The Skerryvore Practice in Kirkwall have announced the appointment of an additional partner to the practice.

Dr Iain Craighead, who will start in mid-October, graduated from Aberdeen University in 1992, where he completed GP training before taking up a post in general practice near Oxford.

For the last five years he has, together with his wife and two children, been involved in leprosy and rehabilitation work in Nepal, before returning to the UK in June, 2008.

Dr Craighead said: "I¹m very excited at the prospect of starting work here in Orkney. I¹ve been really impressed by the standard of care and the range of services available here and look forward to moving up over the next few weeks."

House prices in Orkney would need to fall by nearly a quarter before becoming affordable to a household on the 'average' Orkney income.

That¹s according to the findings of a housing needs and market assessment undertaken in the county recently, and which came before councillors at Tuesday's OIC social work and housing committee.

The aim of the study is to provide an up-to-date understanding of the housing market, and to produce estimates of housing need over a five to ten year period.

A number of ornaments were removed from a garden in Reid Crescent, Kirkwall, sometime between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact Kirkwall Police Station, on 872241.

The sentencing of Orkney soldier, Michael Ross, has been deferred again. Ross, who in June was found guilty of murdering Bangladeshi waiter, Shamsuddin Mahmood, at Mumutaz Indian Tandoori restaurant in 1994, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday.

Ross' sentence was previously deferred for social inquiry reports as he is a first-time offender. It was delayed again due to Judge Lord Hardie taking ill while on holiday in Italy.

The jury also found him guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by changing his clothes and footwear after the shooting, and disposing of the weapon used.

Sentencing is now due to take place on October 17.

Four contractors have responded to the invitation to tender for the construction work to merge the acute wards at Balfour Hospital.

The revised plan is with Orkney Islands Council for planning approval and Pentarq are evaluating the tenders on behalf of the health board.

The earliest start date for the build remains the beginning of September, with an estimated completion date of the end of January, 2009.

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur will host a public meeting on Thursday, with senior Loganair representatives.

The meeting will allow Orcadian customers to ask questions on the implications of changes to Orkney’s lifeline air services.  On October 26, the airline changes from flying as a British Airways franchisee to operating under Flybe colours.

Police are appealing for information after a group of people were involved in damaging a car on Friday night.

According to police, the silver Peugeot car was park on Great Western Road, Kirkwall, about 10.05pm, when a female was seen to kick it three times. She was with two other females and a male.

Between 9pm on Friday and 10am on Saturday, two flags were removed from a flagpole at Roadside in Westray.

One, a Welsh flag, was destroyed, while the Orkney flag was stolen. Damage was also caused to the flagpole itself.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 872241.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Isbister chambered cairn — the Tomb of the Eagles — and to honour its finder, Ronnie Simison MBE, a programme of events gets under way in Kirkwall this week.

The anniversary celebration, organised by the Friends of Orkney Archaeological Trust and hosted by Andrew Appleby and Eoin Scott, takes place in the Kirkwall town hall at 7.30pm on Thursday, August 28. Archaeologist John Hedges will give a talk on the Isbister cairn and the nearby Liddle burnt mound.

On Saturday, Mr Hedges, together with county archaeologist Julie Gibson, will lead a guided walk on the “landscape and structure of the Tomb of the Eagles.”

Pre-booking for the walk is required (telephone 721324) and it costs £7.50 for adults and £5 for children. The cost covers transport from Kirkwall and entrance to the tomb site.