The UK's first drone delivery service which could become permanent has been launched in Orkney to provide locals with their mail.Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services have launched the Orkney I-Port operation to distribute letters and parcels between the islands, in partnership with Orkney Council Harbour Authority and LoganAir.Items will be transported from Royal Mail's Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drone deliveries will transport them to staff on Graemsay and Hoy to allow p

The UK's first drone delivery service which could become permanent has been launched in Orkney to provide locals with their mail.Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services have launched the Orkney I-Port operation to distribute letters and parcels between the islands, in partnership with Orkney Council Harbour Authority and LoganAir.Items will be transported from Royal Mail's Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drone deliveries will transport them to staff on Graemsay and Hoy to allow postal workers to carry out their usual island delivery routes.While the service will initially operate for three months, it could be continued on a permanent basis under existing regulatory frameworks due to Orkney's unique landscape and the proximity of the islands to one another.The drone service is expected to significantly improve service levels and delivery times to Graemsay and Hoy, as weather and geography can cause disruption to delivery services.