 Summer in Orkney and members of the Scottish Parliament meet local people as part of the Parliament's continued Parliament Days initiative of stepping out of Edinburgh into communities to engage with people directly. The Scottish Parliament's presiding officer, the right honourable Trisha Marwick MSP, welcomed people from all over Orkney to a reception at Kirkwall Grammar School. Also there were members of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee who were there to discuss land reform with locals at a series of venues as well as at a formal committee sessions. The convener of Orkney Islands Council, Stephen Heddle, spoke of the significance of the visit while the presiding officer said she looked forward to meeting people and hearing their views. The school's strong musical tradition was also in show with all three sets of musicians based at the school. The following morning the presiding officer, accompanied by the constituency MSP Liam MacArthur, visited Orkney Museum in Kirkwall where the curator Sheila Garson led them through the wide range of artefacts dating back to Neolithic times and also the recently opened display on Orkney's pivotal naval role in the First World War. She was then interviewed at BBC Radio Orkney discussing her role, the purpose of Parliament Days and her aim of making the Scottish Parliament accessible to people the length and breadth of the country. The town of Stromnes on the other side of the mainland island was the next stop for the presiding officer in Mr MacArthur. They toured the Pier Art Centre under the guidance of its director Neil Firth. Current exhibits include a collection of sculptures by the celebrated artist Barbara Hepworth. The venue also played host to a lunch at which the presiding officer made members of local voluntary groups and businesses as well as community activists. After lunch the presiding officer returned to Kirkwall and Orkney Library and Archive. Today famed as much for its social media success as for its more conventional public service. The initiative has been led by Chief Librarian Stuart Bain. The presiding officer then gifted the library with a copy of Architecture and Democracy in which the Scottish Parliament building features prominently. She also got hands on with the library's preservation of the work of the renowned Swedish photographer Gunni Moberg, scanning in a slide into the archive database. What struck me about Orkney was not just the warmth of the welcome that I got and all of the MSPs, but the sense of community that we have here, it is a very strong community and that's why I've taken the opportunity to meet with as many local groups and organisations as possible and their committee is out hearing what local people think about land reform in Scotland. Before Parliament days are planned for other parts of Scotland you can find out more on our website and you can keep updated with news of the Scottish Parliament on social media.