Island Games memories are about to be made on Orkney soil for the first time as the Scottish archipelago becomes the 12th host of the ‘Friendly Games’ in what will be the 40th year since the event’s inception.
With a population of around 22,000, it is one of the smallest hosts so far, and while that means the scale of competition will not match what we saw in 2023, it still promises to be as special as any other Games in its own way as new names come to the fore.
What will the Games look like?
Orkney has 70 islands, of which only 20 are inhabited, but the beating heart of the Games will be found at the Pickaquoy Centre, known locally as ‘Picky’, in the largest town of Kirkwall.
Five of the 12 sports will be based there, including athletics and swimming, where Team Guernsey will hope to enjoy plenty of success over the six days of competition.
It all kicks off on Saturday with TV presenter and Games ambassador Lorraine Kelly on hosting duties at the opening ceremony and Princess Anne, fresh from celebrating Guernsey’s 80th Liberation, set to bring a royal touch to the Games formalities.
Triathlon stalwart Amy Critchlow will have the honour of leading out Team Guernsey as flag bearer, while 14-year-old badminton player Medha Vallapureddy will be the water carrier as 24 islands come together once again.
Which sports will Guernsey be represented in?
With no basketball on the roster this time, and Guernsey withdrawing from both men’s and women’s football competitions, the team of 123 for Orkney is almost exactly half the size of the one which topped the medals table on home soil two years ago.
That said, there will be plenty of anticipation as gymnastics and squash make their returns to the Games and lawn bowls features for the first time.
Alongside those sports, there are also strong Guernsey contingents competing in archery, badminton, cycling, golf, sailing and triathlon, as well as the big squads in swimming and athletics.
Who are Guernsey’s biggest medal hopes?
While some of the island’s senior stars are skipping these Games or have stepped away from competing after the high of 2023, there are still some standout local stars looking to add to, or begin, their Island Games medal collections.
Guernsey's fastest woman of all time, Abi Galpin, will be back on the track in Orkney to defend her 200m title and bid to go one better than the 100m silver she won two years ago.
That week’s golden girl, Orla Rabey, is making her return to the pool after topping the podium no fewer than six times at the home Games. She will contest four individual events in Orkney.
And these Island Games will present a different challenge for history-making golfer Conor McKenna, who made a real name for himself last summer in becoming the youngest Guernsey champion, at just 17. Having recently claimed the Royal Guernsey club championship, he is in great shape and a strong individual contender for Orkney.
We have also picked out six new faces to watch this week.
What will conditions be like?
Those who remember a grey and damp week when nearish-neighbours Shetland hosted the Games 20 years ago might have been anticipating more of the same in Orkney.
But things do look a little more promising heading into the weekend, with glorious sunshine in store for Saturday’s opening ceremony and Sunday’s triathlon, which provides one of the Games’ early highlights.
And that forecast will surely please Guernsey’s team of 10 triathletes, who will already be bracing themselves for a chilly swim in those waters.
What are key events to watch?
As mentioned, Sunday’s triathlon always seems to deliver spectacle and success in equal measure. The men’s and women’s races go off around 11am in Stromness, Orkney’s second town to the west of Kirkwall.
Another early standout comes in the badminton team competition, which runs across Sunday and Monday and is always hotly-contested. Guernsey took bronze behind the Faroes and Greenland last time out.
As ever, the swimming is sure to provide one of, if not the best atmospheres at the Games, and there will be plenty to enjoy at the athletics, with Guernsey looking strong across the track events.
How to follow the Games with the Guernsey Press...
Our team will be in Orkney aiming to bring you the best coverage of Guernsey’s Games, with updates across our social channels and at guernseypress.com throughout.
We will also be publishing our daily ‘Games Today’ podcast each evening, featuring interviews, reaction and insights from across Orkney 2025.
Follow our podcast feed here, and find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and Bluesky.
And, of course, look out for comprehensive coverage in our print edition from Monday.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.