Festival Archive

Aviation Festival for Orkney Orkney is to have an Aviation Festival. It will follow this year’s Science Festival and run from 10-14 September, highlighting the story of military and civil aviation in the islands. Orkney has been over the years at the centre of numerous aviation developments, through two world

What makes the Clipperton Project’s Floating Laboratory special is the mix of people aboard – scientists, artists, photographers and people promoting the spirit of exploration in tackling the challenges of today’s world.

Prof. Steve ‘Jake’ Jacobs has written and presented a series for the Discovery Channel, and also for National Geographic TV and Fox Television where he was the creator and on-air host of the series Jake’s Attic.

The 2013 Festival had record attendances, with over 200 people at some events. The Family Day was the biggest yet, packed with activities, from marine life to Europe’s Lost World.

Recognise Rae: call for stamp to honour Arctic hero A call is being made for a stamp to be issued to honour one of the greatest Arctic explorers of all time. Orcadian John Rae, born 200 years ago, solved the two greatest mysteries of 19th-century Arctic exploration. He found the vital

Win a night-sky photo in our new astronomy competition! Would you like a night-sky image on your wall, taken by the observatory above? Take part in our new astronomy competition! The La Silla Observatory in Chile is part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the world’s most most productive ground-based astronomical observatory. Supported by

Filmmaker and film from lost city to open this year’s festival One of Britain’s leading documentary filmmakers is to open this year’s Orkney International Science Festival – bringing with him a remarkable new film in which people from a lost city in South America open up a dialogue with

Archibald Edmiston Roy was born in Yoker, Glasgow, on 24 June 1924. His father was a draftsman at John Brown’s shipyard, and he himself originally wanted to be an architect.

Our first Honorary Life Member, Thora Bain, died on 22 September, at the age of 95. Thora was one of the greats - a mine of information on Orkney, with a keen interest in opening up questions about its history, and so many memories of people and events. Her obituary in The

Record-breaking week All records were broken for audience numbers in this year's Festival, when ended on Wednesday 12 September. Many events were completely sold out. Whether it was 10 in the morning or 9 at night, halls - and often large ones - were filled to overflowing. Visitors came from