The Scottish government is considering building road tunnels to link some Scottish islands.
Currently, these islands rely on ferries for transportation.
Transport Scotland wants to explore the idea of tunnels connecting parts of the Western Isles and Mull to the mainland.
These fixed links could make travel more reliable and convenient.
However, some island people worry it might change their identities and increase traffic.
Transport Scotland has shared this plan in their Islands Connectivity Plan, which is open for public input.
They are looking into the feasibility of tunnels for three locations:
- Sound of Harris: Connecting Uist and Harris/Lewis
- Sound of Barra: Linking Barra and Uist
- Mull and the Scottish mainland
A previous study suggested that tunnels could be a good option for some islands.
Transport Scotland believes replacing ferries with tunnels could improve travel reliability, connections, capacity, and travel times.
It could also lead to changes in ferry services. However, they acknowledge that more detailed studies are needed.
Angus MacNeil, a Member of Parliament for the Western Isles, supports the idea of road tunnels similar to those in the Faroe Islands.
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