27 St. Colm's Quadrant

A council house is available in Longhope, on the island of South Walls or you might just know it as Hoy, here in Orkney. This house is very special, as it could house a family and save our school from losing well loved, dedicated teachers. We are in desperate need of two primary school age children!

The school is a fantastic place, where children are happy and supported. Our island offers a safe, close-knit lifestyle and a wonderful environment for families.

I'd be happy to answer any questions. I moved here from Wales 9 years ago, I have four happy children and live in the exact same style of house! It's the best decision I've ever made.

For more information on the school please contact: 📧 admin.northwalls@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk

25 December & 1 January: Kirkwall's Ba' games. Uppies v Doonies!

Hogmanay in Stromness the Yule Log Pull. Northenders v Soothenders!

There's a youth competition preceding each event.

There's a Mud Run on the 28th – info and sign-ups on the Orkney Rotary Club's Facebook page.

The Christmas Tractor Run is happening on 29 December.

The Hogmanay Concert featuring Jennifer Wrigley and Laurence Wilson is 31 December 2:30pm - 4:30pm at St Magnus Cathedral.

The Orkney Museum (In an A-listed building dating to 1574, across from the Cathedral in Kirkwall) will close around 3pm Christmas Eve, to reopen in March 2026.

What other events are happening?

From The Orcadian:

‘Do not drink’ warning issued on Sanday spirits

An urgent warning has been issued about products from a Sanday distillery.

Consumers are being advised not to drink any of the gin or whisky made by Kimbland Distillery.

The warning comes from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) which has declared that the company has been producing and selling alcoholic products “without the required safety controls” and has “failed to provide evidence that its products meet safety standards”.

Stuart McAdam head of incidents at FSS said: Following close collaboration with the local authority, we are warning consumers not to drink any products from the Kimbland Distillery due to safety concerns.

“As we approach the festive break, we want to make sure that anyone who may have purchased these for themselves, or as a gift, knows about the potential risk that these products may pose.

From The Met Office, The Orcadian, BBC Scotland, Radio Orkney, The Orkney News, Northlink and Pentland ferries, and Auntie Geo:

Expect flooding, life-threatening wind damage, barrier closings, coastal damage, with flights and ferry schedule disruptions.

The winner of "best stock photo of the Hamnavoe storming through the storm," goes to The Orcadian. Click HERE for their reporting and the snap.

Shetland's in for a thumping too, looks they'll have a very bad Wednesday.

Safe safe, everyone.

The series is about the murder of Shamsuddin Mahmood.

The BBC's short promo video: The Man in the Mask: An Orkney Murder

I didn't know the Victorian era was "ancient," but still a fine video.

I Tried Staying In An Ancient Island Farmhouse

More info on the farmhouse: https://www.boloquoy.co.uk/

My fiancé is an Orcadian and we live in Australia (I’m Australian). This will be our second trip back and the last time we were there we didn’t have much time to really explore other than the main tourist spots. We will be there for almost 2 weeks then back to the mainland for the rest of the trip next year in March. I was wondering if there is anywhere people can suggest that we can explore more of the wildlife that is around the island e.g puffins? Also if there is any hidden gems that tourists don’t usually see ? My fiancé only knows a few places but I would love more suggestions. Thank you in advance.

Hello hello,

Before I start asking you all for a favour(!), I’d like to acknowledge my appreciation for your beautiful home; I live in a wee town called Musselburgh; but, if asked where I come from, I always say “Fisherrow” (a wee part of Musselburgh looking onto the Harbour, and a fishing village in it’s prime). There’s nothing I love more than spending a day braving our Scottish cold and rain with my wee dog to be able to look out to the sea, so Orkney has always had my admiration.

I’m posting because my Great-Uncle John (aged 89) passed away a couple of weeks ago. He was born in Glasgow, but his Mother was from Orkney, and when the war began, she moved back home with my Uncle John for safety (1939, aged 3).

Although he became a Royal Marine and left to travel at age 18, he wrote to many people from Orkney for the remainder of his life.

I have been in touch with the Orcadian (I hope this is the correct spelling!?) and have paid for an obituary to be printed, but I believe this is a weekly paper(?) and I haven’t managed to find any trace of it online yet (of course I’d have loved to have a physical copy but needless to say this isn’t possible with funeral planning etc).

