A team of street pastors has been formed in Orkney in a bid to offer advice and support to revellers out at the weekend.
The charitable Street Pastor programme has been running throughout the UK for the past nine years – but Orkney is the first Scottish island community to form a team of Christian volunteers.
Patrolling the streets of Kirkwall, Orkney's 18-strong team of pastors has been drawn together from seven different churches in the islands, with the volunteers coming from a range of backgrounds.
Each pastor has received 50 hours of training in everything from first aid, to conflict management and child protection.
Angus Ross, a street pastor, said: “The reaction has been incredibly positive on the streets and young folk have been encouraged by what we are doing which is great.”
The initiative has been welcomed by police who see the pastors as a calming influence in the Orkney capital's busiest and most boisterous weekend hotspots.
Doug Murray, acting sergeant with Northern Constabulary, said: “It is a useful resource to have as it acts as a deterrent and it can also offer assistance to people who require help but not from the police.”
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