Scottish Government needs to take the lead in drive to save Gaelic communities
WE write in strong support of the views expressed by MSPS Kate Forbes and Alasdair Allan for tough, positive action for Gaelic and the urgent need for local people to be able to buy, build or rent homes in their own island and rural communities (“Gaelic housing estates and regulating second homes… race is on to save a language”, The Herald, December 26). The Vernacular report was a wake-up call to keep Gaelic as a living language in the islands but whilst welcomed in some quarters, it has been met with, at best, complacency, by Bord na Gàidhlig, the national agency entrusted with saving and promoting the language and culture.
It is essential that, with a national census looming that will add further concern to the future of the language in its heartlands, we learn lessons from the Basques and the Welsh who have seen much success in this respect.
In the immediate future, it is crucial that a post-covid Gaelic action plan is quickly developed and rolled out, led by the Scottish Government, and with the cross-party support Gaelic has enjoyed in Holyrood. Apart from immediate action relating to the research piece that has sparked this debate, education must be central to such a plan. The impact of Covid on Gaelic education, particularly early years and transition to secondary, has been hugely disruptive.
The relationship between the economy, jobs and housing and the future of Gaelic as a community language is as important now as it was
300 years ago, when the then-planned destruction of Gaelic culture started taking place. More needs to be done to create a Gaelic domain where those with proficiency can use it in an applied and natural way; the recently adopted policy of the Western Isles Council which recognises Gaelic Medium Education as the default position should add to the number of speakers, but that does not put food on the table. The key factors to keep young Gaels in their own villages and communities is affordable housing and employment.
This all requires leadership and community buy-in; surely one of the first decisions regarding Gaelic of the next Scottish Parliament. Young people in particular should influence such decisions and whether Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which many feel has run out of ideas and credibility, should be
entrusted with this task is highly debatable; this is something we feel that Scottish Government should lead on given its importance.
Dr Michael Foxley, Ardgour, and Professor Bruce Robertson, Nairn.
Keeping tabs on safety
I KNOW there is huge catastrophe going on in the world so this must seem pathetically trivial. However, am I the only arthritic pensioner who has real difficulty in opening these ridiculous laundry/dishwashing liquitab containers? It is all very well tugging on our heartstrings to save poor wee Junior – but how about the safety of us oldies who after pressing, pulling, squeezing, tugging, throwing at the wall, end up resorting to a knife or scissors to get into the blasted thing?
It is more than likely that we oldies will injure ourselves and end up in A&E, than wee Junior – who shouldn’t be able to reach the top shelf anyway.
Linda Fitzgerald, Killin.