A very special delivery of handmade “quilted hugs” was made to Orkney Health and Care (OHAC) this week to pass on to young people who are leaving the care system.

Orkney Islands Council’s Environmental Health Team has placed warning notices at the Loch of Kirbister and Loch of Harray after confirmation from SEPA that blue green algal blooms have been found in the waters there.

A reminder for local people with an interest in the Tomb of the Eagles site to take part in a survey.

A summary of road works underway in the county or soon to start, for week starting Monday 12 June 2023.

The care and support provided for those living with dementia and their families in Orkney has taken a significant step forward with the launch of a new Admiral Nurse service for the first time in Scotland.

In collaboration with Orkney Health & Care (OHAC) and Dementia UK, Age Scotland Orkney (ASO) are looking to recruit a registered specialist dementia nurse, known as an Admiral Nurse.

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family.

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

• Copies of the unaudited accounts of Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 will be available for public inspection at the following webpage: http://www.orkney-shetland-vjb.co.uk/ from 10 July 2023 to 28 July 2023, both days inclusive.

Sixteen young folk from Orkney will take part in a Tall Ships sailing experience this summer in what promises to be the trip of a lifetime!

They will spend ten days at sea working as part of a crew and have already been given a taste of what lies ahead on board The Swan sail training vessel.

Sail Trainee Co-ordinator and Project Manager for the Stromness Community Development Trust, Michael Morrison, said: “This year, following two training taster days in conjunction with The Swan Trust, funded by the Local Authority and project managed by the Stromness Community Development Trust, 16 young folk will be representing Orkney as sail training ambassadors for the county.

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

a. Copies of the unaudited accounts of Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Islands Council Pension Fund, and Orkney Islands Council General Charitable Trust for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 will be available for public inspection in the Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall between the hours of 10:00 to 13:00 and 14.00 to 16.00 Monday to Friday, from 1 July 2023 to 21 July 2023, both dates inclusive. A copy of the accounts will also be available at the following website: www.orkney.gov.uk.

The buildings of Westray - an Orkney island’s snapshot in time

A “herculean” volunteer effort by a number of folk in Westray has led to the publication of an updated second edition of Fae Quoy tae Castle, twenty years on - a book recording the island’s built heritage over the past two decades.

The first edition – Fae Quoy tae Castle – was published in 2002 thanks to the Westray Buildings Preservation Trust (WBPT) as a snapshot of the island’s dwellings houses and properties around the time of the millennium.

Stromness Primary School in Orkney is seeking a new Head Teacher to lead a “small school with a big heart!”

A vibrant and lively school with six primary classes and an early years nursery setting, the school is housed in a modern building located at the head of Hamnavoe in the historic town of Stromness, Orkney’s capital of the West Mainland!

With a school roll of around 125 pupils, the children are taught using the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, Experiences and Outcomes.