Orcadian Column, 11/6/2026

Orkney’s Summer of Sport got off to a flyer at the weekend with a fourth consecutive victory in the Junior Inter County against Shetland, including wins in four of the five sports. These are heady days for youth sport in Orkney and I congratulate not just the athletes, but the coaches, officials and volunteer helpers.

Of course, the overall result only tells part of the story. While there were commanding home wins in swimming and football, and the reverse in netball, hockey and athletics were on a knife-edge. It’s fascinating too how fortunes ebb and flow over the years, with Shetland dominant in the pool for so long while Orkney held the upper hand in netball.

As ever, there were standout performances across the weekend from both squads in victory and defeat. Meanwhile, the traditional fierce rivalry has also laid or strengthened foundations for lifelong friendships, making Junior Inter County the special if not unique competition it has always been.

I touched on this in a parliamentary debate last week looking ahead to Scotland’s Summer of Sport. It gave me a chance to highlight too the North Isles Sports taking place in Stronsay later this month. Like JIC, this competition has played a similar role over the past eight decades in building ties between islanders and communities across the outer north isles. 

Of course, most MSPs chose to focus their remarks on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and more so the men’s football World Cup getting underway on Thursday. Scotland have qualified for the first time in 28 years and I very much share in the mounting delirium that is overwhelming the nation just now. However, having been present in the Neza stadium in Mexico City to watch Scotland crash out of the 1986 World Cup following a dire 0-0 draw with 10-man Uruguay, I’m painfully aware of the agony that may lie ahead. 

Last week’s debate was wholly consensual, with talk of the need to build an enduring legacy on the back of the excitement created by the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. This week’s exchanges are likely to be more confrontational as MSPs debate the fall-out from the conviction of Peter Murrell, the SNP’s former Chief Executive and Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband, who pled guilty to embezzling over £400,000 of the party’s funds. 

The current First Minister, John Swinney continues to reject demands for either an independent or parliamentary inquiry, insisting it’s a matter for the SNP and that steps have been taken to address failures in oversight. 

That feels inadequate in response to an issue that has certainly ‘cut through’ in terms of a wider public that is asking legitimate questions about the actions not just of the SNP, but Police Scotland, the judiciary and even auditors. After all, it’s not as if senior SNP members were not sounding the alarm at the time, with a number resigning in protest. Increasingly, Mr Swinney comes across as shrill when responding to questions, which neither reassures nor looks good.

The same could be said of Loganair’s decision to cut services between Inverness and the Northern and Western Isles. At First Minister’s Questions last week, I pushed Mr Swinney to get Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd to reach agreement with Loganair. However, the onus is on the airline too. 

These cuts will seriously impact those reliant on the routes, including many NHS patients, and will fundamentally undermine air connectivity between Orkney and Shetland. To add insult, Loganair appears to be switching the aircraft to cover a charter operation. 

Traditionally, Loganair has taken the view that more profitable routes help support delivery across the wider network. Now we’re seeing ever higher fares and cuts to services, a lethal combination for a lifeline service. I’ll be raising this again with Loganair this week and have leant my support to cross-party calls for a review of regional air services across the Highlands & Islands. 

Finally, this week sees MSPs move into our permanent offices at Holyrood and take up Committee roles. I’m looking forward to unpacking my crates and getting pictures up on the wall. A return to the Finance Committee is also very welcome – even if it doesn’t match the euphoria of a Stuart Cup victory.