View Full Version : Stroma & Swona going?!
Tugmistress
07-Sep-06, 16:04
I flipping well hope not!
just seen this on the orcadian website ....
The islands of Stroma and Swona could be obliterated if proposals in the SNP’s Scottish Energy Review (http://www.snp.org/snpnews/2005/snp_press_release.2006-07-10.7072352495) come into being.
The document states that because the islands obstruct the tidal flow through the Pentland Firth, they should be quarried away. This, it says, would allow more energy to be harnessed from the greater tidal currents that would theoretically flow between Orkney and the Scottish mainland.
Commenting on the document, Liberal Democrat Prospective Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for Orkney, Liam McArthur said: “Radical thinking about how we manage and meet our future energy needs is necessary and normally very welcome. However, the SNP plan to remove the islands of Swona and Stroma is a large step too far.”
energy review here (http://www.snp.org/snpnews/2005/snp_press_release.2006-07-10.7072352495)
wow, this is flipping ridiculous (although I must admit I've never heard of Swona :roll: )
However, surely this would have to be with the owners consent? Stroma is still in use - albeit for farming rather than inhabited by humans!
I certainly hope Britain doesn't stand in the way of flowing water or we're all doomed - yes, I know, bit over the top, but then again, so is 'moving' stroma out of the way - its not like they can lift it up and set it somewhere else. [evil]
willowbankbear
07-Sep-06, 16:34
So that ll be the end of the snp vote here then:D . Just scaremongering I think, wasting trees again. If all the hot air that SOME, not all, politicians spoke could be harnessed into energy, we`d all be warm this winter eh;)
Kingetter
07-Sep-06, 16:35
Folk might want to look at - http://www.caithness.org/atoz/stromamain/index.htm
j4bberw0ck
07-Sep-06, 16:55
I looked at the calendar just for a moment; just to make sure it's not April 1....
I wonder how much energy would be expended in reducing Swona and Stroma to the sea bed and removing the spoil? :lol:
pultneytooner
07-Sep-06, 17:46
I flipping well hope not!
just seen this on the orcadian website ....
The islands of Stroma and Swona could be obliterated if proposals in the SNP’s Scottish Energy Review (http://www.snp.org/snpnews/2005/snp_press_release.2006-07-10.7072352495) come into being.
The document states that because the islands obstruct the tidal flow through the Pentland Firth, they should be quarried away. This, it says, would allow more energy to be harnessed from the greater tidal currents that would theoretically flow between Orkney and the Scottish mainland.
Commenting on the document, Liberal Democrat Prospective Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for Orkney, Liam McArthur said: “Radical thinking about how we manage and meet our future energy needs is necessary and normally very welcome. However, the SNP plan to remove the islands of Swona and Stroma is a large step too far.”
energy review here (http://www.snp.org/snpnews/2005/snp_press_release.2006-07-10.7072352495)
Where about does it say that, I can't find it?:confused
Swona has it's own breed of cattle from thirty years of natural selection, would they destroy that?
I looked at the calendar just for a moment; just to make sure it's not April 1....
I wonder how much energy would be expended in reducing Swona and Stroma to the sea bed and removing the spoil? :lol:
I asked the same, Was it April fools day?
SNP must stand for Scottish Nonesense party.
Where about does it say that, I can't find it?:confusedOn the Orcadian website (http://www.orcadian.co.uk/). :)
Welcome to Stephen Salter's Dreamworld.
pultneytooner
07-Sep-06, 17:55
On the Orcadian website (http://www.orcadian.co.uk/). :)
Welcome to Stephen Salter's Dreamworld.
Cheers drSzin, what a bunch of muppets they are.[lol]
pultneytooner
07-Sep-06, 18:00
Sourced from the pdf download of the Scottish Energy Review .
If we look at the Admiralty charts through the
eyes of a fluid dynamicist it is clear that the
placement of the islands of Stroma and Swoma
is sub-optimal. The width of Stroma
perpendicular to the flow is about 3500 metres
It has been uninhabited since 1962 [16].
