Transport / Using government bonds to build tunnels would be a ‘no brainer’, Lib Dem candidate says
THE SHETLAND Liberal Democrats are calling on the Scottish Government to use its new financial bonds to support the development of inter-island tunnels.
The Scottish Government aims to issue its first bonds in 2026/27 as part of £1.5 billion programme over the life of the next parliament.
The government has stated that it aims to issue bonds to raise money for infrastructure projects.
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland in next year’s parliament elections, Emma Macdonald, said supporting tunnels with bonds would be a “no-brainer”.
Since 2021, Shetland representatives Alistair Carmichael MP and Beatrice Wishart MSP have led a series of events aimed at building consensus and political pressure in support of inter-island tunnels.
There are a number of local tunnel action groups now set up in different island communities, including in Yell and Unst where community fundraising is taking place for surveys.
Shetland Islands Council is also exploring the idea of tunnels to Yell, Unst, Bressay and Whalsay as part of a wider review of its inter-island transport network.
Macdonald said: “The Scottish Government themselves have said that these new bonds are to raise money for infrastructure projects.
“I cannot think of any project that could be more worthy of that support than the campaign for tunnels in Shetland. This should be a no-brainer for Scottish ministers to agree to.
“We may be some way from having spades in the ground, but the consensus for tunnels between our islands is stronger than ever before.”
Macdonald added that “tunnels for Shetland should be seen as a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’, so there is no good reason for the Scottish Government to sit on its hands when it could back us fully now”.
Wishart meanwhile pointed to the positive benefits fixed links have brought to Faroe, as well as locally to places like Burra and Trondra.
“Officials and ministers based hundreds of miles away from Shetland cannot properly understand what is needed here – but by agreeing to back our plans with the new Scottish government bonds, they can play a positive role as we get on with achieving tunnels for our islands,” she said.
“We have a strong local team making the case here – all we are lacking is the full support of our government.”
There are two other candidates publicly confirmed so far for the 2026 Shetland Scottish Parliament election. In alphabetical order they are John Erksine (Labour) and Hannah Mary Goodlad (SNP).
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