Theatre of DreamsLow Road to Orkney - a ferry storyProposals to build a 11.2 km long subsea tunnel across the Pentland Firth linking Orkney to the Scottish mainland were presented to the Orkney council's transportation and infrastructures committee on 3rd February, 2005. Council members had been greatly impressed on a visit to Norway, where 24 subsea crossings have been built to date at a current cost/m of €7,500. The proposed tunnel investment of €150 million will be compared to the cost of ferries, which must be replaced every 20 years at around €45 million apiece. Unfortunately, the UK builds only one subsea tunnel every 100 years, and the Irish Sea tunnel was suggested first. Perhaps the Orkney tunnel plans should be placed in a time capsule and buried at Stonehenge. For more dreams click here 07/05.