New principal appointed for Orkney College UHI
A new principal has been appointed for Orkney College UHI with Professor Eddie Abbott-Halpin set to take up his post in early January.
Orkney Islands Council
Clean-up of contaminated Orcadian naval base to cost over £400,000
A council is asking the Ministry of Defence to help pay for a £400,000-plus clean-up of contaminated land at an old naval base on an Orcadian island.
Orkney council leads the way towards a carbon neutral economy
The leader of Orkney Islands Council has said they must take the lead to promote a carbon neutral economy following plans to spend £40,000 on two new electric vehicles.
Five stories you might have missed this week
From an owl-crash landing on an oil rig to Travis frontman Fran Healy paying a visit to Aberdeen - here are five stories you might have missed this week.
£6m project approved to eradicate stoats and save Orkney’s birds of prey
A £6million scheme to eradicate stoats from Orkney to save the rest of its wildlife population has been approved.
Public sector chiefs bill taxpayers for hundreds of meals and thousands of pounds
A budget-cutting local authority boss doubled the amount of cash he claimed back from taxpayers for expenses in just three years.
Probe ordered into Orkney Council bullying claims
Orkney Islands Council bosses are probing serious claims of bullying and harassment which have been revealed in a staff survey.
Concern over ‘vast disparity’ in classroom assistant numbers
Concerns have been raised after new figures exposed a “vast disparity” in the number of classroom assistants in schools across Scotland.
Contractor appointed to renovate Kirkwall Airport’s air traffic control tower
The contractor tasked with undertaking renovation works to Kirkwall Airport’s air traffic control tower has been announced as Bell Contracts and Co, based in Inverness.
NorthLink Ferries announce passenger numbers soar by 10%
NorthLink Ferries announced yesterday passenger numbers to the Northern Isles have soared by 10% since the firm took over the ferry service in July 2012.
Specialists called after masonry falls in Orkney cathedral ahead of major festival opening
Specialists were called in to Orkney’s historic cathedral on the eve of one of the island’s biggest festivals.
Orkney’s wartime guns to embark on lengthy journey south
Two anti-aircraft guns are to embark on a journey just shy of 400 miles to their new location in Dumfries.
Stromness regeneration plan scoops prestigious award
The plans used to regenerate the Orkney fishing town of Stromness have scooped a prestigious national award.
Hopes raised as ministers decide to put northern isles ferries out to tender
Hopes have been raised that the northern isles could soon secure improved ferry services after it was confirmed that the routes will be put out to tender again.
Orkney council to have ‘community conversations’ about cash
Cash-strapped Orkney Islands Council is holding meetings in local communities to look for ideas to save money or generate income.
Orkney mother in battle to keep isles language unit open
An Orkney mum has launched a petition against the island council’s decision to close a dedicated language unit, fearing for the impact it will have on her son.
Orkney airfields compete against major city airports in national competition
It has echoes of a David v Goliath battle.
Artist sought for £30,000 Kirkwall public art project
Orkney Islands Council is to carry out an ambitious £30,000 public art project in Kirkwall to tell the story of the historic island town.
Isles beauty spots poised for £480,000 boost to prepare for tourist influx
Popular beauty spots on Skye and Orkney will benefit from almost £500,000 of Scottish Government funding to prepare for the coming tourist season.
Budget deal secures £40million extra for north and north-east – but cuts threat remains
A budget deal has handed councils across the north and north-east a £40million boost – but leaders warned that threat of severe service cuts remained.
Councils across Scotland considering plastic straw ban
Councils across Scotland are considering banning plastic straws after a campaign which began with a school trip to the Highlands.
New council funding revealed after Holyrood “blunder” claims
Grants for Scottish councils have been re-calculated just weeks before they set their budgets – with Moray and Aberdeen City among the authorities losing out.
Holyrood committee calls for resolution of northern isles ferry funding row
An influential group of MSPs has called on the Scottish Government to quickly "resolve" a dispute over funding for internal ferry services in the northern isles.
‘Closure of Orkney abattoir has extremely serious implications for farming in the islands’
The Orkney Islands Council-owned abattoir closed yesterday with immediate effect.
Revealed: The “staggering” true scale of council job cuts
Shock new figures show that Highland Council has slashed its workforce by more than a fifth during the public sector spending squeeze – the largest cut in Scotland.
Council looks to buy new £8million tug boat – and a second could be on its way
Orkney Islands Council is looking to purchase a new £8 million tug boat - and a second vessel could also be built if there is enough interest.
North councils still at risk from cyber attack
Several local authorities in the north and north-east remain vulnerable to cyber attacks after failing to fully implement e-mail security measures.
New £2million boat will help guide ships into Orkney
Orkney Islands Council has given its approval for the purchase of a new pilot launch to help guide ships in and out of the harbours at Scapa Flow and Kirkwall.
Major step forward for proposed research campus on Orkney
Plans for a £6.6million research and innovation campus in Stromness in Orkney have taken a major step forward.
Surging tourist numbers creating “challenges” for normal life on Orkney – report
A new report has claimed that surging tourist numbers on Orkney have created “challenges” over preserving normal life on the islands.
Work poised to start on £2.8m Orkney harbour upgrade
A major upgrade of an Orkney harbour is poised to get under way after the project secured £1.7million in funding.
Archbishops and bishops will make an historic pilgrimage to Orkney
Three archbishops and nine bishops will make an historic pilgrimage to Orkney to mark the 900th anniversary of the death of St Magnus.