Bridge or tunnel linking Mull and mainland to be considered

Bridges, tunnels or causeways could link the Isle of Mull to the Scottish mainland in the future, after a Scottish government paper suggested a formal consultation on the idea.

The National Islands Plan calls for "detailed appraisals" to be carried out about setting up three new fixed links across Scotland. These would go between Mull and the mainland, Barra and the Uists and the Uists and Harris/Lewis.

It follows a review carried out in 2022 by Transport Scotland that suggested there could be long term benefits to the fixed links - which means permanent connections like a bridge, tunnel or causeway.

However, the National Islands Plan also cautioned that local opinions would vary on the idea.

The paper found that fixed links could be transformative for each area, as they would remove the constraints of weather, increase capacity for people travelling and reduce the time journeys too.

This would deliver "lasting benefits for communities, businesses, and visitors alike", according to the report.

However it adds public engagement carried out for the plan found a variety of responses to the idea.

It stated: "While some see them as transformative opportunities, others prefer to prioritise investment in existing transport modes. The perspective of islanders will therefore remain central to guiding our work in this area."

The 2022 report by Transport Scotland found a fixed link between Mull and the mainland would "improve connectivity and also allow for the reconfiguration of transport provision between the island and the mainland".

This would benefit the area as the main ferry route between Craignure and Oban "is one of the most popular and most capacity constrained routes for vehicles on the CHFS ferry network."

However, it also noted the fabric of the island would be "permanently changed" and this move could create "a perception of eroded island identity", as well as increasing traffic on the island.

At the time the report estimated a high-level cost of £1.29bn to implement all three of the fixed links.

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "The Scottish government remains committed to taking forward work on the three proposed fixed links.

"The next step is in determining whether there is a robust enough business case and local support to progress these options for more detailed consideration.

"The business cases for a potential Sound of Harris, Sound of Barra fixed links and a fixed link between Mull and the Scottish mainland would need to consider the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these interventions and would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through these additional fixed links."