Tunnels for Scottish Islands?

[thejuggler]

I picked this up from BBC website from a story in Scotsman.

Network of tunnels should be considered for Scotland's islands, says UK minister

A network of tunnels between Scotland's islands should be considered as a "viable" alternative to ferries, a UK minister has said.

www.scotsman.com

As a regular visitor to Scotland my thoughts are inter island tunnels for Orkney, Shetland, Outer Hebrides which will link them in a similar fashion to the Faroes (and I have been and experienced them) looks like an excellent idea. It enables residents and visitors to transit around the island groups without needing ferries, some of which are very short hops. This is why Faroes did it as the population is sparse and people with skills can be needed on any of their islands at any time. There is also only one airport, inter island is by helicopter.

I would however stop at tunnel links to mainland Britain as I'm not sure how opening up the islands to millions of vehicles is in their interest. I no longer see Skye as an island and whilst the extra visitors keep businesses alive, too many cause their own problems.

 

[WideRanger]

I only know the Outer Hebrides of the groups mentioned. For this to make economic sense, there would need to be a vast increase of traffic to the mainland. So as well as the fixed links, the islands's road networks would have to be very significantly upgraded too. Lots of money. And would people want the changes in lifestyle that this would bring?

 

[NorthOxonian]

I would however stop at tunnel links to mainland Britain as I'm not sure how opening up the islands to millions of vehicles is in their interest. I no longer see Skye as an island and whilst the extra visitors keep businesses alive, too many cause their own problems.

And not only that, but the distances involved are typically far greater than they were to Skye, or the islands have far smaller populations (and appeal to visitors), or any tunnels would point in the wrong direction from demand (a tunnel from Rhubodach on Bute to Colintraive wouldn't exactly be much use for travel between Rothesay and the Central Belt).

The only mainland to island connection which would seem vaguely plausible is Burwick to John O'Groats, which is only a few miles and would mean the vast majority of Orkney's population would have a mainland link. Mull is mentioned in the article and could be viable, but the connection would be to Morvern - and by the time you've made it through all of its single track roads up to the ferry at Corran (for the A82), you may as well have just got the ferry to Oban!

As you mention and the article alludes to, there are also considerations around culture and identity here - and it's important those are addressed sensitively or things could get very ugly indeed.

 

[Ken H]

part of the fun of visiting the Islands is the ferries. I think you would destroy more than you enhance.

 

[thejuggler]

Mull already has issues due to the regular ferries and the reduction in ferry prices.

We were there in 2016 and had a great day in Calgary Bay with a handful of others. We decided to leave at about 5pm and were stuck as the motorhomes arrived. I don't think people are aware that despite being a large island there are only a few miles of road which aren't single track.

 

[AngusH]

Norway (where I think the current ideas actually came from here) has been doing this for years.

See this list of subsea tunnels:

List of subsea tunnels in Norway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm very much in favour of a radical rethinking of the ferry system in the western isles, with new roads linking to the shortest possible sea-distance ferry crossings.

But tunnels are better than that, being far more reliable. Mostly immune to weather and mechanical difficulties. (not entirely of course)

Unfortunately, as can be seen from the uk to northern island bridge/tunnel scheme, the treasury costing rules inflate the price tag of these projects quite considerable due to the contingency allowances .

It seems impossible to reduce these uncertain contingencies by further study or evaluation, so such tunnels will probably never be built.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

part of the fun of visiting the Islands is the ferries. I think you would destroy more than you enhance.

I totally agree.

 

[Basil Jet]

part of the fun of visiting the Islands is the ferries. I think you would destroy more than you enhance.

Why don't we demolish every bridge in Britain and replace them with ferries, so we can all have that fun?

 

[stuu]

Only viable if the costs can be similar to the Faroes/Norway, who manage to do them for ~£10m per km. Which I suspect is less likely than an outbreak of honesty at No. 10

 

[lachlan]

It feels like a very large amount of money to spend for a very small population and will inevitably lead to an increase in private car use. Would be interesting to see a climate assessment on how long it would take for the emissions during construction to be offset by reduced use of ferries and planes.

 

[adamedwards]

People may want to see this set of options considered by the Scottish Govt (2020) as alternatives to the Rest and be Thankful pass problems:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/project-corridor-options-access-to-argyll-and-bute-a83/

For example, Route option 9 bridges/tunnels the Clyde south of Great Cumbrae, runs up Bute and then crosses the sea twice to get to Lochgilphead! I think the option now being considered is tunneling at the pass rather than anything more lavish.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Suppose the spoil produced from digging the longer tunnels could always be re-used to build causeways between a number of the not quite so distant islands.

 

[stuu]

For example, Route option 9 bridges/tunnels the Clyde south of Great Cumbrae, runs up Bute and then crosses the sea twice to get to Lochgilphead! I think the option now being considered is tunneling at the pass rather than anything more lavish.

I have a sneaky feeling that the planning process includes the most outrageous possible alternatives just to avoid having to deal with objections saying they haven't thought of x

 

[adamedwards]

Of course. But as this is the speculative bit wh should be celebrating crayoning like this! You'll be telling me next I can't do a rack railway up Ben Nevis!