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Latest News

For press or media enquiries please contact the communications team by email.

  • Locals praised for patience as new swathe of road works start

    Orkney Islands Council is thanking local drivers and businesses for their patience after what has been a busy period for road works in the county, as the next swathe of works get underway.

    4 July 2022

  • Papdale Park Works Continue

    Work on an improved community space in Papdale is continuing – with the first phase of the project due to be completed by the end of September.

    4 July 2022

  • New tags for unemptied bins to help households get back on track

    The Council has introduced a new yellow tag for bins when householders get in a muddle with collections.

    1 July 2022

  • Scapa Flow Museum appears on BBC1 in Who Do You Think You Are

    Scapa Flow Museum has made an appearance in BBC1 series Who Do You Think You Are, in an epsiode featuring actor Ralf Little.

    1 July 2022

  • Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan

    Section 8(1) Screening Determination

    In accordance with Section 8(1) of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, Orkney Islands Council has formally determined, in consultation with Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage (now named NatureScot), that implementation of the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan is likely to have significant environmental effects. Therefore, a Strategic Environmental Assessment is required, and an environmental report will be prepared alongside the Plan.

    1 July 2022

  • Road works update - as at 1 July 2022

    A look at road works underway or soon to start including at Sparrowhawk Road, Hatston and Heddle Road, Finstown from Monday 4 July.

    1 July 2022

  • Stromness Academy students learn traditional drystone sheep dyke restoration methods

    A group of students from Stromness Academy volunteered for a unique opportunity to help repair and rebuild damaged sections of a 13-mile drystone sheep dyke on North Ronaldsay recently.

    Working alongside two sheep wardens, eight young people joined teacher Jane Ellison and school janitor, Mark Waters in learning to replicate traditional methods of building and restoration work on part of the wall, which is there to keep the seaweed eating sheep on the island’s beaches.

    29 June 2022

  • Council trials fully funded late night bus services for Friday and Saturday evenings

    New late night bus services leaving Kirkwall and serving East Mainland, West Mainland and Kirkwall & Orphir are being trialled by the Council until March 2023.

    28 June 2022

  • Public Inspection Notice - Orkney Integration Joint Board Accounts

    For the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022

    Notice is hereby given under Regulation 9 (1) of the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 that:

    28 June 2022

  • “Breaking the news of a fatal road crash to a loved one is worse than attending the incident”

    Knocking on a door, knowing that the news you are about to share is going to shatter lives, has been a reality on too many occasions for former police officer and recently re-elected Orkney Councillor, David Dawson.

    Besides having investigated fatal road crashes in his earlier career, for the last ten years of his police service, he worked as a family liaison officer, with cases ranging from air crashes, drugs deaths, murder and fatal road crashes - not all in Orkney he points out.

    27 June 2022