News

Stromness Local Place Plan Survey – Have Your Say

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Work is now underway to refresh the Stromness Local Place Plan, and we are inviting residents, businesses and anyone with a connection to the town to take part in a new community survey.

Local Place Plans are community-led documents that help guide future decisions about how places develop. They feed directly into the Orkney Islands Council Local Development Plan and help ensure that the priorities of local communities are clearly evidenced and understood.

The Stromness Local Place Plan was first developed through the “What’s Next for Stromness” community engagement process. This refresh will build on that earlier work while capturing current views about the future of the town.

The survey explores a range of topics including:

  • Housing and the availability of homes.
  • Movement around the town and connections beyond Stromness.
  • Community facilities and services.
  • The harbour and town centre.
  • Heritage, tourism and the local economy.
  • Environmental quality and public spaces.

We are currently at the listening stage. Nothing has been decided yet, a survey has been launched that is about understanding priorities, testing ideas and identifying where more discussion may be needed.

The survey takes around 10–15 minutes, but you can take longer if you would like to provide more detailed responses.

Your input will help:

• Identify community priorities.
• Provide evidence to support future funding and investment.
• Shape the direction of the refreshed Stromness Local Place Plan.

👉 Take part in the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/StromnessLPP

Whether you live in Stromness, work here, run a business, or visit regularly, your perspective is important.

Please feel free to share the survey with others who care about the future of Stromness.

Stromness Community Development Trust is recruiting a Development Officer & Community Centre Lead to support the next phase of development

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This is a pivotal role at an important moment for Stromness.

The town is currently refreshing its Local Place Plan, which will set priorities for housing, services, infrastructure and community wellbeing over the coming years. At the same time, Stromness Community Development Trust is taking responsibility for the Stromness Community Centre and working to establish a sustainable model for its long-term operation.

The Development Officer will work closely with the Board of Trustees and community to translate community priorities into funded, deliverable projects while ensuring the Community Centre becomes a sustainable and well-used community asset.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Building partnerships with local organisations, agencies and funders.
  • Leading delivery of elements of the refreshed Stromness Local Place Plan.
  • Developing and securing funding for priority projects identified.
  • Establishing a financially sustainable operating model for the Community Centre.
  • Representing Stromness in strategic discussions and partnerships.

This is a senior community development role requiring strategic thinking combined with practical delivery experience.

Role Summary

Salary: £30,000 – £35,000
Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract: 24 months (with intention to make permanent subject to funding)

📅 Closing date: Midnight, Thursday 19 March 2026

Applications should be sent to:

📧 kris.bevan@stromnessorkney.com

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the Chair using the same email address.

Recruitment Pack

The full recruitment pack, including the job description and person specification and details of how to apply, can be downloaded here:

SCDT Recruitment PackDownload

Community Centre Moving into Local Ownership

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Stromness Community Development Trust is working closely with Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish Land Fund towards a mid-March handover of the Stromness Community Centre.

This marks an important milestone for the town, placing one of Stromness’ key community spaces directly into local ownership and creating the opportunity for the community to shape its future.

Following the transfer, the focus will be on developing a sustainable operating model and strengthening the Centre’s role as an active hub at the heart of the community.

As part of the transition, the Trust is currently reaching out to existing users of the Centre to ensure their needs and experiences help inform the next phase of development.

Further updates will be shared as we move towards the transfer.

Scottish Land Fund

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Funding success for Stromness Community Development Trust with £138,054 awarded for the purchase of the Stromness Community Centre.

The Stromness Community Centre was initially highlighted by the community during the ‘What’s Next for Stromness’ consultations and the process of investigating the possibility of community ownership formally began in 2022.
With funding for the feasibility study and conceptual designs awarded by Scottish Land Fund Stage 1, Orkney Islands Council Community Development Fund and Community Led Local Development Fund.

Kris Bevan, Chair, Stromness Community Development Trust, said

“Stromness Community Development Trust is delighted to have secured a Scottish Land Fund grant to purchase Stromness Community Centre. The community centre is a vital asset for a range of community groups.  We want to develop and improve the centre to provide a fit for purpose facility which will support existing Community Centre users as well as welcome new users, activities and events.”

Summer 2023 newsletter

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We have put together a summer update, highlighting some of the work that the Stromness Community Development Trust have been doing recently.

