The King’s New Year’s Honours List for 2026 has recognised several Orcadians.
The honours system recognises people who have:
- made achievements in public life
- committed themselves to serving and helping the UK
1157 awards were made this year. The following people from Orkney were honoured :
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Benjamin Toby PENTREATH : Designer. For services to Design (Rousay, Orkney).
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Patricia Margaret SMITH : Member, Fundraising Committee, Royal National Lifeboat Institution. For services to the community in Orkney (Kirkwall, Orkney).
Dr Andrew James TREVETT : Medical Director, Orkney Hyperbaric Unit. For services to Medicine, to Diving, and to the community of Orkney (Harray, Orkney).
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire
Andrew John CANT : For services to Music in Orkney (Kirkwall, Orkney).
Glynis Smith MACLEOD : Lately Medical Secretary, NHS Orkney. For services to the NHS and to the community in Orkney (Kirkwall, Orkney).
Raymond Stockan PEACE : Pipe Major. For services to Music, Culture and to the community in Orkney (Kirkwall, Orkney).
Erika SHEARER : Director of Music, The Orkney Traditional Music Project. For services to Traditional Fiddle and Accordion Tuition (Kirkwall, Orkney).
Click on this link for the full list : Awards for New Year 2026
Chief Constable Joanna Farrell and Chief Superintendent Stephen Dolan, both of Police Scotland and retired Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Freeburn receive The King’s Police Medal.
The King’s Fire Service Medal is awarded to Firefighter Alexander Muir and Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, both of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The King’s Ambulance Service Medal is awarded to Lead Consultant Paramedic David Lee Bywater of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Nominating someone for an honour
Anyone can nominate someone for an honour.
How you apply depends on whether you want to:
The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney said:
“The King’s New Year’s Honours list recognises exceptional individuals – from unsung heroes to well-known names. Each recipient is worthy of their award and has made a significant difference to their community or excelled in their field.
“My congratulations to our emergency services members awarded The King’s Fire, Police or Ambulance Service Medals. Throughout Scotland people benefit from the skills and expertise of our ‘blue light’ services personnel whose skills and expertise keep our communities and people safe, in often challenging circumstances.
“These honours celebrate the best of Scotland’s courageous spirit and sense of community. Congratulations and my personal thanks to every worthy recipient.”
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