Fundraising real ale festival at Rugby Club

The Orkney Brewery is gearing up to launch its latest beer at the Orkney Rugby Football Club this weekend as part of a fundraising real ale festival.

The ale — 1878 — is named after the year the former North Sandwick School, which now houses the brewery, was built.

The weekend’s festivities start this evening, Friday, with a quiz in the clubhouse, with doors opening at 6pm and 20 real ales to tempt the palate.

There will be four offerings from Orkney Brewery, including bottled Norseman Pale Ale, which was launched at Up Helly Aa in Shetland earlier this year.

Saturday kicks off with a ten-a-side rugby tournament at 11am, and the club will then be showing both Six Nations matches — Italy v Wales, and England v France — in the afternoon.

In the evening, entertainment will be provided by Douglas Montgomery and friends from 9pm.

On Sunday, the clubhouse will be open from 1pm to 6pm, where folk can watch Scotland v Ireland at 2pm, and from 4pm live music has been organised by Orkney Folk Festival director Bob Gibbon.