Orkney whale stranding: Beach walkers told to stay away from 23 pilot whales 'as nature takes its course'
The marine mammals stranded at Roo Beach in the north of the island.
It's believed they had lain on the beach before they were spotted by locals.
Investigations into the cause of the stranding are being carried out at the Glasgow-based SMASS. Samples from the whales were sent by local expert Emma Neave-Webb.
Orkney Islands Council says it is now 'working carefully through options for how to handle the situation'.
This includes the option of leaving the deceased animals where they are and 'allowing nature to take its course'.
The local authority says there are 'various factors at play'.
This includes the advanced state of decomposition of the whales and the location of the stranding.
Discussions continue with a number of agencies and Sanday community representatives on agreed next steps.
A council spokesperson said: 'We would continue to strongly advise local people and visitors to stay away from the area.'
Yesterday, the council said treating the incident as a priority.
However, dealing with such incidents 'presents complex challenges and logistics', the local authority says.
Unfortunately, these challenges aren't totally unfamiliar.
Just over a year ago, a similar incident involving 77 Pilot Whales took places at Tresness, also on Sanday.
The council has said a further update on what it planning to do about the incident will come in the following days.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Archaeologists probe Kelvingrove Park to uncover lost skateboard arena
But now archaeologists are hoping to uncover what remains of the once-radical facility more than three decades after it disappeared, both through physical surveys and the recording of people's memories of the concrete slopes and ramps which entertained a generation of boarders, our sister title The Herald reports. A Kelvin Wheelies high jumper in 1978 (Image: Iain Urquhart, with kind permission from North Skateboard Magazine) Kelvin Wheelies skatepark opened in May 1978 in Kelvingrove Park with a full suite of obstacles for skateboarders to show off their skills and tricks. Unique in Scotland, it contained bowls, a slalom run and a half-pipe - and was initially hugely popular with kids taking up the boarding craze, which had arrived from America. The park hosted several competitions, including the first national skateboarding competition in Scotland, the 1978 Scottish Skateboard Championships, where Glasgow dominated the Bowl Riding competitions. The slalom run in 1978 (Image: Iain Urquhart, with kind permission from North Skateboard Magazine) However, growing concerns about maintenance costs and safety led to the park's closure by 1983, and it was buried over – vanishing beneath the ground and from the city's landscape. Elements of the original site remain visible adjacent to the modern skatepark in Kelvingrove Park today, but there is currently no information available to explain the significance of this site to Kelvingrove Park visitors, or users of the modern skatepark. Experts at the University of Glasgow, working with volunteers and students, will undertake a probe at the site from 25 to 29 August to learn more about the current condition of the skatepark, and ensure that 'a central part of modern Glasgow's sporting heritage' is recorded. The archaeological fieldwork is being supported by Scotland's oldest antiquarian society, and will help to preserve the legacy of the park. As part of a broader program of research into the site, the team has been funded through a £1,102 grant from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland to enable the work to take place. The remains of the slalom run today (Image: Dr Kenny Brophy, FSAScot)The University of Glasgow team have also partnered with Archaeology Scotland's New Audiences programme to invite volunteers from asylum seeking and refugee communities to participate in the fieldwork, to continue the programme's efforts engaging marginalised communities in uncovering Glasgow's sporting heritage. READ NEXT: North Glasgow girl, 12, wants everyone to enter our community awards - here's why READ NEXT: Primark to celebrate 50th birthday of first Scottish store Former Scottish skateboard champion Jamie Blair, owner of Glasgow-based skateboarding shop Clan Skates and a former member of the Kelvingrove skateboard team, said: 'When Kelvin Wheelies opened in 1978, skaters from all over the UK flocked to this radical new facility. 'A park team was formed and for the next few years Glasgow was the dominant force in Scottish skateboarding. 'Sadly, a dip in skateboarding's popularity in the early 1980s and the construction of a rival skatepark in Livingston saw the decline of Kelvin Wheelies, with the main bowlriding area buried in time. I'm thrilled that through this project we have a chance to rediscover it.' The public are invited to contact the project to share memories, video and photographs of the original Kelvin Wheelies, which will form part of an online archive for the skatepark and help with future fieldwork. Dr Kenny Brophy FSAScot, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and project leader, said: 'There is a very real danger that this skatepark, a place that was so special for hundreds of young people just decades ago, will become forgotten and lost. 'Contemporary archaeology allows us the opportunity to explore even fairly recent events and places to jog memories, combining traditional archaeological fieldwork techniques with interviews and documentary research. 