If we can apply the usual drag equations with a
coefficient of unity for bluff bodies the result is a
power loss of 5.4 GW. A further 3 GW can be
calculated for Swoma.
Both islands are the cause of many dreadfu
shipwrecks and the supplies of concrete
aggregates from UK sources are becoming
critical.
Using rock from these islands would quel
anxieties about super-quarries on Harris and
Dartmoor. Removing circular bores from the
core of the island down to some calculated
distance below the 70 metres depth of the main
channel will leave an outer shell formed as a
series of thin walls with circular interiors, rather
like a honeycomb built by very different sizes of
bee.
This structure will be strong while it remains as
group of continuous shells, but will collapse if
the web continuity is destroyed. If this is done
by blasting selected internal walls at slack low
water, a large fraction of the debris will fall into
the bottoms of the bore holes to leave a ‘level
surface. The output of aggregate would be
more than from the Harris super-quarry.
Scotland is not short of lonely islands and such
a step could lead to considerable benefits
There should of course be appropriate financia
compensation payments to the community.
I, had always undertood that the narrower a gap the tidal flow was pushed through the greater the race and the more energy created.Surely to remove these 2 islands would lessen the flow.
I just wonder what the boffins were smoking when they wrote this report!
Humm will have to keep the binoculars trained on the Isle of Wight just in case some one decides that too is a hazard to shipping.
Wonder how much the bright sparks who thought this one up actually know about Stroma. Last time I was there it still had some inhabitants, even if not full time, and it is privately owned. These days islands sell for millions. Would they give the owner the market price? Daft. Sometimes wonder what they put in the coffee in Westminster and Holyrood - must be something very strange.
willowbankbear
07-Sep-06, 19:16
Where about does it say that, I can't find it?:confused
Swona has it's own breed of cattle from thirty years of natural selection, would they destroy that?
Why destroy what I could eat? Swona Burgers sound good:)
pultneytooner
07-Sep-06, 19:20
Apparently swona is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) conservation area with a number of rare plants.
pultneytooner
07-Sep-06, 19:23
Why destroy what I could eat? Swona Burgers sound good:)
With a herd size of 17-18 on average that would be an expensive burger.[lol]
OK.
I emailed the SNP about this. And received a reply. Here's the dialogue (reply first). Should M. Hunter wish me to remove this, then please advise at ianATrobertianrae.co.uk with the reasons why. (substitute AT for @).
"The Scottish Energy Review was conducted for the SNP by Professor Stephen Salter. It is not therefore a statement of SNP policy. It is an expert report commissioned to inform SNP policy. It is available from the SNP
website here http://www.snp.org/policies/consultations/energy (http://www.snp.org/policies/consultations/energy)
It looks at a whole range of options including that one. But that doesn't
mean that the SNP plans to do that. We will be publishing our detailed
proposals over the next few months and I think Liam McArthur would be well
advised to wait and see what they are before commenting.
Regards
Mhairi Hunter
SNP Policy Unit
Hi
>
> Is this nonsense true?
>
> ""SNP propose destruction of islands to increase Pentland Firth
> tidal potential
> The islands of Stroma and Swona could be obliterated if proposals
> in the SNP's Scottish Energy Review come into being.
>
> The document states that because the islands obstruct the tidal flow
> through the Pentland Firth, they should be quarried away. This, it
> says, would allow more energy to be harnessed from the greater tidal
> currents that would theoretically flow between Orkney and the
> Scottish mainland.
>
> Commenting on the document, Liberal Democrat Prospective Scottish
> Parliamentary Candidate for Orkney, Liam McArthur said: "Radical
> thinking about how we manage and meet our future energy needs is
> necessary and normally very welcome. However, the SNP plan to remove
> the islands of Swona and Stroma is a large step too far.""
