Man's body found in water of Scots harbour as police cordon off scene

The body of a man has been discovered in the water at a harbour in Orkney.

Emergency services raced to Kirkwall Pier after the alarm was raised at around 5.40am on Wednesday. Officers quickly cordoned off the scene as a probe was launched.

Orkney Ferries were forced to cancel their 7am sailing between Stronsay to Eday due to police investigations, and confirmed that some services would be disrupted while police remain on scene.

Officers have not yet disclosed the identity of the man, but their enquiries are ongoing.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 5.40am on Wednesday, 8 May, 2024, the body of a 50-year-old man was discovered in the water at Kirkwall Harbour, Orkney.

"His next of kin are aware.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal."

A spokesperson for Orkney Ferries said on Facebook: "We would like to advise passengers that the 0700 service to Stronsay and Eday was cancelled.

"The 0720 service to Westray and 0740 service to Sanday departed as scheduled. However, the service from Kirkwall was foot passenger only.

"This is due to the closure of the linkspan due to the ongoing police investigation."

In a later update, the ferry operator added: "We would like to advise passengers that the linkspan at our Kirkwall pier has reopened.

"This means that passengers travelling in from Westray & Sanday this morning with vehicles will be able disembark as normal. For the latest updates, head to our website and social media feed."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.