Story perspectives

Shetland Council Approves £1.5B Island Tunnel Network

7/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Shetland Islands Council approved a strategy and voted for undersea tunnels linking the mainland to Yell and Unst, with possible later links to Whalsay and Bressay.
The four-tunnel scheme, costing about £1.5 billion, would replace ferries serving nine islands.
Council leader Emma Macdonald said tunnels could operate within eight years if funded, while chief executive Maggie Sandison said the project will need investment, public subsidy and tolls.

History

Historical Context

The Channel Tunnel, completed in 1994, linked the United Kingdom and France via a 31.4-kilometre undersea passage, reshaping cross-channel transport. Eurotunnel, the bi-national consortium, invested £9 billion and operated the tunnel after six years of construction, handling over 150 million passenger journeys by 2020. Shetland Islands Council’s £1.5 billion four-tunnel plan, championed by leader Emma Macdonald and chief executive Maggie Sandison, mirrors the Channel Tunnel’s ambition to replace ferries with fixed links. If funded, the Shetland network could spur regional economic growth, lower travel costs, and set a precedent for remote-area tunnel projects worldwide.

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Story summary

Shetland Islands Council approved a strategy and voted for undersea tunnels linking the mainland to Yell and Unst, with possible later links to Whalsay and Bressay.
The four-tunnel scheme, costing about £1.5 billion, would replace ferries serving nine islands.
Council leader Emma Macdonald said tunnels could operate within eight years if funded, while chief executive Maggie Sandison said the project will need investment, public subsidy and tolls.

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