The £4.7 million, 32-property development at Carness Road in Kirkwall, is a mixture of flats and bungalows – with five of the properties being used as supported accommodation for households with particular needs and a support base.

All properties have been built to meet the latest energy efficiency standards, with PV panels on the roof and additional insulation, with the building work carried out by local firm R Clouston Ltd.

As part of the project, new footpaths have been added to provide connectivity to the existing footway network on Carness Road, Weyland Bay and Islands View Road, as well as new street lighting.

A second phase of the project – due to get underway next year will deliver a further eight 2-bedroom properties and six 3-bedroom properties.

Orkney Islands Council’s House Build Programme has delivered 230 new homes in the county since 2011 with funding coming from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account, the Strategic Reserve Fund and grant funding from the Scottish Government.

So far this year, two properties have been completed in St Margaret’s Hope and a further two at Repeater Road in Kirkwall.

Eight properties are also under construction at Copland’s Road in Stromness and will be completed early in the New Year.

Demand for social rented housing in Kirkwall is high, with more than half of those on the waiting list for social housing across Orkney, identifying Kirkwall as their first choice for a home.

Councillor Gwenda Shearer, chair of Orkney Islands Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, said: “A warm and affordable home to call their own is a tremendous early Christmas present for our new tenants. These new properties look fantastic – and are testament to this council’s commitment to providing more affordable council housing for folk in Orkney.

“As Chair of the committee responsible for council housing in Orkney, I’m proud of what has been achieved – and wish the latest residents of Carness many happy years in their new home.”

James Wylie, executive director of Education, Leisure and Housing, added: “The delivery of affordable housing is a vital part of the service that the Council provides in Orkney – supporting families and young people to settle within local communities which, in turn, supports a thriving local economy.

“Discussions are ongoing with the Scottish Government on further grant funding to help us meet our stated housing commitments – and I look forward to our service taking ownership of more projects like this in the future.”