Orcadian Column, 7 August 2025

During the Island Games, as the sun beat down and we slapped on the Factor 50, there seemed a cheery acceptance a price would need to be paid. It felt inevitable the weather gods would demand their pound of flesh during show week and so it is that Storm Floris has come calling.

Hopefully Floris won’t exact too high a price for those sun-kissed sporting memories, but already we’ve seen extensive travel disruption, damage to property and even delays to exam results arriving by post. Unlike the depths of winter when we are already in hibernation mode, high winds in summer present particular challenges.

Spare a thought, for example, for organisers of the Shapinsay Show, who have been scrambling to salvage as much their event as possible. In farming communities like Orkney, shows perform a vital function, bringing people together and showcasing the best of what such communities have to offer. This is particularly true for the smaller shows.

And it was all going so well too, starting last Friday in Sanday where near perfect conditions of sun with a bit of breeze to keep the livestock and their handlers from overheating resulted in decent crowds. The mercury was on the rise in Toab the following day where ice creams were odds on to win best in show. Word to wise here, if you’re going to go for two scoops of Orkney Ice-cream ask for a tub rather than a cone, which isn’t built to carry such heavy freight!

The chat around the showgrounds is always varied and entertaining, and this year has been no different. I’ve found, over the years, that folks who would never get in touch with my office or come to an advice surgery are very happy to say what’s on their mind while leaning against a cattle pen. 

Despite the variety of topics covered, I‘ve been surprised proposals for ‘enhanced greening’ and Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) haven’t featured more. This may reflect the Scottish Government’s failure to publicise the changes being introduced next year and ramped up from 2027, but it is a concern. These plans could have profound implications locally, as was clear from my meeting with NFUS Orkney and SRUC on Monday. 

Uptake of agri-environment schemes has traditionally been high in Orkney and other island areas, typically around 9% compared to 4% nationally. This has allowed Orkney to play to its strengths, while protecting biodiversity and habitats for important species such as waders. As things stand, the enhanced greening proposals risk seeing farmers walk away from schemes or livestock farming altogether. Even those who try to make a go of it could end up incurring more cost, creating more emissions and delivering less public benefit. That’s madness.

Farming Minister, Jim Fairlie is in Orkney next week when I’m sure this will be raised. His boss, Rural Secretary, Mairi Gougeon assured me in parliament last year that the government would use the findings of an earlier SRUC report on the specific importance of agriculture in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles to inform future policy and funding decisions. As things stand, these proposals do the opposite and fail to respect the needs of island farmers and crofters.

One minister attuned to island concerns is Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch and Deputy First Minister. Her announcement on Monday that she will be stepping down at next year’s Holyrood election is a serious blow to the SNP and will be a significant loss to the parliament. Her desire to spend more time with her young family, after the demands of life as a Highland MSP and senior Minister, is not wholly surprising, though.

Kate is someone I like and respect enormously. She’s smart, engaging and, as a minister, manages to respond to questions without resorting to pre-prepared attack lines or the usual whataboutery. However, since the acrimonious leadership contest with Humza Yousaf in 2023, she has cut a more isolated figure both in government and her party. Things said by many around the Cabinet table cannot be unsaid and certain bridges still lie in ashes.

I‘ve no doubt she will continue to find ways of contributing to our national discourse. For now, though, being mum trumps all.