Tuesday 12th May 2026
Guide in the Hide: Peatland Special
As a special add-on for this morning, we’ll have a member of staff from our Peatland Restoration Project along. He’ll be able to tell you all about the amazing peat habitat the hide is sited within, and about the RSPB’s ongoing peatland restoration work in Orkney.
what3words location: ///snug.since.mealtime
Nature Inspired Pottery with Robin Palmer
Join Robin Palmer at his pottery studio in Kirkwall to try your hand at making textured pots inspired by nature.
Unnatural Arrivals – The Stoat Crisis in Orkney
🕒 10:30 to 17:00
📌 Orkney Museum (open map)
💰 Free (donations welcome)
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
This exhibition brings together artists responding to a dramatic ecological change in Orkney. Since 2010, stoats (Mustela erminea)—a species not native to the islands—have spread rapidly, threatening ground-nesting birds, hen harriers, short-eared owls, and the unique Orkney vole.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, and more, the works explore the impact of this invasion on the islands’ fragile ecosystem, as well as the wider questions it raises about conservation, intervention, and coexistence. Drawing on local knowledge and scientific research, and informed by efforts such as the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, the exhibition offers a powerful reflection on nature, balance, and change.
ONWP : Talk and Tech!
Come and find out more about the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP) and the exciting new tech we are using out in the field. Various team members including trappers and dog handlers will be joining us during the day.
Paint or Draw Orkney Flora and Fauna
🕒 13:30 to 15:30
📌 For Art’s Sake, Kirkwall (open map)
💰 £10
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
All materials and a cuppa included.
The Apothecary By The Sea: In Conversation with Victoria Bennett
🕒 14:00 to 15:00
📌 Kirkwall Library – MacGillivray Room (open map)
💰 Free (booking required)
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
Join award-winning author Victoria Bennett for a relaxed and intimate afternoon of conversation, readings, and reflection as part of the Orkney Nature Festival.
Taking place in the MacGillivray Room at Kirkwall Library, this event offers a chance to hear from her new book, The Apothecary By The Sea — a year-long journey through an Orkney garden shaped by wild plants, shifting seasons, and everyday acts of care. Rooted in the belief that the wild plants that grow beneath our feet hold their own stories and healing properties, the book explores how tending an apothecary garden can become a way of reconnecting with land, body, and self.
Blending memoir, nature writing, and practical insight, Victoria reflects on gardening alongside the realities of modern life — offering an approach that is accessible, intuitive, and grounded in working with what grows naturally around us, whether in a garden, container, or windowsill.
Through readings and conversation, she will share the plants, practices, and stories that shape her work. There will be time for audience questions, as well as an opportunity to purchase signed copies of the book.
Please arrive a few minutes early to allow time to settle in.
Botanical Sketchbooking in Graphite for Mindfulness
🕒 14:00 to 16:00
📌 George Mackay Brown Memorial Garden (open map)
💰 £40 (includes sketching materials to keep)
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
Join local Nature Illustrator Sarah Crowe for a mindful two-hour workshop in keeping a botanical sketchbook. Using the collection of shrubs in the George Mackay Brown memorial garden, you will learn the practice of how to use a sketchbook to record the plants that surround you in graphite, taking an increasingly detailed look at your surroundings.
All drawing materials are included in the price and will be yours to take away after the workshop.
Please make sure you have a warm layer of clothing. It may be advisable to bring something to drink.
Rescue on the Edge: Marine Mammal Rescues in Orkney and Around the UK
🕒 19:00
📌 St Magnus Centre – Friends Room (open map)
💰 £4
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
Join us for an engaging talk about the vital work of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and the unique challenges of responding to marine mammal emergencies in Orkney. Drawing on real incidents from the past few years, we’ll explore several local rescues—from stranded seals to whales in distress—and reveal what it takes to respond safely and effectively.
Alongside these case studies, the talk will also introduce the wider work of BDMLR across the UK. Learn how trained volunteers respond to hundreds of callouts each year, assist with large whale disentanglements, and help protect marine wildlife through rescue, research, and public education.
Whether you’re passionate about marine life, curious about rescue operations, or interested in volunteering, this talk offers a fascinating insight into the people and teamwork behind saving some of the UK’s most remarkable marine animals.
Some graphic photos of wounds may be shown.
The Orkney dive: a sustainable seafood story
🕒 19:00
📌 Live Online Talk
💰 £2
🔢 All ages (under 16s must be accompanied)
The Orkney Dive is a conversation between chefs, scientists, divers and local businesses in Orkney and around Scotland about scallop diving. It seeks to highlight the stronger relationship between Scottish seafood and the marine environment which provides it. This short movie has been produced by Open Seas, with the kind support of Patagonia, and it has been touring Scotland together with Open Seas’ #DivedNotDredged campaign, calling for prioritizing sustainable ways to harvest our seafood, over habitat damaging ones.
The Orkney Dive is a 30-minute documentary produced between 2023 and 2024 by Open Seas, a Scottish marine sustainability charity advocating for healthier seas, more vibrant coastal communities, and a sustainable seafood system. The film was generously supported by Patagonia, a brand long committed to marine conservation, social justice, and broader sustainability initiatives.
The documentary celebrates the value and benefits of sustainable seafood and low-impact fishing, with a particular focus on Orkney and Scotland’s scallop dive sector, which hand dived scallops are renowned by chefs worldwide as premium-quality seafood, harvested in ways that respect the marine environment while supporting sustainable livelihoods.
The event will feature a brief introduction from Open Seas to set the scene, followed by the movie screening (around 30 mins) and a Q&A session.
A link to the talk will be sent after booking.
