Further south, on Orkney, the grand re-opening of Kirkwall Marina will take place on Norwegian National Day, May 17. The marina was built two years ago, but despite a new breakwater it was not sufficiently sheltered and the pontoons had to be temporarily re-located. Now the breakwater has been modified, and the pontoons have been restored to their planned position on Kirkwall's waterfront.

This, and the other new marina facilities at Stromness and Pierowall (Bressay) are all part of an ongoing plan to improve facilities for visiting yachts throughout the Orkney Islands. These will eventually include pontoons, visitors' moorings and landing slips at many of the other islands.