Totally nuts

The guy is entitled to his point of view but my understanding is that those islands could be useful if a tunnel link is ever built to Orkney.

A tunnel link to Orkney ? Totally nuts !!!

I'd rather have tidal power than a tunnel, thanks a lot. Although this scheme does sound a little (ahem) implausible.

Who is this nutter? Why don't we blow up his house instead?

Why not sell the islands to some french artists and use the money to buy power cards. Been done before.

What is this bampot on about?
Where is the wave power generator that is land mounted?
The power of the waves turn turbines using air pressure in tunnels, no corrosion issues easily maintained, cheaper and much more efficient than these unsightly windmills.
I have seen this technology on the telly it appears to be the best renewable power source available today yet no one appears to be backing it.

It's amazing the porblems that "bottom friction" can cause. Graham Norton - you've been warned.

Mario#3 a tunnel to Orkney is highly feasible:-

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1765366,00.html

The Norwegians have built lots of similar tunnels to their islands over the last couple of decades.

How dare anyone suggest they blow up bits of our beautiful country.....aaaaaaaaaaargh!

This is the typical mad scientist idea that turns people against them and renewables. They really should learn to think a little about PR.

The answer is obvious, Put wind farms on those Islands. or is that too easy !!!

.....and just how will the generated electricity be distributed? Anyone like to enlighten us as to the distance to the nearest national grid?

Mario 12

The use of wind farms with submerged turbines is a distinct possibility, as they could use the same infrastructure and their intermittency profiles are different. The islands could certainly be used for wind farms. Another possibility is to reposition redundant oil platforms to hold water and turbines if the currents would allow it.

Why not just lift these islands and let the water flow below them?

9. John /.The Norwegians have built lots of similar tunnels to their islands over the last couple of decades,you say . The difference is they are independant,have their own oil and dont have to beg another country for their money back.

Do you seriously think anybody is going to be persuaded by that, nhs#17? Given that the price tag is not that different from keeping the ferry operating over the next few decades Holyrood could fund a tunnel to Orkney no problem just as the Larkhall, Alloa and Borders railways and M74 extension are being or have been funded. Independence isn't required for stuff like that.

The Norwegians are doing very well for themselves.......Independence please :)

Remember Gruinard island - another "experiment" - still anthraxed today.

Excuse me! Since when did Scotland have such a shortage of Electrical Power that we have to consider such mad cap ideas? We still have scope to expand our Hydro Power if required. And if we weren’t exporting our gas we have enough resources to keep us in comfort until Cold Fusion research is completed. Or is this just another example of all Scotland’s resources being tunnelled south for diddly squat?
Let’s get rid of this bunch of head bangers and get a team that will run Scotland for the Scots!

Oh, THIS is an idea and a half!! What a bunch of boneheads! I just can't believe they are actually considering doing such a thing.

This sort of idea sounds more likely to be cooked up in some backwoods shack in the wilds of the West Virginia mountains in the US.

Scotland currently generates a lot of power using nuclear technology Alexander. If those plants are not replaced with new ones alternative sources will definitely be required. Harnessing the tidal forces in the Pentland Firth is not a bad partial solution, in my opinion. Along with Da Roost off Sumburgh Head in Shetland it has some of the most powerful tidal flows in the world.

http://www.oref.co.uk/tidalres.htm

23. John
Do we have one or is it two Nuclear stations.
I'd need to see the figures before I'd believe we are short of power. Even than there are many solution that would be less destructive.

Ah yes. We want tidal power because it's "good for the environment" - specifically those bits of the environment now landing around one's ears in a pile of shale & detritus. Hmmmm.

Take what you've got but no greediness, right?

Currently there are two nuclear plants, Alexander#24. One at Torness in East Lothian and the other at Hunterston in Ayrshire.

Why not put nuclear power stations on them and sell the extra energy to England.

I have exchanged a few emails with this mad scientist and can confirm that he is just that!

Whats to stop things form going wrong like creating a Masive tidal wave and flooding 1/2 of Scotland!

Can we really pridict what the sea will do if we destroy 2 inseont Ilands.

Surely the best way to get free power is to harness the power of the wild haggis?
They run clockwise around hills, so I have been told, so if you harness them as they descend a spiral staircase, then bung them in a lift to the top again, until harvest time they could grow and provide power too!