Wicked problems have a mix of human and technical issues tangled together, and if you try to tackle any one aspect on its own you may actually make the situation worse. But, says Prof. Susan Krumdieck of Heriot-Watt University, some approaches have started to develop.

One way is to see the problems as a symptom of something deeper, and probe to find it. Another way is to bring people around a table, to seek out tensions and differences, and use disagreement constructively to work out a clearer understanding. This morning she welcomes you round a table to look at a big problem for Orkney today – how to balance tourism with preserving cultural and natural heritage.

“We won’t solve the wicked problem,” she says, “but we will see it in a new way that doesn’t look so wicked.”

This workshop follows her introductory talk in Thursday afternoon’s programme – The Worst Kind of Problem.

Numbers limited to 25: booking essential. Tickets £6