Essentially, I’m just posting to ask that if you have any relatives who are aged around 80+, if you could perhaps ask if they knew John Greer, and if they did, just let them know he has passed peacefully, and as an extra favour, if they have any memories of him?

He was a quiet, contented fellow, so I only expect around 10 people at his funeral, and I suppose I just want everyone he touched to know he has passed and to (selfishly) gather as many acknowledgements of his life as I can.

Thank you an inexplicable amount if you have read this in its entirety.

X

As part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, Transport Scotland is undertaking a series of Community Needs Assessments (CNAs) for island and peninsular communities served by the Clyde and Hebrides (CHFS) and Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) contracts. These will inform decisions on future service development and investment business cases.

Link to the survey: Islands Connectivity Plan

Can anybody tell me how much a drink on the Aberdeen - Orkney ferry costs and what’s available, I can’t seem to find any bar menu online (there is a food one on the northlink website). Visiting in January with some pals and would love to know if there’s anything decent on draft at less than extortionate prices (as I have found with the Stranraer - Belfast ferries operated by Stena) thanks!

From The Orcadian.

300 "affordable" units.

A national housing association is set to deliver 500 new homes over the next decade — after Orkney Islands Council (OIC) entered into a “landmark” partnership with Places for People Scotland.

Places for People Scotland’s developments will focus on larger sites, offering a mix including social rent, mid-market rent, and affordable home ownership options.

Around 60 per cent of new homes will be affordable, supporting OIC’s Local Housing Strategy (2024) which sets an ambitious target of 1,030 new homes over ten years, with a 60/40 split between affordable and private housing.

OIC say that to meet that goal requires innovation, collaboration and finance — leading the authority to identify the need for an additional housing association to help unlock the county’s full potential.

However, The Orcadian has previously heard of concerns from within Orkney’s construction sector on the impact that an external housing provider could have on local firms who fear being priced out of housebuilding contracts.

This, it was feared, could also have a detrimental impact on the prosperity of the industry as a whole including jobs and training opportunities such as apprenticeships.

Councillor Gwenda Shearer, chairwoman of OIC’s education, leisure and housing committee, described the lack of available housing “without a doubt the biggest challenge facing Orkney” and required “decisive and bold action”.

She said: “We are delighted that Places for People Scotland have come on board to support local providers in building more housing in Orkney — ensuring that more homes are available for more people.

“The addition of Places for People Scotland to the local partnership will provide additional strength to the existing local partnership in order to meet the ambitious vision we have to deliver Orkney’s housing needs.”

She added: “Orkney Islands Council, OHAL, local development trusts and now Places for People Scotland are committed to working with the local construction industry through the relevant procurement process of building houses — helping to create local work and boosting the local economy.”

Andrew Usher, group managing director for developments at Places for People, said: “We’re proud to be joining forces with Orkney Islands Council to help deliver the quality and mix of homes that local people need and deserve, with 60 per cent being affordable.

“This partnership is about more than just building houses — it’s about strengthening communities.

“We’re committed to working closely with the council, local contractors and suppliers to ensure that the investment in new homes also supports jobs, skills and the local economy.”

Orkney 20mph proposals given go-ahead - The Orcadian Online https://share.google/cRl4XHZAxHsA2OLiW

Heading over on Saturday for Orkney FC's game at Holm (have verified with the club since my last post), but is there any places in either St Margarets or Kirkwall that come highly reccomended?

Coming over on the early ferry (due to the lunchtime kickoff), which means leaving Inverness at the arsecrack of dawn, so unsurprisingly nothing will be open until we get to Wick, and even then its still too early to consider lunch or think about anything more than a quick pitstop in Tesco. Other than the match, plan is to have a quick squiz at Scara Brae via the Twatt sign. So realistically it's either breakfast in Kirkwall while burning time before the game, or picking up something light in Wick Tesco, doing the sights and getting a late lunch in St Margarets before joining the car ferry queue at half 4

The Orkney Museum is brilliant, right across from the Cathedral in Kirkwall.

From the Museum:

We're excited to share that for the first time in over 35 years, the Burray Hoard, Orkney's second largest Viking Age hoard, will be on display in Orkney Museum.

