Tunnel vision

Shetland ferries not fit for 21st century, say campaigners

- Severin Carrell

For Alec Priest, an instrument technician at Sullom Voe oil terminal in Shetland, the case for digging tunnels in the narrow stretches of sea that separate his home from work is clear cut.

As things stand, two ageing ferries crossing tidal sounds notorious for their powerful currents break up his commute. For tourists, it adds to the mystique. For time-pressed islanders, it adds delays, stress and costs.

Those two ferries over Bluemull Sound and Yell Sound convert a 34-mile journey from Priest's home on Unst, Britain's most northerly inhabited island, to Sullom Voe on Mainland - Shetland's largest island - into a 3.5-hour round trip. "It's a colossal waste of time," he said.

"During the winter, if you have any gales, there's a good chance the ferries will stop."

Cutting tunnels between Yell and Unst and Mainland could shrink that journey to 40 minutes each way. Instead, Priest stays in staff hostels at Sullom Voe and is away from home for weeks at a time. "It's a shame for my family, but it's the only option," he said.

Priest is part of a campaign by islanders on Yell and Unst to promote tunnels. Last year they commissioned and funded geological surveys in an attempt to prove the economic, social and financial value of tunnels.