Orkney schoolgirl’s design chosen as Island Games mascot

A Kirkwall school pupil has beaten competition from nearly 900 others to have her design chosen as the mascot for the Orkney 2025 International Island Games.

Ola the Orca was created by 12-year-old Sarah Sutcliffe, an S2 student at Kirkwall Grammar School.

The mascot will be a key part of the Games activity leading up to and during Games week, which will take place across Orkney July 12-18, 2025 when 2,500 islanders from all across the world will come to compete on Orkney soil.

Back in September, the organising committee received 880 entries from children and young people across Orkney. The judging panel then had the difficult decision of whittling down the entries and choosing a truly Orcadian mascot.

Scotland’s minister for culture, along with VisitScotland and staff at Kirkwall Grammar School have congratulated Sarah on her successful design.

More on this story in next week’s edition of The Orcadian.