“…Drones are being used to deliver post to a remote island in a Royal Mail trial as part of moves to reduce carbon emissions.

The company has started a two-week trial of scheduled, autonomous flights between Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay in the Orkney Islands with Windracers Ltd to help better connect remote island communities.

The mail is being carried by a large, twin-engine, UK-built unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named Ultra which can transport 100kg of post of all shapes and sizes – equivalent to a typical delivery round.

Letters and parcels will be delivered by the local postie in the usual way when they reach the island, which is further north than the southern tip of Norway and is home to around 70 people.

The trial is part of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (Sate) project based at Kirkwall Airport.