Gaelic brings in many benefits

Sir – With reference to the article by Jamie Buchan, Gaelic road signs plan is labelled madness (The Courier, December 19) and the letter from Gary Barnett, Beware Gaelic road signs (The Courier, December 20), there are several points which require clarification.

Perth and Kinross Council, like other local authorities, does indeed have an obligation to produce a Gaelic Language Plan. This is as a result of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted to accept in 2004.

The Gaelic language has received, and continues to receive, cross-party support in both Holyrood and Westminster.

Bilingual road signs have been in use in Scotland for over 30 years and a 2012 study by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) of their effects on road safety in Scotland concluded: “While there is evidence that bilingual signs may have increased the demand of the driving task, this increase can be absorbed, and managed, by the driver and therefore does not result in a significant increase in crash risk and accident involvement. Analysis of accident data in Scotland concurred with this conclusion, finding no evidence that accidents increased or decreased as a result of bilingual sign installation.”

With regard to visitors and the Gaelic language, Visitscotland is currently preparing a Gaelic tourism strategy as they recognise that visitors are interested in the Gaelic language

and culture and that it has an economic benefit for Scotland.

There is considerable Gaelic activity already taking place in the Perth and Kinross area, both in schools and in communities.

The Gaelic Society of Perth and the hugely popular Perthshire & Angus Provincial Mod are some examples of this.

The Royal National Mod will return to Perth in either 2021 or 2022.

Scotland’s biggest celebration of Gaelic language, music and culture has shown economic impacts of between £2.5 million and £3.5 million in recent years, a significant return on investment for a £160,000 spend over a five-year period. Shona Maclennan. Ceannard, Bòrd na Gàidhlig.