New £20m plan to build mega-tunnels between most remote UK islands

The islands could soon person the champion entree to the mainland that they've ever had (Image: Getty)

The Scottish Government has announced a £20 cardinal concern to assistance Orkney and Shetland research options for improving inter-island transport links, including ferries, flights, and the instauration of a web of tunnels.

The funding, revealed by Finance Secretary Shona Robison during the Budget statement, aims to heighten connectivity for land communities and enactment semipermanent economical and biology sustainability.

It volition let Orkney and Shetland councils to measure the feasibility of subsea tunnels, which person been successfully implemented successful places similar the Faroe Islands and Norway.

Ms Robison highlighted that the determination connected however to usage the funds would beryllium near to section communities, stating: "This one-off concern volition alteration them to prolong and amended inter-island connections, whether that means flights, ferries oregon – and I cognize members for the Northern Islands volition beryllium pleased to perceive this – tunnels betwixt islands.”

A presumption implicit the immense and desolate Hoy Sound to Ward Hill connected Orkney Mainland (Image: Getty)

The announcement follows a sojourn by Scottish MPs to the Faroe Islands successful November, wherever they examined the country's extended passageway network. The astir caller addition, a 10.2-kilometre subsea passageway linking Streymoy and Sandoy, was completed with a terms tag of astir £9.8million per kilometre.

Shetland’s Tunnel Plans Under Review

Shetland Islands Council has already commissioned a squad of transport consultants to measure semipermanent infrastructure improvements. Their October 2023 study identified respective cardinal imaginable passageway routes, including:

• Lerwick to Bressay
• Mainland Shetland to Whalsay
• Mainland Shetland to Yell
• Yell to Unst

Advocates reason that tunnels volition supply a much reliable and cost-effective alternate to ferries, peculiarly successful harsh wintertime conditions. Additionally, fixed links could trim c emissions by decreasing dependence connected diesel-powered ferries, supporting Scotland’s clime targets.

Scalloway, Mainland, Shetland Islands; successful atrocious weather, the land tin go wholly chopped disconnected (Image: Getty)

The Faroe Islands person acceptable a beardown precedent for subsea passageway development, with astir 11% of its roadworthy web present underground. Reports suggest these tunnels person had a transformative impact, improving economical activity, accessibility, and assemblage cohesion. Similar benefits could beryllium expected successful Shetland and Orkney if tunnels were built.

Beyond inter-island travel, the Scottish Government is committing £2.6 cardinal to nationalist transport improvements, including:

• New ferry services and enhanced larboard and harbour infrastructure
• Upgrading Scotland’s obstruction network, including plans to regenerate ScotRail’s Intercity fleets
• Extending escaped autobus question to asylum seekers and offering escaped inter-island ferry question to young radical nether 22 years old

While the £20 cardinal backing boost is simply a important step, constructing subsea tunnels would necessitate further large investment, planning, and nationalist consultation.

If successful, the determination could revolutionise transport successful Scotland’s Northern Isles, bringing economical and biology benefits for aboriginal generations.