Link to newsround

Could the Shetland Islands be getting undersea tunnels?

Faroe Islands tunnel.ESTUNLAR.FO

The Faroe Islands have more than 20 tunnels connecting them

Undersea tunnels connecting islands might sound very futuristic, but it could be the reality for a cluster of islands of the coast of Scotland.

The Shetland Islands sit at the top of Scotland and are made up of around 100 islands, although only 16 are lived on by humans.

Currently there is a ferry service between the islands, but the council has suggested that building tunnels could be a good alternative.

Although the project is likely to cost around £1.5bn, council leaders think it would still be cheaper than building new ferries and replacing harbours in the long run.

A grey car enters a tunnel, driving past red "no pedestrian" and "no cyclist" roadsigns. The tunnel disappears into a grassy hillside. A blue and white radio station information sign reads "FM 100.0".

But Shetland isn't the first group of islands to think about building tunnels.

The Faroe Islands already have them, tunnels there were built as early as the 1960s.

They now have more than 20 tunnels, four of which run under the sea.

Wide view of a coastal harbour with several boats on calm water, including a ferry and fishing vessels, alongside a town of stone buildings on a gentle hillside under a blue sky with scattered clouds.Getty Images

Ferries are currently how locals get across from island to island

If the plans get the go ahead, there might be tunnels from Shetland's mainland to Yell, and from Yell to Unst.

And two more tunnels, to the islands of Whalsay and Bressay, could follow.

The council hopes the new links will not only save money, but also increase opportunities for businesses and tourism across the islands too.

If agreed to, people there could be seeing the undersea tunnels become a reality in the next eight years.