>
> Thanks
>
> Ian.
wow, this is flipping ridiculous (although I must admit I've never heard of Swona :roll: )
However, surely this would have to be with the owners consent? Stroma is still in use - albeit for farming rather than inhabited by humans!
I certainly hope Britain doesn't stand in the way of flowing water or we're all doomed - yes, I know, bit over the top, but then again, so is 'moving' stroma out of the way - its not like they can lift it up and set it somewhere else. [evil]
How about in the med?
How exactly would they remove them? and where would they dump the debris?
This is more unbelievable than the plan to build a bridge from the mainland to Stroma, a tunnel between stroma and Swona, and again between swona and Orkney. this was seriously looked at as a cheaper alterative than running the ferry for the next several decades.
wow, this is flipping ridiculous (although I must admit I've never heard of Swona :roll: )
[evil]
Maybe you want to look at his site
http://www.alanmoar.flyer.co.uk/orkney/Swona/swona.htm
How exactly would they remove them? and where would they dump the debris?.
Removing circular bores from the
core of the island down to some calculated
distance below the 70 metres depth of the main
channel will leave an outer shell formed as a
series of thin walls with circular interiors, rather
like a honeycomb built by very different sizes of
bee.
This structure will be strong while it remains as
group of continuous shells, but will collapse if
the web continuity is destroyed. If this is done
by blasting selected internal walls at slack low
water, a large fraction of the debris will fall into
the bottoms of the bore holes to leave a ‘level
surface.
Thats how...
Having had time to reflect on this I am concerned , would this mean The Witches Cauldron would no longer exist?
Time to call up the coven methinks.
On a more serious note, there must be amongst The Orgers some one who can explain what the effects of such drastic landscaping would do to the tides and what effect altering the tidal races would have on the coastline.
Everyone knows that Stroma actually anchors the Orkney Islands to the mainland. If you remove Stroma then Orkney will drift off into the North Atlantic probably coming to rest against Greenland.
Mind you, with the increasing number of wind turbines on Orkney they might be able to actually steer themselves around the world. They could conceivably end up in the South Pacific....:D
engiebenjy
07-Sep-06, 22:24
You know, if this wasn't so serious, it would be hilarious!!
excellent idea,think of the younger generation you selfish people
willowbankbear
07-Sep-06, 23:18
excellent idea,think of the younger generation you selfish people
EH? are ye as serious as the SNP?:eek:
very serious sorry to dissapoint you,difference of opinion,small minded people on here tihnk there opinions are always correct,well well im all for it im afraid,take it or leave it buddy
willowbankbear
07-Sep-06, 23:40
very serious sorry to dissapoint you,difference of opinion,small minded people on here tihnk there opinions are always correct,well well im all for it im afraid,take it or leave it buddy
Cant see it helping the way that the snp seem to think. why dont they drill for oil there? keep yer car going bud;) . Whereve ye been anyway? No read yer posts for ages
i have 2 legs for getting me about,dont need a clapped out un-insured heap im not lazy,i have been banned for a month[lol]
i have 2 legs for getting me about,dont need a clapped out un-insured heap im not lazy,i have been banned for a month[lol]
Welcome back saxovtr.:D
Having had time to reflect on this I am concerned , would this mean The Witches Cauldron would no longer exist?
Time to call up the coven methinks.Ready when you are.
Was this article dated April the First?
Are you referring to the article or someone?
percy toboggan
08-Sep-06, 19:31
I looked at the calendar just for a moment; just to make sure it's not April 1....
You beat me to it. That's just what I thought. Quarrying away an island? Arent they like ice-bergs only more so? Better have a blummin' big shovel !
It sounds like a non-starter. Islands should not be messed with.
Excuse me? Isn't it rather windy in the Pentland Firth for a great deal of the time? Wouldn't a better plan be to build wind turbines on both islands to produce extra power? Then, in later years, the turbines could be dismantled to leave nice islands again... can't do that if they remove them! :eek:
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