The creature, which is not native to the islands and consider invasive, was first spotted in Rousay in May.

Stephen Flynn denied knowing about the leak on board the Glen Sannox at a meeting of the transport committee last month.

A CalMac ferry is to be retired less than two years after £11million was spent on keeping the vessel on the water in what has been described as an “utter waste of taxpayers’ money”.

Scientists believe a killer whale found dead in the Western Isles is one of the oldest male orcas ever recorded following analysis of its teeth.

Thousands of people will gather this week in Glasgow for the annual celebration of Gaelic culture.

In response to the feedback, Mull will keep the MV Isle of Mull as its main vessel until replacements are delivered around 2031, which means plans to retire the vessel at the end of this year have been cancelled.

Plans to bring a derelict hotel in Mull back into use as a house and shop have been given the go-ahead by council officials. The Kinloch Hotel, in Pennyghael, was the subject of an application for planning permission by Leader Investments Ltd to make the changes.

CalMac has revised its Strategic Vessel Deployment, Disposal and Cascade Plan following a round of community engagement in the first half of 2026. The plan sets out how CalMac will deploy its major vessel fleet as new vessels enter service and older vessels are returned to CMAL.

An island community development trust finds itself at the centre of a police investigation, The Orcadian can reveal. Police officers are probing a “possible embezzlement” impacting Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust.

A road in Skye that was closed following a landslide on Friday has reopened to traffic. The landslip was captured on CCTV from a nearby house.

After months of being "cut off" in the evenings, islanders held a public vote showing "zero confidence" in the council as a ferry operator.

A private Scottish island said to have sheltered Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Battle of Culloden has gone on the market.

Loganair has “absolutely not” profited from a fuel surcharge on its air fares, the company has said.

Labour MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Donald MacKinnon has told Scottish Parliament that the model of regional air travel in Scotland was “broken. In a business debate brought by Orkney’s Liam MacArthur, MSPs debated the need for a long-term air transport strategy which mitigated rising costs and met demand for lifeline services.

A rise in abuse against NHS Shetland staff has led to a new security group forming to tackle violence and aggression. The health board recorded 70 incidents of abuse between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2026, 16 of which were physical, figures obtained through a freedom of information request show.

Communities and charities across CalMac’s network are being encouraged to apply for the popular CalMac Community Fund.

A man has died after being found unresponsive on a bus in Portree on the Isle of Skye. Police say the man's death is being treated as unexplained.

Two active Presbyterian churches in Uist are to be sold off by the Church of Scotland. Daliburgh Church in South Uist and Griminish Church in Benbecula are set for closure.

Barra’s community shop and go-to info hub has kickstarted a £100,000 crowdfunder to revamp its landmark building - the former Co-Op.

Nominations have opened for the Sealladh na Beinne Mòire board of directors, the parent company of the community-owned Stòras Uibhist (South Uist Estate). The board will be elected at the estate’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 17.

The Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway, Scotland, is “managing” several cases of norovirus.

A case of bird flu has been confirmed on a premises in the Western Isles. People who keep poultry have been asked to monitor their animals for signs of infection.

The abolition of the air discount scheme (ADS) would have no impact on Loganair passenger numbers, one of its top officials has claimed. Discussing the hypothetical situation of ADS being cut, the airline’s head of government and corporate affairs Simon McNamara said he did not believe it would affect the number of people choosing to fly on Loganair flights.

A major project to improve deep-water access to Lerwick Harbour is set to be completed this month.

Four Shetland triathletes recently swapped wind and rain for sunny Spain as they competed for Great Britain on the world stage.

Inhabitants of the Hebrides and Shetland tell of how fuel costs are putting the squeeze on commuting, services, food and more.

“Mull reminds me of Cornwall, but I reckon it’s much better,” says Englishman Vaughan Faulkes-Arnold of Tobermory Bay Tours as he casts his arm across Tobermory’s vast natural amphitheatre.

It's a year and a day since Storm Amy hit Tiree. When she left a few hours later, she had taken the cabin of my boat, a lot of slates and, arguably more importantly, the island’s internet connection.

