Councillors on Shetland have voted to advance plans for up to four subsea tunnels linking the largest islands, aiming to reverse decades of isolation and population decline. The decision, made on Tuesday, focuses initially on financing options for two tunnels that would connect Shetland's Mainland with the northern islands of Yell and Unst.
Long Campaign for Fixed Links
Islanders on Yell and Unst have campaigned for years for fixed links to replace ageing, unreliable ferries. They have witnessed families leaving, businesses closing, and parents forced to live away from home for work. The two projects, the first of their kind in Scotland, will cost approximately £655 million to build and take at least eight years to complete.
Emma Macdonald, leader of Shetland Islands Council, said the council would press the Scottish and UK governments for financial help, as the cost is unaffordable for Shetland alone. “Islands with fixed links repopulate, enjoy economic growth and experience a reduction in their average age,” Macdonald stated. “We have no ‘do nothing’ options here. Ferries and tunnels are both needed to unlock the potential of Shetland, and both the Scottish and UK governments have a vested interest in helping that happen.”
Aging Ferry Fleet
The archipelago's roll-on, roll-off ferries are over 32 years old on average. They struggle to recruit and retain staff; 50% of crew are aged 46 or over. Ferries stop operating overnight, have limited capacity, and are frequently unable to sail due to bad weather, while facing soaring repair and replacement costs. For many islanders, this dependency increases insecurity and isolation, driving depopulation. Relatively short journeys can last hours.
Shetlanders often look enviously at the Faroe Islands, where tunnels—including the world's only undersea roundabout—offer seamless connections, and at Norwegian islands linked by tunnel to the mainland.
Economic and Strategic Importance
Councillors hope to persuade ministers to provide core funding through the Scottish National Investment Bank or the national wealth fund, arguing that the islands are essential to the wider UK economy. The UK's only spaceport, at SaxaVord on Unst's northern tip, is due to host its first rocket launches later this year. Shetland produces 22% of Scotland's farmed salmon and 88% of its farmed mussels, while its trawlers land seafood valued at £147 million.
Engineering consultants calculated the road tunnel between Mainland and Yell would cost about £352 million to dig, with operating costs of £90 million over 60 years. The tunnel linking Yell and Unst would cost about £300 million, with running costs of £72 million. Costs would partly be met by tolls and could be part-financed by private investors who would then run the tunnels. Each tunnel is expected to generate tens of millions of pounds in growth and improve social and economic resilience. Official data shows the population has fallen by 24% in the past 40 years.
Future Tunnels and Wider Impact
Councillors also agreed that tunnels could later link Bressay and Whalsay, two smaller islands east of Mainland, with new ferries proposed for Papa Stour and Skerries. If funded, Shetland's tunnels are expected to reinvigorate calls for subsea tunnels or bridges in the Western Isles, which are also heavily dependent on ferries. Orkney Islands Council argues its geography makes tunnels less significant, as some islands are already connected by the Churchill barriers.
Alice Mathewson, a spokesperson for Yell and Unst tunnel action groups, said the tunnels would be financially viable and lower-carbon than ferries. “These links will not only bridge geographical divides but also enhance the prosperity and wellbeing of our island communities,” she said. The Scottish government has been approached for a response.
