The Orkney Islands hosted the
Island Games for the first time. It was estimated that around 2,000 to 2,500 visitors and participants would attend the games, making it the biggest event ever hosted by the Orkney Islands. A wide range of forms of accommodation were used, including school classrooms and gym halls converted into dormitories and temporary flatpack hotels. The
Orkney Islands Council has commissioned Gabrielle Barnby to be the
Scrivener for the event. Barnby has begun collecting writing submissions from island groups participating in the games, which will be compiled and showcased by the
Orkney Museums. The writing project is aimed at capturing the diversity of cultures and writing within the various island communities. The Games were formally opened by
Princess Anne on 12 July 2025. The mascot of the Games was an anthropomorphic
orca character named Ola, designed by a 12-year-old Orcadian girl named Sarah Sutcliffe who won a competition among 880 local children. == Participating islands ==