The board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will see at first hand a variety of projects when they undertake a two day visit to Orkney starting today (Monday, 1 October, 2001).

The visit will include a meeting of the HIE board which is frequently held away from the development agency's Inverness headquarters to enable board members to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of individual local enterprise company areas.

Chief executive of Orkney Enterprise Ken Grant said: "Maintaining close links with the HIE board and senior management is extremely important. We consider it a great strength of the Network to be able to both share and draw on experience from throughout the wider Highlands and Islands. Visits like this also allow board members from both HIE and Orkney Enterprise to see projects at first hand - something that a photograph or report cannot sometimes convey.

"Board members from HIE and Orkney Enterprise will also get the opportunity to meet with Orkney Islands Council - one of our main partners with whom we enjoy a very constructive working relationship across a broad range of projects."

The visits will highlight the diverse nature of the Orkney economy - from the importance of the oil industry, to the more traditional food and drink sector - which on its own is worth around £40 million to the area each year.

The island of Flotta in Scapa Flow is the location for three visits. The first of these, to oil industry environmental engineers ERT (Orkney) Ltd - initially set up in the late 80's as the Orkney Water Test Centre, will demonstrate to the HIE board how the company excels in this field.

At Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd the board will see how the company has operated the island's oil terminal since taking it over in 1999, and they will also get the opportunity to see a possible site for an international container freight transhipment hub - a project which has the potential to create hundreds of jobs and make Orkney an internationally significant port.

Back on the mainland, the board will see how investment by Orkney Enterprise has helped the Orkney Cheese Company Limited install £1.6 million of equipment at their new £2.75 million creamery on the Hatson Industrial Estate in Kirkwall. The company is 70 per cent owned by Orkney's dairy farmers and produces the premium quality, award winning Orkney Island Cheddar Cheese using the milk from Orkney's 27 dairy herds.

The HIE board meeting itself will take place at Balfour Castle on the island of Shapinsay which, as a hotel has been assisted by Orkney Enterprise towards various improvements since it opened in 1988.

One of the final visits will be to Kiln Corner - a £1.5 million multi-agency property development involving HIE, Orkney Enterprise, Orkney Housing Association and Orkney Islands Council. The project is aimed at attracting inward investment and is ideally suited as a customer contact centre although it also includes twenty two flats for residential use. Orkney Enterprise and HIE staff are currently developing a promotional plan to target potential users of the offices at this prestigious facility.