'In the case of Kelvin Wheelies, this is a unique opportunity for a generation of skateboarders to relive the excitement of their youth and excavate their own memories of a place that was so special to them.' The 'Jaws' bowl in 1978 (Image: Iain Urquhart, with kind permission from North Skateboard Magazine)) To share memories, please contact or use #KelvinWheelies when posting on X and Bluesky. Assessing what remains of the 'Jaws Bowl' today (Image: Dr Kenny Brophy, FSAScot) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland supports high-quality research and publication relating to Scotland's past by making several grants and awards twice each year. This round awarded a total of £17,478 to 11 projects researching an aspect of Scottish history or archaeology, including 19th-century Scottish tea merchants and the global interactions in China, female emigration from Shetland and Skye to Australia during the Great Famine of 1845-51, and the dating of Viking ship stems from the Isle of Eigg. Dr Helen Spencer FSAScot, Head of Research at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said: 'As a charity, we are especially grateful to our thousands of Fellows across the globe, whose subscription fees enable us to distribute these grants each year.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Famous Glasgow School artwork donated to Glasgow University
A student at the University in the late 1960s, the Glasgow-born businessman and philanthropist died in 2022 after suffering from pneumonia. The donated artworks include paintings by the renowned eighteenth-century Scottish artists Allan Ramsay and Henry Raeburn, as well as a work by one of the progenitors of the Glasgow School, George Henry. READ MORE: The Hunterian Museum thanked Dr Mazumdar-Shaw for her generous donation and said that the artworks would create 'meaningful connections to the University's teaching and research, the history of The Hunterian and its collections, and wider opportunities for public engagement.' Among the works is the 1892 'Portrait of a Lady' by George Henry, which will become the artists' twelfth work held by the museum. (Image: George Henry, 'Portrait of a Lady', c. 1892. © The Hunterian, University of Glasgow.)Curator of French and British Art at the Hunterian, Anne Dulau, said: 'The painting reflects his interest in the interplay between figure, fashion and intricately composed backgrounds. A decorative bust-length work, it reveals the lasting impact of Henry's transformative trip to Japan in 1892' The Museum's complete collection includes additional works by Henry, including Japanese Pottery Seller, Japanese Beauty, and Girl with Red Hair. Among the donations, the Museum also noted a 'striking and unusual' Henry Raeburn portrait of an anonymous young Indian woman. 'Though her identity remains unknown, it is compelling to consider she may have been of Anglo-Indian heritage and may have been present in Scotland during a time when Raeburn was primarily painting male figures of the Scottish Enlightenment', said Art Curator Dr Lola Sanchez-Jauregui Alpanes. 'This work opens up conversations about the complex social, cultural, political, and economic ties between Britain and Asia during that period, as well as new aspects of Raeburn's female portraiture." The late Mr Shaw and his widow Dr Mazumdar-Shaw have been significant donors to the University in the past. In 2004, the couple made a joint donation of $7.5 million towards the construction of the University's Advanced Research Centre, one of the largest ever single donations endowed to the University. (Image: John Shaw and Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw)The state of the art building, one of the University's largest, was opened in 2022 after being officially named after Mr Shaw and Dr Mazumdar-Shaw. Commenting on the donated collection, Director of The Hunterian, Professor Steph Scholten, said: 'The Hunterian has been at the heart of Glasgow's cultural landscape for over 200 years and is incredibly grateful to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for her generosity. "John was not only a friend, supporter and alumnus of the University - he was a proud member of our community and a dedicated collector of Scottish art. "As The Hunterian enters a new phase of transformation, we are committed to showcasing the very best of our collections while addressing the urgencies of today's complex world in partnership with our communities and in continued collaboration with the Mazumdar-Shaw family."
Press and Journal
2 days ago
- Press and Journal
Orkney whale stranding: Beach walkers told to stay away from 23 pilot whales 'as nature takes its course'
Members of the public are being advised to stay away from the site of a mass stranding of 23 pilot whales on the Orkney island of Sanday. The marine mammals stranded at Roo Beach in the north of the island. It's believed they had lain on the beach before they were spotted by locals. Investigations into the cause of the stranding are being carried out at the Glasgow-based SMASS. Samples from the whales were sent by local expert Emma Neave-Webb. Orkney Islands Council says it is now 'working carefully through options for how to handle the situation'. This includes the option of leaving the deceased animals where they are and 'allowing nature to take its course'. The local authority says there are 'various factors at play'. This includes the advanced state of decomposition of the whales and the location of the stranding. Discussions continue with a number of agencies and Sanday community representatives on agreed next steps. A council spokesperson said: 'We would continue to strongly advise local people and visitors to stay away from the area.' Yesterday, the council said treating the incident as a priority. However, dealing with such incidents 'presents complex challenges and logistics', the local authority says. Unfortunately, these challenges aren't totally unfamiliar. Just over a year ago, a similar incident involving 77 Pilot Whales took places at Tresness, also on Sanday. The council has said a further update on what it planning to do about the incident will come in the following days.
