Orcadian Column, 20/08/2026
Orkney hosted a colony of Penguins last weekend. They may have been flightless but as Orkney’s first XV rugby team will testify they could run very fast and tackle very hard.
The Penguins, an invitational side whose mission is to “foster the development, goodwill and camaraderie of rugby worldwide” helped Orkney RFC celebrate its 40th and 50th anniversaries. It was fitting, therefore, that they should be present again this year at the 60th.
A weekend of games, training sessions and social events culminated with a memorable dinner-dance at KGS on Saturday evening. Over the last 60 years, ORFC has proved itself to be the very essence of a grassroots community club, personified by John Copland and Brian Laughton who were both rightly recognised on the night for their contributions to the club over many years.
Amongst the various speakers, Jo Inkster talked brilliantly about the remarkable evolution of women’s rugby locally and nationally, while Alice Tait delivered some inspirational words on behalf of Sean ‘Tattie’ Corrigal. Tattie was absent through illness, which is ironic as he’s done more than anyone to put ORFC in the rudest of health through the development of an impressive pipeline of young rugby talent in the boys and girls sections at all age levels.
I had the pleasure of spending much of Saturday evening in the company of former Scottish internationals, Stuart Grimes and John Beattie, the latter who rounded off the speeches with a masterclass in effortless wit and wisdom before picking up a guitar and helping out the Bigsy Whalps with a couple of AC/DC numbers. Possibly the perfect after-dinner speaker.
Talking of entertainers, you’d be hard-pushed to find anyone with more charismatic charm than wee Gregor Corse. I warmed up for Saturday’s dinner-dance by joining Gregor for a Bake-a-thon, organised by Soma’s Light to raise funds for The Peedie Retreat. Over the course of an hour, we managed to get more icing on ourselves than the cakes we were decorating, but Gregor had everyone in stitches throughout.
Earlier in the week, I accompanied Gregor on one of his wanders to nursery in aid of CLAN. He really is an amazing four-year-old and a worthy finalist in the ‘Rising Star’ category of the UK Just Giving Awards. Please take a minute to visit the awards website and cast a well-deserved vote for Gregor.
Later that day, I met with the Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn. It allowed me to reiterate my welcome at the announcement that flights between Inverness and the Northern and Western Isles are to resume in October, if not sooner. I also re-emphasised the need for the Scottish Government to develop a long-term strategy for air services across the Highlands & Islands. Recent events have exposed the vulnerability of lifeline routes and the need for greater resilience.
Mr Flynn accepted this argument and indicated that discussions with stakeholders are underway. That is certainly welcome news, but while this process must be informed by islanders, if the strategy is to be delivered it will require leadership from government.
Over the years, it’s fair to say that many islanders have grown sceptical of the government’s understanding of their needs. The Islands Act was passed ten years ago amidst bold claims from the then Islands Minister, Humza Yousaf – whatever happened to him? Legislation and policy were to be ‘island proofed’ with island impact assessments carried out routinely.
Sadly, the Act has been another example of this government over-promising and under-delivering. As I warned at the time, island impact assessments have been a ‘tick box’ exercise, rarely if ever influencing the framing of legislation or policy by ministers or public bodies.
That is why I wrote last week to parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee urging its members to undertake an inquiry into the Islands Act and come forward with recommendations on how to make it more effective. This call was made on a cross-party basis and would show parliament taking the time to understand whether the legislation it passes actually does what was intended.
Orkney may not be home to real penguins, but like all islands we have specific needs that should be recognised by government. A sense check on the Islands Act ten years on would be a waddle in the right direction.