Some of the projects mentioned below have their own page on the StromnessOrkney website, so make sure to have a look at those if you would like more information.

We also have an online membership form, linked below, and would love to hear from any keen volunteers for the 2023 Yule Log Pull.

membership form

Happy NEw Year

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Wishing everyone a happy New Year!

Earlier today the Stromness Community Development Trust released a short film featuring the Yule Log Pull.
Thanks to everyone that came to see it, for those that couldn’t make it we are delighted to share it on here as well – scroll down to watch the video!

Last played in Stromness in 1937, the Stromness Yule Log Pull was revived on Hogmanay in 2017 as part of the town’s Per Mare 200 celebrations. This film features the 2019 Junior and Senior log pulls.

Filming: Fionn McArthur & Mark Jenkins
Editing: Mark Jenkins

Thanks to Orkney.com
Aquatera
Stromness Community Development Trust
The Yule Log Pull Committee

Funded by Event Scotland’s Winter Festivals Fund – Hogmanay

Pitting folk living in the north end of the town against those living in the south, the two teams battle in a tug of war, as the log is dragged through the streets to opposing goals at either end of the town.

Traditionally the Yule Log competition was played late on Christmas Eve by boys and younger men of the town. Their starting point was Graham Place, with the Northenders vying to get to the Pierhead and the Soothenders heading for “Ma Humph’s” pier off Alfred Street — with the log either burned or jettisoned into the sea on arrival. The log for the event was “procured” from a local garden, with a tree being cut down by team members under cover of darkness. Garden owners were often known to guard their trees until well into the night. The practice of obtaining the tree caused much annoyance to local folk and eventually, in 1935, the town council outlawed the cutting down of a tree for the game. For a very short period, the local youths were provided with a log with which to play but, with a vital element of the ‘fun’ lost, the game died out in 1937.

A report in The Orcadian on December 30, 1920, described that year’s game:

“Towards evening the boys fished out a tree, and having attached a couple of stout ropes, the Northenders and Southenders had a tussle for possession. Greatly assisted and encouraged by several enthusiastic women, the log went South, merrily oh! dragged by willing hands amid much shouting and yelling. Then all was quiet.”

Since its revival in 2017 the Yule Log Pull has been jointly organised by Stromness Community Development Trust and Stromness Yule Log committee – made up of an equal number of northenders and soothenders.
The event has continued to evolve and grow interest. In 2018, to celebrate Event Scotland’s Year of Young People, a Junior Log Pull was added to the event. Proving successful, the Junior Log Pull made a welcome return at the 2019 event, along with the addition of two junior captains at the helm.

Welcome to Spring!

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We hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather, albeit with a sprinkling of snow and hail here and there!

The transition from winter into spring and the lighter evenings, brings about the seasonal switch off of the pole wraps lights on Ferry Road. Throughout last winter, the lights added a bit of sparkle to our town, brightening up daily commutes and school drop offs.  

Plans are in place to complete phase 2 of the Stromness Community Development Trust’s lighting project. This will see the addition of festive snowflake motifs, on North End Road and John Street during December and January.

At the other end of the town, the redeveloped Southend Play Park is almost ready to welcome back visitors. There has been a small delay to reopening, but we hope to be able to provide a positive update within the next couple of weeks – watch this space!

On Saturday 1st May, the Trust and Stromness Community Business Forum launched the ‘support local’ bags for life initiative. This sees participating businesses give away custom designed bags for life to customers who spent over £30 in one transaction.

Funding for the project was sourced by the Trusts development officer, from the Scottish Governments ‘Scotland Loves Local’ fund.

The bags feature the ‘Our Hometown’ commemorative mural created as part of the Per Mare 200 celebrations, by the Stromness Museum and Stromness Primary School P7 class of 2017/18. The townscape was assembled by local graphic designer Iain Ashman, who was able to rework the design for printing on the canvas bags.
We hope that using artwork produced by the younger members of our community, will create a sense of pride and ownership, and encourage folk to keep supporting their local businesses.
To find out more about the ‘Our Hometown’ mural, follow the link below.

Home Town mural

As always, we are keen to hear from members of the community. Whether you are part of a local group or organisation, a business, or an individual with an idea or suggestion. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch through the Contact Us form on this website, or through the StromnessOrkney Facebook page.

Make sure you subscribe to keep up to date – thanks!