A distinctive copper-clad “pagoda” is to be installed on the roof of the Orkney Brewery this week as the initial phase of a major £1.2 million redevelopment of the Sandwick site nears completion.

The hand-crafted pagoda, made in the traditional way to provide ventilation to the building’s malting floor, is thought to be the first fitted to a brewery in Scotland for several decades.

Work on the expansion and modernisation of the Orkney Brewery – being carried out by local contractors Casey Construction Ltd – is continuing on schedule, with the first phase due to be completed this August.

Norman Sinclair, managing director of Sinclair Breweries Ltd, said: “The pagoda is a very distinctive, attractive and functional addition to the new Orkney Brewery building and we’re delighted to see it installed. The craftsmanship that has gone into the pagoda, and indeed the entire redevelopment, reflects the quality of all our beers and the care we put into their production. The new building and pagoda turns an already wonderful location into a real Orkney landmark.”

Paddy Casey, director of Casey Construction Ltd, said: “The pagoda is the signature mark of the building and a real testament to the skills of our craftsmen, who built it from scratch in our joinery shop in Kirkwall. It’s great to see it finally in place on the brewery roof, making all their hard work worthwhile.”