Stop splashing cash on promotion of Gaelic

Sir, – On a recent car journey from Perth to Oban I was intrigued to note, en route, the number of place names on road signs now indicating a Gaelic equivalent.

Indeed, throughout Scotland, bilingual signs appear to be on the increase, even in parts where Gaelic was never spoken.

The cost of this exercise to local authorities must have been considerable.

At its peak in 1755 Gaelic was only understood and spoken by about 27% of the population of Scotland; and in areas such as south-west Scotland the Celtic tongue was more likely to be of Brythonic origin, similar to Welsh, rather than of the Scottish or Goidelic form. Today only 1% of the population of Scotland speak Gaelic; and an even smaller percentage is literate in the language.

So why then are local councils being pressed into this complete waste of financial resources by the Scottish Government when the budgets pertaining to the NHS, education, welfare, policing, local council services and so on and so forth are strapped for cash – it just does not make sense.

I have checked up on the measures taken by the Scottish Government which have led to the current situation and have found that it was enacted through the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act.

What then does the polarised SNP administration hope to achieve through this sort of policy?

Is it just another of its ploys to create divisions and split up the UK?

Robert I G Scott. Northfield, Ceres.

Gaelic translations are appearing on signs throughout the country, despite only 1% of our population being able to speak it.