It is a region better known for Bere Bannock and clapshot.

But the staple diet in Orkney is about to get a new addition after a supermarket ordered more than 10 times too many bananas by mistake.

Tesco in Kirkwall thought it had placed its usual order of around 380kg of the fruit, amounting to around 3,200 individual bananas.

But a clerical error led to 380 wholesale boxes being delivered, each containing around 100 each - equalling around 38,000 pieces of fruit. 

The town of Kirkwall has a population of around 7,300 people. 

The surplus boxes, which arrived at the weekend, would normally have been returned to the mainland. But ferry disruption caused by high winds meant this was not possible.

The superstore is now giving away the fruit to community groups and schools in Orkney and has also made arrangements to send free bananas to the archipelago's outer isles.

A Tesco spokesman said: 'Due to an over-order of bananas to our Kirkwall Superstore, colleagues have been inviting local schools and community groups to collect the fruit to redistribute locally.' 

Disruption to ferries in Orkney due to the fierce weather conditions that can hit the islands can often lead to shortages of essential goods.

The banana blunder comes two years after Orkney was flooded with excess Easter eggs after an ordering mistake.

Dan Dafydd, of Sinclair General Stores, thought he had ordered only 80 eggs – but quickly realised he bought 80 cases when 720 eggs were delivered.

Mr Dafydd raffled 100 of them in aid of the RNLI, saying at the time: 'RNLI, and people on the island love a competition, so it's worked out for the best.'

A Tesco spokesman said: 'Due to an over order of bananas to our Kirkwall Superstore, colleagues have been inviting local schools and community groups to collect the fruit to redistribute locally.'

Transport disruption, particularly of ferries, leads to shortages of essential goods in Orkney, with public transport also often suspended.