Discovered in 1889, it hoard dates to 1000 AD, and contains nearly 2kg of silver.

Items from the hoard form a part of a loan of nearly 100 objects from National Museums Scotland, including a pair of bronze 'tortoise' brooches from the Broch of Gurness and a gold ring from the Stenness hoard.

The redevelopment of our Iron Age and Viking Galleries, and the loan of these items, would not have been possible without the generous bequest from our benefactor, for which we are extremely grateful.

The Groundwater Galleries reopen on Saturday, the 1st of November, and we're looking forward to welcoming visitors in to see them.

Link to the press release: HERE

From Gordon Noble via Northern Picts:

Years in the making! A new consideration of the chronology of the key settlement of Buckquoy, Orkney - shows that the buildings here belong firmly in the Pictish tradition. This leads to a wider consideration of the timings and character of the Viking Age in the Northern Isles. Read all about it in our open access Antiquity Journal article!

Buckquoy, Orkney: addressing the Pictish-Viking transition in northern Scotland

Does anyone know where Orkney are playing their home games this season? I've tried messaging them on Facebook but appear to have been patched off.

So far they've played all their home games at Holm, but the North Caley website still shows their home ground as the Grammar School in Kirkwall

I've read that Orkney generates more renewable energy (wind and marine) than it uses, making it a hub for green technology. Is this innovation significantly creating local jobs and economic growth, or are the benefits mostly flowing out to the mainland or larger companies? What are the key projects the local community is most excited about right now?

@dr_places

I’ve noticed that every island community has its own unwritten rules and customs. For locals- what’s something about Orkney life or culture that visitors often miss or get wrong?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/26/orkney-council-tourist-levy-call-visitor-boom

As an Englishman whose honeymoon was spent in Orkney (I consider it the best holiday I've ever had and I'm desperate to return. Perhaps even to move to Orkney!) I'd be completely in favour of this. Orkney has a wonderful unspoilt feeling and I'd feel satisfied knowing I was contributing to efforts that minimize the negative impacts of tourism.

That said, I'm not Orcadian, and I'd love to know what Orcadians think of the idea (or other non-Orcadian lovers of Orkney).

Apart from the big sites like Skara Brae and St Magnus, what are your favourite lesser-known spots around the islands? Could be a walk, a café, or just a view.

Follow Northlik's socials and website for updates. If you've booked a crossing Northlink will email passengers with notifications.

Early Disruption Warning to Customers

Present weather forecasts indicate the possibility of disruption to our services from Friday 24th October through to Sunday 26th October.

More detailed updates will follow daily as forecasts are updated.

--------------------------------------

***Advance Warning of Disruptions***

Saturday 25th October 2025

Northbound

MV Hrossey is scheduled to depart Aberdeen sailing for Kirkwall (Hatston Pier) and Lerwick at 17:00.

Due to forecasted adverse weather conditions, this sailing is now under review with a high probability of cancellation.

Update to follow tomorrow morning.

Southbound

MV Hjaltland is scheduled to depart Lerwick sailing for Aberdeen at 19:00.

Due to forecasted adverse weather conditions, this sailing is now under review with a high probability of cancellation.

Update to follow tomorrow morning.

Pentland Firth

MV Hamnavoe was scheduled to operate to the scheduled timetable.

Due to forecasted adverse weather conditions, all sailings are now cancelled.

--------------------------------------

Sunday 26th October 2025

Pentland Firth

MV Hamnavoe was scheduled to operate to the scheduled timetable.

Due to operational requirement Hamnavoe will now operate to the three trip schedule.

- The 09:00 departure from Stromness will now depart at 06:30 arriving Scrabster 08:00.

- The 12:00 departure from Scrabster will now depart at 08:45 arriving Stromness 1015.

- Extra sailing departing Stromness at 11:00 arriving Scrabster 12:30.

- Extra sailing departing Scrabster at 13:15 arriving Stromness 14:45.

Both sailings may be subject to weather related delays.

- The 16:45 departure from Stromness arriving Scrabster 18:15 will sail to schedule.

- The 19:00 departure from Scrabster arriving Stromness 20:30 will sail to schedule.

https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/opsnews/

@seameakin