An amazing underwater tunnel near Edinburgh once allowed people to stroll under the Firth of Forth, long before cars and buses were able to cross the water. This hidden gem, deeply tucked away in the Bo'ness countryside, is an astounding feat of engineering that allowed foot travel between the shores before the iconic road bridge was erected.
The grand idea? Craft a brand new passage that would directly link the two collieries. Especially when considering the projected development cost for the Valleyfield plant circled around £1million, while the estimated price tag for a revolutionary underwater link was just about half of that. The visionary behind this colossal undertaking was engineer Alistair Moore, who, despite his youth, was chosen to spearhead the project. Reflecting on the experience during a 2017 interview with BBC Radio Scotland, Moore said: "At 31, I was 'just a wee laddie' when the works started."
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They further reported that David Archibald, manager at Kinneil Colliery, and Norman Wallace, manager at Valleyfield, clasped hands to complete the link, with Mr Archibald humorously remarking: "I hope you have plenty of coal for me."