In a bid to explore new avenues of economic opportunity, the Orkney Islands Council is delving into its “Nordic connections” and contemplating potential changes to its legal status.
Council leader James Stockan has presented a motion urging the exploration of alternative forms of governance that could benefit the islands.
Among the options under consideration are crown dependencies like Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man. The notion of strengthening “Nordic connections” has also been raised, with the mention of the Faroe Islands, a self-governing territory of Denmark in the North Sea, in a report slated for discussion at an upcoming council meeting.
Mr. Stockan expressed his belief that Orkney has been let down by both the Edinburgh and London governments, highlighting the disparity in funding received per capita compared to Shetland and the Western Isles.
Orkney, historically under Norwegian and Danish control, became part of Scotland in 1472 when the islands were bequeathed as part of Margaret of Denmark’s wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Mr. Stockan emphasised the strong cultural and historical ties with Norway, stating that many people in Orkney often inquire about reclaiming their connection to the country.
He remarked, “We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom. On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway.
“There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible.”
Liam McArthur, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Member of the Scottish Parliament representing Orkney, expressed support for empowering island communities. However, he cautioned against erecting barriers in the process saying: “I am due to meet local councillors on Monday and will be interested to learn more about what is envisaged. There were similar proposals considered by OIC around the time of the last independence referendum and I am keen to understand how these would differ. Locally, I think islanders will also want to be reassured that this exercise won’t result in council resources being taken away from the day-to-day running of services at a time when these are under real pressure.”
