prominent cultural icons - George Mackay Brown.

Electric vehicle (EV) owners are reminded that charge points across Scotland will be unavailable overnight between 10pm on Monday 26 July and 5am on Tuesday 27 July while the ChargePlace Scotland system migrates to a new network operator.

The Royal Navy’s bomb disposal experts in Scotland have exercised their Freedom of Orkney by marching through the streets of Kirkwall.

Orkney Islands Council is reminding householders of the simple things they can do to help bin collections run smoothly and prolong the life of their bin.

Orkney Islands Council is advising surface dressing road works will be taking place on Monday 12 July at Halley Road in Deerness – between its junctions with Link Road and Braebuster Road. A short detour will be in place via Denwick and Link Road.

Long-serving Council employee – Gillian Morrison - has paid tribute to her colleagues and Elected Members whilst also stating that “the 20 years working for OIC have undoubtedly been the best” in her 37-year career in public service.

Orkney Islands Council's Road Operations team will be working on Junction Road in Kirkwall early next week, between the roundabout and Gunn’s Close Car Park, to replace a manhole cover.

A planning application for works to transform an area of green space at Papdale into a community park for all ages and abilities has been approved by Orkney Islands Council's Planning committee.

Orkney Islands Council is advising people to be on the lookout for blooms of blue-green algae in lochs, burns and other watercourses.

The Royal Navy Northern Diving Group will be holding two displays about their Explosive Ordnance Disposal work during their visit to Orkney this week.

The team will be at the Broad Street carpark in Kirkwall from 13:00 on Thursday July 8

Later the same day, they will be at the Stromness Academy carpark from 18:30 to 20:00.

Councillors paid tribute to two outgoing Executive Directors at this week’s Full Council meeting.

Orkney Islands Council has today agreed to establish a £300k fund to provide emergency support to Orkney’s Third Sector as they face considerable financial pressures and surges in demand for their services as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Orkney Islands Council and Crown Estate Scotland have signed an agreement to work together in developing a deep-water quay in Scapa Flow.

Orkney Islands Council is advising that while recent mechanical issues have been resolved, surface dressing is likely to be on hold until Thursday (8 July) due to current weather forecasts.

A special online portal has been launched to ensure eligible social care Personal Assistants receive a £500 “thank you” payment in recognition of their work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

More families than ever before in Orkney are benefiting from free school meals and the school clothing allowance – however, OIC is urging anyone who may still be missing out to check to see whether or not they are entitled.

The Council's Household Waste Recycling Centre at St. Margaret’s Hope temporarily closed today, 5 July, due to damage to a lighting pole on the site.

The Orkney community is being asked for their thoughts on how services supporting young people’s mental health can be refined to best meet local needs, following the allocation of close to £800k by the Scottish Government for Orkney Health and Care to redesign and develop the county’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

The Islands Athlete Travel Award Scheme for elite pathway athletes is open again for applications - and this time features a bespoke, more flexible application process to address ongoing uncertainty over the sporting calendar due to the pandemic.

Surface dressing work remains temporarily suspended - initially as a result  of a mechanical problem and subsequently due to a supplier issue.

Seven new electric vehicle (EV) chargers have been brought into action in Orkney in recent weeks.

The University of the Highlands and Islands centre for island creativity wants to hear from creative businesses, practitioners and professionals in Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides as part of research into the economic and social impact of the islands’ creative sector.

Orkney Islands Council is proud of its workforce – many of whom will be your friends, neighbours or relatives - with over a quarter of Orkney’s working population employed with the local authority.