Orkney Islands Council builds on Island Games legacy with continued sporting investment

A year on from the Orkney 2025 International Island Games, Orkney Islands Council continues to invest in sport across the county.

Work is currently under way on a new permanent spectator stand and dugouts at Kirkwall Grammar School, secured through Scottish Football Association funding. The project, proposed by the newly formed Orkney Football Hub, will offer covered, accessible seating for matches and training, along with dedicated storage for clubs using the pitch. As well as football, the facility will also support a wider range of sport and outdoor school activity at the site.

The Council has also secured £51,000 through sportscotland's 2026 Summer of Sport initiative, providing free sporting opportunities for children and young people over the summer. Run in partnership with local clubs and organisations, the programme aims to give young people the chance to try new sports, get active, and stay involved well beyond summer.

The Pickaquoy Centre's new mountain bike trails - 4,650 metres of purpose-built track delivered as part of the Island Games legacy - have been supported by the Council's Crown Estate and Community Development Funds, alongside funding from sportscotland, the Scottish Government's Scottish Islands Programme, the National Lottery, the Pickaquoy Centre Trust and Orkney Cycling Club.

Alongside these new projects, the Council continues to support two long-standing schemes for Orkney's performance athletes. Nineteen Orkney athletes have benefited from the latest round of Athlete Travel Award Scheme (ATAS) funding, which helps athletes with the cost of travelling to training and competitions. The scheme is administered locally by Orkney Islands Council and is funded in partnership with sportscotland and Orkney Builders.

The Performance Development Programme - supported by sportscotland's institute of sport - continues to develop 26 athletes, providing access to strength and conditioning sessions and specialised programmes tailored to their sport and goals, alongside physiotherapy and nutrition workshops.

The Council has also supported a range of coach and official development courses for local clubs, including:

• Badminton Line Judging Course
• Archery Session Coach course (Women's Cohort)
• Scottish FA Children's Coaching Certificate
• Athletics Coaching Assistant Course
• Gymnastics Level 3 Coaching Course
• Netball Umpire B Assessment

This work is funded through the Coach and Official Development Fund - a total of £79,620 provided by Orkney Islands Council's Crown Estate Community Led Development Fund and sportscotland. Strong working relationships with Scottish Governing Bodies of sport have helped reduce the cost of course delivery, allowing the fund to be stretched further than planned and extending the programme's lifespan from March 2027 to March 2028. Clubs interested in setting up a course, or finding out more, can contact leisure.culture@orkney.gov.uk.

Rob Dinsey, Chair of Orkney Athletic and Running Club, said: "For our athletes, travelling to compete and access to high performance coaching and support (such as strength and conditioning) is crucial to their development, but significantly harder and costlier to access than it would be for their peers across mainland Scotland.

“OIC's programmes including the Athlete Travel Award Scheme, Performance Development Programme and Coach and Official Development Fund go a long way to helping us bridge this gap, and we're incredibly grateful for the support that's been given to both our highest performing athletes and the club more broadly in recent years.

"The work and funding that goes in behind the scenes has led directly to many of the fantastic performances we've seen, both in Orkney at Junior Inter-County and last year's International Island Games, and outwith Orkney at national and international competitions."

Garry Burton, Head of Active Communities, said: "A year on from the Island Games, our investment in Orkney sport hasn't slowed down - from new facilities to the ongoing support we give athletes, coaches and officials right across the county.

"None of this would be possible without our partners at sportscotland, the Scottish Football Association and our other funders - or without the local clubs, coaches and volunteers who dedicate so much of their time."