A new defibrillator has been installed at Orkney Islands Council’s Roads services depot in Hatston – and the team is keen the wider community knows it is there for anyone to use in an emergency.

The Head Teacher at Dounby Community School has commended parents for their overwhelming support following the partial closure of the school on Monday and Tuesday this week in the face of staffing challenges.

Sickness absence, including COVID-19-related positive cases, has led to the shutdown of three classes - P3/4, P4/5 and P5/6 – and those children are accessing learning from home. Three classes – P1, P2/3 and P7 - and the nursery remain open.

This Saturday, 5 February 2022, sees the opening of  'Ghosts and Stories' at the Orkney Museum, an exhibition of new artworks by Antony Hodgson.

New Scapa Road in Kirkwall will be closed between Manse Road and Scapa Court from Monday 7 February 2022, for around two weeks, to enable road resurfacing works to be carried out.

Helen Inkster is the new Ferry Services Manager for Orkney Ferries, running the fleet of nine inter-island ferries serving 13 isles, carrying over 82,000 vehicles and undertaking around 320,000 passenger journeys annually.