North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme

28/04/2025

NILPS was delighted to fund this stunning tribute to the great auk in Papay. See Jonathan's post below to find out more and click on the link to listen to the piece on Radio Orkney this morning 👇🎧📻

07/02/2025

It's great to see Helen's work installed in the North Ronaldsay pier waiting room - check it out if you're visiting this year; along with an information panel by Alex Wright about the Post Boat. Both pieces were created following community research and engagement as part of the NILPS 'Seas of the North Isles' project. Well done to all 🙌

Hello, thats us rather late to welcoming February in... may become a bit of a theme this year... 🫤
As promised I can now present the next Project i was involved with last year: The Post Boat Project.
Funded by the Northern Isles Landscape Partnership I was commissioned to make a piece of wall art for the islands Pier Waiting Room on the theme of the Post Boat- which a hundred and some years ago was THE way mail and parcels were delivered to the island- i wouldnt have been envious of the postman for that job! 💨⛵️🤢
Here is the completed project up and on display at the North Ronaldsay Pier Waiting Room. If you are visiting off the ferry go up and take a look!
I am hoping more opportunities like this one come my way: covering society with wool, one wall at a time! 🐑✌
I'd like to thank Alex W, island NILPS rep for the commission, and the residents of NR who took part in workshops to needle felt the artic terns attacking from the ceiling!

03/02/2025

There's an excellent programme of events in store for visitors to this year's North Ronaldsay Science Festival.

Here is the programme for this year's North Ronaldsay Science Festival - everyone is welcome and all events are free.

10/12/2024

This wonderful stained glass panel has been created by artist Shona McInnes in collaboration with pupils at the Sanday School. Shona was in Sanday last week, holding drop-in sessions for residents to see the panel being 'leaded'. It is one of five panels depicting all aspects of Sanday Heritage that have been created through workshops and design sessions with Shona over the last three months.

03/12/2024

We are delighted to announce that our Habitat Restoration Project has been Highly Commended at the Nature of Scotland Awards. Here are Tom Wells from the RSPB who managed the project, along with our Project Officer Alex Wright - both looking lovely in soft focus as they collect the award atop a twinkly starlit cloud in Edinburgh.

NILPs Habitat Restoration Project saw work undertaken on over 18 sites in the North Isles to benefit of vulnerable wading birds and other wildlife. Shallow scrapes were created and new fencing installed to facilitate conservation grazing. The project was highly successful with an almost immediate increase in the numbers of breeding birds being recorded at sites where work had taken place.

02/12/2024

We held the last of the cubbie workshops on Saturday in Papay. Many thanks to the 80 people who have come along to these sessions across the North Isles and many thanks to Neil Leask making them so informative and highly enjoyable.

29/11/2024

Staff from the Nav School in Stromness have been passing on traditional maritime and bushcraft skills to a group of pupils at Papdale Halls of Residence. Thanks to Mark Shiner for teaching rope making this week. Next week the pupils will learn some knots to practice with their new ropes!

29/11/2024

Delighted to support Rousay Community School's trip to learn more about how Rousay's special Neolithic & Iron Age sites fit into the Orkney context. Thanks to Cat at Skara Brae and Dan Lee at UHI Archaeology Institute for excellent tours and activities

27/11/2024

Back in the back end of summer we ran a scything workshop in Egilsay. Relive the warmth of that beautiful day in this series of five "introduction to scything videos" with Doug Goodall. Thanks to Vicky and Nicky for organising the event and to Chris for hosting it.
Click on the link to get to the playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeTxp_qpAJEsxod0jk806fWqSkFLTbgaN

18/11/2024

Please email [email protected] to book a place.

12/11/2024

Calling community groups with heritage!

Our Museums team has secured almost £100k of funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, to help local groups with heritage ambitions - especially those in harder to reach areas outside Kirkwall and Stromness.

The funding will support extra hours on a temporary basis for team members, opening up capacity for them to work closely with community groups on heritage related projects over the next 18 months.

As part of the project, financial support of up to £1k may be also available to community groups towards the costs of their projects, assessed on a project-by-project basis.

Groups such as development trusts and community-run heritage centres are invited to come forward with ideas they may have and to find out more about how the Council’s Museums team can support them.

Read the full story here 👇
https://www.orkney.gov.uk/latest-news/museums-team-extends-helping-hand-for-heritage-thanks-to-esmee-fairbairn-foundation/

🎧Or listen again to Ellen Pesci, Social History Curator, who spoke recently to Radio Orkney about the opportunity for local groups 🎙️(just before the 5 minute mark): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0024tpx

The project was awarded £99,928 from The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund scheme, managed by Association .

Pictured here are members of the Council’s Museums and wider Culture team (left to right): Digital Collections and Heritage Officer Chris Andrews; Arts Officer Emma Gee; Curator (Archaeology) Siobhan Cooke-Miller; Engagement/Exhibitions Officer Tom Muir; Culture Team Manager Nick Hewitt - and Curator (Social History) Ellen Pesci who is leading the outreach project.