Gaelic centre lands £50,000 cash windfall

SABHAL Mòr Ostaig, the national centre for Gaelic, has acknowledged the financial support of £ 50,000 gifted to the college by Dr Frederik Paulsen junior who, along with Mossburn Distillers, is the ‘driving force’ behind the development of the newly- completed Torabhaig Distillery on the south of Skye.

The donation, made through the Paulsen Family Foundation, is given in support and in recognition of the important work which Sabhal Mòr Ostaig undertakes and delivers, as the national centre for Gaelic, with regard to securing the continued regeneration and development of the language, culture and community.

Dr Paulsen’s family, which owns the globally successful company, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, started in Sweden in 1936, by Dr Paulsen’s late father, Dr Frederik Paulsen senior, has a long history of engagement in philanthropic activity throughout the world.

Dr Paulsen, born in the tiny port of Dagebull on the North Frisian coast, took a very particular and special interest in maintaining and supporting the Frisian language of his parents and ancestors.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s director of fundraising, Donnie Munro, said: ‘This donation is very welcome indeed and, quite apart from its obvious usefulness, it is an important international commendation of our on-going work in support of the Gaelic language, culture and community and mirrors the Paulsen family’s historical support for, and understanding of, the issues facing minority languages across the world.’

The donation, which is spread across two financial years, will be applied in support of the work of the Tobar an Dualchais-Kist o Riches, National Conservation and Digitisation Programme, considered by many to be one of the most extensive, far-reaching and important cultural heritage programmes undertaken anywhere in Europe.