Awful weather and one recovering otter

• Severe gales have caused disruption, while an amber flood alert was yesterday issued.

• An orphaned baby otter is fighting back after being rushed to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Tavish Scott is seeking meetings with UHI and Cityheart over the sale of the HNP site.

• Tourism boss Steve Mathieson hopes enthusiasm will keep the isles on the map as a visitor attraction.

• Salmon farming representatives say the industry has taken massive strides to minimise the number of seals killed.

• Don’t miss Charlie Simpson’s feature on the history of communication in the isles.

• Columnist Jamie Hatch highlights all that matters most in his latest music feature.

• Also, look out for the first half of our review of 2015, with stories and pictures from January to June.