Sanday is very fortunate to have the services of a island Ranger, Roderick Thorne. Employed by the Sanday Development Trust under the Scottish Executive’s “Initiative at the Edge” scheme, the Ranger is available to both visitors and residents.
Contact Details:
Roderick Thorne
Nearhouse
SandayTel: 01857 600341
E-mail: ranger@sanday.co.uk
A full programme of Ranger Events is arranged throughout the Summer. Details of Ranger Events are published in the OCEAN Calendar, on the Sanday Tourism Association’s web site 
, in the Sanday Sound, and on the Sanday Events calendar here (and at Google ). Or call in on Monday, Wednesday or Friday 12.30-1.30pm at Nearhouse, Lady, where Rod will be happy to greet you with a cup of tea.
The Ranger has a variety of aims and targets; the next few pages try to give a flavour of this variety.
Summer activities are open to both visitors and island residents. Rod provides a wide range of activities suitable for various abilities and age groups.
Some typical Summer events are:
- Guided Walks and Minibus Tours
- Lighthouse Visits to Start Point
- Rockpooling and Beachcombing
- Moth trapping
- Bird-ringing
- Special trips to the Holms of Ire
- Excursions to other islands
The island Ranger also has a role to play in education and Rod works closely with both the School, where he was formerly the Headteacher, and the Community. Some examples of this part of his work would include the following:
- Tree planting
- Field Trips and Environmental Education
- Illustrated talks
- Co-ordinating the annual “Bag the Bruck” beach-cleaning operation
A closely related role is the one that the Ranger plays as an Information Provider:
- providing information to visitors and islanders
- production of information leaflets
- production of a guide to walks on island footpaths
The Sanday Development Trust has produced a range of attractive and useful information leaflets with Rod’s assistance. Leaflets in this series include ones on topics such as: birds, flora, archaeology, heritage, shoreline, mammals. The leaflets are available at a number of information points around the island, including the waiting room at the Loth Ferry Terminal.
Another part of the island Ranger’s work is the liaison role with outside agencies. Some of the typical functions included are:
- biodiversity monitoring
- moth recording for the Orkney Biodiversity Records Office
- seal counts for Sea Mammal Research Unit
- bird recording for BTO and RSPB
- promotion of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
The island Ranger post is funded from a variety of sources: Scottish Natural Heritage, Orkney Islands Council, Scottish & Southern Energy Spurness Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.
You can read Ranger News in our News blog