Work has started on a new flood defence scheme at Kirkwall Harbour.
The scheme is designed to protect low-lying parts of the Orkney capital from storm surges.
The 3ft 6in barrier will run along the harbour front between Ayre Mills and St Catherine’s Place roundabout.
The project has been developed by Orkney Islands Council but 80% of the £1.75million cost has been picked but the Scottish Government.
The contract for the work has been awarded to local building and construction company Andrew Sinclair Ltd.
Worked started on the scheme on Monday at Harbour Street, close to the Kirkwall Hotel.
As well as the continuous barrier, measures include increasing existing wall and rock armour in places, the installation of permanent floodgates at major openings such as to piers and slipways.
Removable barriers will also be put in place at smaller openings.
The walls in front of the marina and basin will be faced in Orkney stone, with the top portion being a panel of toughened glass.
The design was agreed after a public consultation in 2015.
Darren Richardson, the council’s head of infrastructure, said: “This is a long-awaited project, and one that the council is required to carry out as part of its flood prevention duties.
“It is a big project and will involve some disruptions, however we’ll be doing it in stages to minimise those as far as possible.
“We apologise in advance for delays while this important work is underway.”
Construction of the scheme is expected to take around ten months.
The taxi rank alongside Kirkwall Basin has been temporarily relocated to the car parking spaces in front of Orkney Ferries and the footway running alongside the basin will be diverted around the works.
Construction at the basin will be in three phases, starting at the area east of the Corn Slip, opposite the Kirkwall Hotel, followed by the area west of the Corn Slip and then the Corn Slip itself. To minimise disruption it’s intended that only one section of footways or basin will be closed at a time.
Once works at the Basin are complete, construction will move onto the remaining sections of new flood walling, eastward to Shore Street and west as far as Ayre Mills where the existing Ayre Road seawall will be raised and the rock armour crest level raised.