Kirkwall Post Office is to reopen on Tuesday at 1pm under a new temporary operator. Experienced postmaster, Brian Smith, who owns Freefield Post Office in Lerwick, will take over at the helm. Experienced Post Office staff, who have worked at other Post Office branches, have also been recruited.

A Shetland islands artist is celebrating after her work was accepted into a highly respected showcase of wildlife art in London.

Liam McArthur flew to Canada and back for the same price as flying between Kirkwall to Edinburgh. The £700 it cost Mr McArthur to fly return between Edinburgh and Toronto to watch his son Tom compete for Scotland in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships was the same as the cost of the return flight between Kirkwall and Edinburgh.

A road on the Isle of Skye will remain closed until further notice after it was blocked by a landslip on Friday.

Local Green councillor Alex Armitage says he is “disgusted at the way Shetland’s renewable resources are being passed around by huge corporations”.

It looks as though it belongs to a bygone era of knights, princesses and armed raiders from the sea. But the unusual defensive structure is no relic of medieval times and instead belongs to a much more industrial era.

The A855 is closed in both directions north of Uig causing major disruption. Access through a road on the Isle of Skye has been halted by a landslide, forcing drivers to a 40-mile detour.

The Outer Hebrides has the highest proportion of new company founders aged over 60 anywhere in the UK, with the group accounting for 17.4% of new business directors in the islands. The figure is almost three times the UK average of 5.9%, according to research by virtual office provider Virtual HQ.

Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad has written to the UK Government calling for “urgent action” to improve postal services for the Scottish islands. Writing in her role as public finance minister, she called for a meeting involving Royal Mail, Post Office Ltd, regulator Ofcom, parcel delivery companies and consumer and community organisations.

The owner of a hugely popular website showcasing views around Shetland has warned the site could close due to the impact of ongoing power outages. Shetland Webcams’ Andy Steven said there had been “significant damage” to his equipment after a short but “serious” power outage in Shetland on Tuesday afternoon.

A major rescue operation has taken place in Orkney after a fishing boat ran aground close to the Old Man Of Hoy.

Police Scotland is continuing to appeal for information to help trace Michal Jurkowski who has been reported missing on the Isle of Mull.

Police are seeking witnesses after a sheriff ruled against a Spanish businessman accused of running a cask investment scam.

Stornoway Port is inviting the community to see its vision for the future of the harbour and its relationship with the wider town as the next stage of consultation on its long-term Masterplan gets underway.

The Isle of Rùm Community Trust (IRCT) is celebrating a significant programme of new funding, with work now getting underway on a range of ambitious projects across the island.

Despite it being the second year in a row where bad weather has "put a dent in plans", the 2026 event at Castlebay School was a hit - still bringing in entries from neighbouring Uist and further away, said one of the organising committee Catherine MacLean.

Archaeologists at UHI North, West and Hebrides are bringing 5,000 years of Lewis history to life with the launch of a new immersive archaeology experience. Developed by the UHI North, West and Hebrides archaeology team in partnership with community-owned wind farm charity Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) and heritage society Comann Eachdraidh an Rubha, Lewis Unearthed uses augmented reality in a free app that reveals how people may have lived at Loch an Dùin in Point from the Neolithic period.

An archival film shot in the Isle of Barra in the late 1950s is set for a free screening in the Barra Heritage Centre next Tuesday (October 6). It is hoped the screening of the 22-minute home movie, Barra - Isle in the West, will shed light on the identities of the Barra people captured by filmmaker Robert Godfrey.

The second of four new ferries being built for CalMac in Turkey is expected to be handed over within weeks. Delivery of MV Loch Indaal by the end of October is said to be “achievable” but the ultimate handover date wholly depends upon when all the right people can attend the Cemre shipyard to complete commissioning and testing activities for an array of installed equipment.

MV Glen Sannox is set to remain in the Western Isles for the rest of the winter season. The new Ferguson Marine built vessel will not yet return to her designated route on the Clyde following latest changes to ferry movement plans.

Almost 1,000 people have gathered in Shetland for the island's annual celebration of wool, knitting and textiles.

German space company HyImpulse has confirmed it is planning a first European sub-orbital launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in spring next year.