Latest News

A roundup of works underway or soon to start around Orkney, for the week starting Monday 23 January.

Orkney Islands Council’s transport team is reminding the Orkney public to give their feedback before 30 January on the late night bus services currently being trialled in the county.

Support continues to be provided to businesses in Orkney who offer, sell or provide food to help ensure their details registered with the Council are up to date.

The Environmental Health team are refreshing the food business register and, as such, are getting in touch with many businesses who deal with food on their premises.

Two interactive sessions in Kirkwall and Stromness in coming weeks will be the final chance for local people to give their thoughts in person on what form a covid memorial in Orkney should take - as part of the national ‘Remembering Together’ programme.

Orkney Islands Council is advising the public to expect short delays on the main St Margarets Hope to Kirkwall road next week (A961) as survey work on the first Churchill Barrier takes place.

The opening hours at the Council’s Warehouse Buildings in Stromness are changing slightly from later this month.

From Monday 30 January, the new hours will be:

A four-day archaeological research conference is being held in Orkney during March as the final event in the development of Scotland’s Islands Research Framework for Archaeology.

It is anticipated that up to 120 people from across Scotland and beyond will attend the symposium and Neil Gray MSP, Scottish Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development who was brought up in Orkney and educated at Kirkwall Grammar School, will launch the event.

Following a meeting of the Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group strong advice has been issued by the group that only the most essential travel should be undertaken locally over the next 24 hours.

Orkney Islands Council has achieved the Investors in People (IIP) (Standard) Award for the first time – part of a drive to improve how the local authority supports and develops its employees.

IIP – which is recognised globally for pushing best practice in people management – carried out a review recently at OIC with IIP Practitioners meeting and surveying staff from across the whole organisation to determine what is working well and what could be done better.

A year on and the Orkney College UHI course for people interested in exploring a career in social care has become a popular choice for those looking to make a difference to the lives of others in the county.

‘Introduction to a Career in Social Care’ is a 6-week online course, aimed at people aged 16 and over who are interested in working in social care including senior phase pupils, people who are unemployed, under threat of unemployment or considering a change in career.