Remembrance event for Merchant Navy Day in Orkney

To mark Merchant Navy Day, a short service and wreath laying ceremony is being held at the Kirk Green War Memorial outside St Magnus Cathedral on Thursday 3 September 2026.  

To mark the occasion alongside communities across the UK, the Red Ensign will be flown above the Kirkwall Town Hall, and as always, it will be flying at the OIC Harbour Authority Building in recognition of the nation’s merchant seafarers. 

Merchant Navy Day is coordinated by the Seafarers UK charity and the Merchant Navy Association and is aimed at raising awareness of the UK’s ongoing dependence on Merchant Navy seafarers, through public events and the hoisting of the UK Merchant Navy’s official flag on public buildings and landmark flagstaffs. 

Wreaths will be laid at the War Memorial at 11am, by Orkney’s Lord Lieutenant Elaine Grieve and OIC Convener Councillor Graham Bevan. 

Harbour Master, Dougie Manson said: 

"Merchant Navy Day is an important moment for all to pause and remember the sacrifices made by seafarers, past and present, who have kept vital shipping lifelines open through peace, war and the worst that the weather at sea can bring. 

"As an island community, our daily life here in Orkney depends on the sea and on the people who work it. We're proud that Orkney Islands Council is itself a significant employer of merchant seafarers, and it means a great deal to us to play our part in honouring those who came before, while recognising the seafarers still doing that vital work today."