THE letter by Iain R Thomson of Strathglass (“Does no planner understand tectonic plates…”, Jun 4) interested surely not only myself but also others with an interest in the importance of better connectivity between our islands and the mainland.

The writer referred to tectonic plate movements and the effects of rising sea levels making, in his opinion, the construction of tunnels around Scotland in some way lacking in “common sense” and dreamed up by “money boys … salt(ing) their billions in a fantasy world.”

READ MORE: Angus MacNeil: Faroe Islands show worth of undersea tunnels

Scotland is situated far from any tectonic plate edge (the nearest is some 1600 kilometres away at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The British Isles land mass with its continental shelf is already moving away from Europe at about 2.5cm/year, but the Americas are sliding away from us (presently) at about 4cm/year. Although far from the world’s tectonic plates, we in Scotland are still being pushed around (geologically, that is).

In addition, following the end of the last Ice Age, whilst much of England is sinking (not politically correct, I know!), without the one kilometre thick sheet of ice sitting on top of Scotland, it is rising at the rate of 1-2mm/year, outstripping the believed future rise in sea levels. The University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences is restudying this as this rate of land mass uplift in Scotland may, after 10,000 years, be reducing.

Having recently built the English Chunnel, and with expertise gained in the building of hundreds of undersea connections all around the world, we should be confident that our tunnelling (hopefully Scottish) engineers have these and many more criteria safely factored into each design. There is now some excellent “4D” satellite technology available, giving very reliable current data to the designers and maintenance engineers.

I trust that the Scottish Government WILL show “common sense”.

Gordon Benton
Newburgh, Aberdeenshire

IN 2007 I wrote to the First Minister Alex Salmond concerning the lack of forward thinking that would bite Scotland hard, if ignored.

I gave a simple example:

We know for a fact that the sea levels are rising, however the full extent and timescale are not yet well understood.

Scotland has many places connected by low-level roads and railways, which will become islands, and yet the amount of work that will need to be done and should be given serious consideration in a 25-year or 100-year forward plan is given no thought, forward planning not really extending beyond the next election!

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon to publish blueprint for independence, reports say

I pointed out that to build a bridge on dry land, over a potential future problem, would be laughed at of course, but would be vastly cheaper to build than one built of necessity!

Look at the shore roads of the west coast.

No attempt is currently being planned to keep places like Oban, Fort William, and the many towns between them, serviced with the food and supplies they’ll need, let alone general transport and work requirements.

Under the mostly English methods of local council organisation and funding, there is no room or money to think ahead in the ways we really have to, so as to prevent the deprivations that occur so easily when a community gets isolated, even for a short time. Currently, the preparation for the inevitable is right up to the zero level.

Christopher Bruce
Taynuilt

WELL done the Greens as Scotland bans the worst single-use plastics. But the purveyors of fish and chips are not happy – they are claiming this will increase costs!!!

Well, I am of the age group that remember chippies asking customers to bring in old newspapers to be used as wrappings. The saying was “Today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappings.”

Today’s headline should be “Greens bring back multiple-use newspapers”.

I will refrain from informing you of other uses.

Robert McCaw
Renfrew

WHAT a complete clusterf***. SFA sell rights to international football to Sky rather than terrestrial television. Sky put match on obscure subscription channel. BBC Scotland fail to secure rights to football international. Scotrail and unions conspire to prevent fans watching match in person.

Mr Meldrew, we’re ready for your line now!

Ian Richmond
Springfield

WITH warnings of £2 per litre for petrol it is worth remembering that 86.28p of that £2 will be going straight to the Treasury in London. Fuel is double taxed, with a duty of 52.95p per litre and 20% VAT on top of the total. If Rishi Sunak wanted to he could cut the price of petrol to 113.72p per litre immediately, or at least reduce the rate of VAT and/or introduce a variable duty rate to stabilise the price we pay at the petrol pump. It’s the UK Government’s choice that we pay £2 per litre.

Neil Caple
Braemar