Tree lightings mark start of festive season

Orkney is getting into the festive spirit as the tree lighting season gets underway from this Saturday (24 November).

The first trees to be lit are at St Mary’s in Holm, and at Burray – both at 18:30 on Saturday 24 November.

The Council has also taken delivery of Christmas trees for inside and outside the St Magnus Cathedral from Grimstaad and Hordaland respectively.

The trees were delivered initially to Aberdeen with transport to Kirkwall supported by Northlink Ferries. Onward transportation was carried out by local firm Northwards.

The trees are delivered each year from Norway as part of the Orkney/Norway twinning relationship.

The Cathedral Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on Saturday 1 December. It includes the annual St Lucy Procession as well as a performance by Kirkwall City Pipe Band.

The doors to the cathedral will open at 16:45. The Pipe Band plays at 17:15 with the procession and tree lighting inside the Cathedral from 17:30. The tree lighting on the Kirk Green will take place at approximately 18:45.

The night before (Friday 30 November) the Orkney Norway Friendship Association dinner will take place at 19:30 in Kirkwall Town Hall (pre drinks from 18:45) with Music by Ronald Anderson Band.  Tickets are £22.50 and available from The Orcadian bookshop or Wisharts in Stromness.

On the evening of Sunday 2 December at 20:00 there will be a cathedral concert courtesy of the Mayfield Singers and visiting Norwegian musicians. A morning service and Grimstaad tree lighting will take place earlier that day in the cathedral at 11:15.

The full list of tree lighting ceremonies is as follows:

Saturday 24 November – Burray, Old Burray School corner – 18:30.

Saturday 24 November – St Marys, Holm Community Hall – 18:30.

Wednesday 28 November – Stromness Town House – 18:00.

Friday 30 November - St Margaret’s Hope, Cromarty Square -  18:30.

Saturday 1 December -  Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral - 17:15.

Saturday 1 December - Sanday, Sanday Community School 18:30.

Saturday 1 December - Westray, Community Garden, Kalisgarth Care Centre - 19:00.

Sunday 2 December - Orphir, Orphir Community School - 16:00

Wednesday 5 December - Stenness, Stenness Community School Car Park - 18:30.

Friday 7 December - Rousay, Rousay Heritage Centre - 18:00.

Friday 7 December - Dounby, Across from Dounby co-op - 18:30.

Friday 7 December - Finstown, Firth Car Park - 18:30.

Friday 7 December - Shapinsay, Outside Shapinsay School - 19:00.

Friday 7 December - Flotta, Lower Car Park, Burnside - 19:00.