Kirkwall lands electric aircraft deal

PLANES powered by hydrogen could soon be touching down on Orkney. Kirkwall airport has been named as a test site for aircraft running on hydrogen, electricity, and “sustainable aviation fuels”. The airport will also be used to test drones to deliver medicines to health centres on the islands. Inglis Lyon, managing director of Highlands &…

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Hydrogen-powered whisky and gin

TWO distilleries on Orkney are investigating whether they can use hydrogen to make their whisky and gin. Whisky maker Highland Park and gin producer Orkney Distillery are looking at powering their distilleries using hydrogen. Orkney’s European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is at the forefront of hydrogen technology. The centre is using electricity generated by renewable…

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Foraging guides and films launched

A SERIES of guides and films to encourage increased responsible foraging in Scotland has been launched following the Foraging Fortnight project. There are guides to foraging for wild food, guides aimed at children, and guides translated into Gaelic. The videos feature highlights from Moray, Forth Valley and Lomond, Lanarkshire, Orkney, and Fife. The resources have…

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Highlands and islands gift boxes launch

A GIFT box service dedicated to showcasing products from the Highlands and islands has been launched. A Whale of a Time brings together products from independent businesses spread across Inverness, Lochaber, Moray, Wester Ross, and Wick, as well as islands including Harris, Islay, Lewis, Orkney, and Skye. Its range of eight gift boxes stretches from…

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Sheila Fleet Jewellery team raises £5,000 for charity

THE team at Sheila Fleet Jewellery on Orkney has raised more than £5,000 for Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland (PCAS) by “travelling” nearly 1,300 miles to and from Glasgow. To clock up the miles, the team walked, ran, cycled and rowed around its island base. Members of the team “set off” on 1 November – the…

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Markets donate lamb for St Andrew’s Day campaign

LIVESTOCK markets across Scotland are donating lambs to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. Campaigners want Scots to eat lamb on our patron saint’s day, in the same way that they eat haggis on Burns’ Night. The campaign, “Lamb for St Andrews Day”, is a joint effort between members of the Institute of Auctioneers & Appraisers in…

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Skyran Candle Company launches Christmas collection

At Skyran Candle Company, we are dedicated to quality home fragrance products, which are kind to our bodies and to our planet. We use natural wax and the finest fragrance oil in all our products to create a truly luxurious experience. As a husband-and-wife team, we launched our business in the spring while staying in…

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‘Whisky Galore!’ bottle bought by maritime museum

A BOTTLE of Scotch salvaged from the ship that inspired Whisky Galore! has been bought by the Scottish Maritime Museum. The unlabeled bottle of blended whisky was salvaged from the SS Politician, which ran aground off the Isle of Eriskay in 1941. George Currie, a diver from Orkney, recovered the bottle from the wreck in…

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Great Taste winners – in full

NEARLY 300 Great Taste awards have been presented to Scottish businesses by the Guild of Fine Food. A record 12,777 products were entered into the competition from 106 countries, with 42% of entrants receiving a prize. Products with a coastal theme proved popular, with whisky smoked black garlic sea salt from Hawkhead Whisky Smoked in…

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Air ambulance wants patients to share their stories

SCOTLAND’S Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) is calling on the patients it’s saved to share their stories as part of this week’s UK-wide air ambulance week. The charity, which flies helicopters from Aberdeen and Perth, has operated since 2013. During August alone, the air ambulances responded to 65 emergencies as far afield as the Hebrides, Orkney…

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