Shetland Islands council approves undersea tunnel plans
Shetland Islands council has approved in principle plans to build undersea tunnels connecting the islands, aiming to replace ferry services.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Shetland Islands Council has approved in principle plans to build undersea tunnels connecting the islands, aiming to replace ferry services. The decision marks a significant step forward for a project that would link Shetland's mainland to the island of Yell, and then Yell to Unst, the UK's northernmost inhabited island. Two additional tunnels to the islands of Walse and Bressa could follow under the plans, which are estimated to cost around £1.5 billion.
Council leaders argue that the tunnels would be cheaper in the long run than building new ferries and replacing harbours. The first tunnels could be ready within eight years, according to officials. The project is inspired by the Faroe Islands, located 200 miles to the northwest, which have been building tunnels since the 1960s and now have a network of more than 20, including four undersea.
Residents and businesses on Unst have welcomed the proposal. Brighton Barclay, a boat builder on the island, said the current ferry service is not meeting demand and that tunnels would make a huge difference to how businesses operate. "We can't say to a customer, we're going to be down tomorrow at a certain time because you don't know from one day to the next whether you're going to have a full service," he said.
The council is now exploring funding options, which are expected to include a mix of private investment, public subsidy, and tolls. Supporters of the project say it could serve as a model for other Scottish islands, particularly those in the Hebrides where ferry services have faced persistent problems. The decision has been described as "groundbreaking" by local leaders, who note that Shetland already makes a disproportionate contribution to Scotland's GDP and that better connectivity could boost the economy further.
While the project still requires detailed planning and funding, the in-principle approval has raised hopes that tunnels could transform transport links for some of the UK's most remote communities.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| A plan to build two tunnels linking Shetland's mainland to Yell and Unst would cost around £1.5 billion, with the first tunnels ready within eight years, and would be cheaper than ferries over 60 years. | |
| Shetland is leading the way in ambition for connectivity. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast from BBC News at One provided a detailed report by Scotland editor James Cook, including on-the-ground interviews and a comparison with the Faroe Islands. The tone was informative and forward-looking, highlighting the potential economic benefits and the challenges of funding. It also briefly noted interest from the Hebrides.
- “It's absolutely essential. At the moment we're running with a ferry service that just isn't meeting the demand at all.”
- “I think we have learned in the Faroe Islands that investments in infrastructure is a good investment, both for the welfare for the people but also for the growth when it comes to the population and also economy.”
This shorter broadcast from BBC News and Weather focused on the council's rationale and the long-term cost argument. It included a different quote from a council representative emphasising that tunnels would be cheaper over 60 years, and ended with a strong endorsement calling the decision 'groundbreaking'. The tone was supportive of the project's ambition.
- “It's quite clear that the system that we have to have that has served us well for decades is now no longer able to do that in the long term”
- “if you look at the cost over 60 years the cost of putting in a tunnel although initially high at the beginning will prove to be cheaper in the long run”
- “the decision today is is groundbreaking”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.