Minister Iain Stewart recently visits Nordic countries, including the Denmark's Faroe Islands. According to Government News release, one of the purposes of the visit was to learn about Faroese infrastructure, in particular 'to learn about connectivity in the Faroes archipelago (fixed link and technological).

The Minister has also met the company that runs the archipelago’s network of road tunnels to see whether it could be feasible to implement similar links between the Scottish Islands. As part of the visit he saw the world’s 2nd-longest sub-sea road tunnel and first undersea roundabout.

Minister has been quoted saying;

He said:

It was fascinating to see how the Faroes are using subsea tunnels to bring communities on the archipelago closer together. With three tunnels already operating - including one with the world’s first undersea roundabout - another due for completion next year and a fifth in the planning stage, the Faroese are reaping the huge economic, societal and environmental benefits these fixed links bring.

The CEO of the company operating the tunnels was clear to me that he could see no reason why Shetland, Orkney and other Scottish islands could not help solve connectivity issues with similar subsea fixed links. I know this is a live issue under discussion between people on the islands and their representatives and I am happy to share my findings with them and the Scottish Government.

Ultimately it’s a matter for those on the islands as to whether this is something they’d like to see developed in the future. Cost is a factor, as it is for ferry renewals, but it’s more than about the pounds and pence - the Faroes have shown how such tunnels can help their communities not only survive, but thrive.

although back home this has been met both with enthusiasm and criticism. Some media outlets were quick to have headlines like 'Remote Scottish islands could soon be reached by car thanks to underwater tunnels' while others have seen prohibitive costs.

And above all the Scottish Government was not amused with what they saw as a `trespassing` by Iain Steward who is Milton Keynes MP in England. Their turf defense came from a spokesman for Scotland’s transport minister who said: “Given transport is a devolved matter, it’s no wonder Iain Stewart has plenty of time on his hands, jet-setting across to the Faroes during a cost of living crisis'. “If Mr Stewart is interested in sharing any of the facts he has gathered from his trip, the Scottish Government would be more than willing to hear them, recognising, as Mr Stewart will of course respect, that transport is devolved.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/minister-promotes-ties-between-scotland-denmark-and-the-faroes