Orkney Islands Council has praised staff, emergency services, farmers, volunteers, community groups, and residents for their resilience and cooperation during a prolonged period of severe winter weather across the islands.
The challenging conditions, which included high winds, heavy snow, ice, and sustained low temperatures, placed exceptional pressure on services and daily life throughout Orkney.
The council said the collective response helped protect residents, maintain essential services where possible, and provide support to those most in need during the worst of the weather.
Council Convener Graham Bevan said:
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to every member of staff, emergency responder, care workers, our contractors, and the many volunteers who stepped forward during these challenging days.
“The combination of high winds, heavy snow and bitterly low temperatures presented significant challenges, but the determination and solidarity shown across Orkney made a real difference.
“Your efforts helped keep people safe and communities connected.
“We thank local businesses, volunteers and neighbours who showed remarkable civic spirit by checking on one another, sharing information and offering a helping hand when it was needed, really highlighting the solidarity that defines our community.
“The severe weather also caused disruption to transport and school arrangements and made it difficult to deliver some Council services, such as waste and recycling collections, while teams concentrated on the emergency response.
“We understand this can be frustrating, but we thank everyone for their patience as services return to normality.
“The combined response of our community has shone through, it was a true team effort for which we offer our thanks to all.
“We remain incredibly proud of the resilience shown across Orkney.
“The Council will continue working with partners and communities to strengthen our preparedness for future events.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who played a part large or small in keeping our islands safe.”
Council teams, partner organisations, contractors, and farmers worked continuously through drifting snow, strong winds, and icy conditions to keep roads open and critical services operating where possible.
Road crews, waste and recycling teams, care workers, and other council staff put in long hours responding to incidents, clearing routes, and checking on vulnerable households.
Between the 2nd and 9th of January, council gritters treated more than 7,969 miles of road, more than ten times the total length of Orkney’s road network.
At the height of the weather, daily meetings of the Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group were chaired by David Hall from Police Scotland.
Inspector Hall said:
“On behalf of the OLECG I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to the Orkney community, our farmers, volunteers and partner agencies for the extraordinary support shown during the recent period of adverse weather.
“The resilience, patience and practical help offered by local people once again demonstrated the true strength of our islands.
“I would also like to thank all responding agencies and frontline staff for their professionalism, commitment and teamwork throughout a challenging period.
“Orkney has once again shown that when the weather throws its worst at us, this community pulls together and delivers, with sleeves rolled up and no fuss, thank you.”
