Orkney Coat of Arms

Orkney Islands Council

Per pale azure and gules; dexter - a dragon galley or sails furled argent. Sinister a lion rampant imperially crowned, or holding in the forepaws a battle axe erect in pale.

Supporters - dexter, a udaller habited of the fifteenth century [proper?], and sinister, a unicorn argent, armed, maned and unguled or, and gorged of a collar gules, pendentr therefrom an oval badge azure, fimbriated or, charged with a saltire argent.

Motto - on the compartment, Boreas domus mare amicus

Public Register - 59; 3 March 1975 - the bearings of the 1996 Orkney islands area council are those of the 1975 islands area council and so, with the addition of an islands area coronet and a different sinister supporter, are the bearings of the pre 1975 Orkney County Council.

Though barely a generation old, the bearings of the islands areas are the oldest of the 1996 area councils as the 1996 island area councils have the same powers and geography as the 1975 islands area councils, which had no subsidiary district councils, unlike the 1975 mainland regional councils. In 1996 the islands area councils therefore continued to use the 1975 bearings without needing to have new arms recorded.

The IBD Home Page and each IBD County Page has or will have (where possible) the relevant Coat of Arms. This is made possible in Scotland thanks to a fantastic heraldry website called The Heraldry Society of Scotland. Sometimes a description is not given due to lack of information, so if anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated. You may visit this superb site by using the link below.