Gaelic signs? Next time use the spellcheck!
THEY were supposed to be part of a drive to feature more of the Gaelic language throughout Scotland.
But 17 road signs had to be replaced because of mistakes after transport chiefs failed to use a translation service.
Words were either misspelled or badly translated, leading to a string of corrections.
According to a freedom of information document released by Transport Scotland, one of the mistakes, which appeared on seven signs, read Baile mor ionad.
That translates as ‘big town unit’ but it should have said Meadhan a’ Bhaile, meaning ‘town centre/city centre’.
There were five signs with the wrong spelling of the Caledonian Canal – An Canal Cailleannach – that should have been written An Canàl Cailleannach, with an accent on the second ‘a’ of canal. A spelling mistake – missing one letter – appeared on two signs for the Great Glen Way. This was translated as Slighe a’ Ghlinn Mhóir – missing an ‘e’ from Ghlinne.
Another correction was for the village of Clunes – initially spelled Na Clualnean and changed to Na Cluainean – while the village of Dores, by Loch Ness, was said to be Dora when it should have been Duras.
In addition, Baile an fhraoich amar, meaning heather bath, should have said Acarsaid Bhaile an Fhraoich – meaning Muirtown Basin.
The mistakes – made in the past decade – cost about £1,725 to correct. Transport Scotland said that the contractor who installed the signs had not bothered to use the translation service based in Skye at the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
The quango said: ‘A number of signs on the Great Glen cycle way had to be replaced in 2015 after incorrect translations were brought to our attention by a member of the public.
‘Our contractor failed to use the services of our translator and the signs were corrected as quickly as possible.’
The decision by the SNP administration to display place names in Gaelic across the country prompted a backlash from critics who said it is a waste of money.
Around £28million is spent on Gaelic every year by the Scottish Government – £285,000 on road signs.
Argyll and Bute Council came under fire in 2015 after visitors to Bute were unwittingly welcomed to Penis Island for almost nine years when a crucial accent was missed out in the Gaelic word for the isle, Bhòid.
‘Incorrect translations’