Orkney council staff will not get World Cup holiday

Council staff in Orkney will not be getting an additional public holiday to mark Scotland's participation in the World Cup.

First Minister John Swinney previously said that Monday 15 June should be designated as a national bank holiday.

The proposal was later approved by the King - but it is up to individual employers to make the decision.

However, the estimated additional cost to Orkney Islands Council was put at between £100,000 and £120,000, alongside there being an impact on services.

Council staff in Aberdeenshire, Moray and Shetland will also not get an additional public holiday to mark Scotland's participation in the World Cup.

However a special meeting of Aberdeen City Council's staff governance committee agreed that its staff should get the extra holiday.

Scotland's men's national team will be playing in its first World Cup since 1998 after qualifying, with a 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park.

The national team will face Haiti in their first fixture at the tournament on 14 June, with kick off at 02:00 UK time.

The other group matches, against Morocco on 19 June and Brazil on 24 June, get under way at 23:00.