Highlands & Islands MSP calls for redoubling of efforts to preserve Gaelic and Scots

Emma Roddick MSP has called for the Scottish Government and anyone with an interest in Gaelic and Scots to redouble their efforts to preserve Scotland’s national languages, warning that depopulation in the Highlands and Islands puts them at risk.

Ms Roddick sponsored an event in the Scottish Parliament organised by the Association for Scottish Literature, which saw Dr Petra Poncarová deliver a lecture on her extensive research into the development of Gaelic and Scots since the 20th Century.

Dr Petra Poncarová, who hails from the Czech Republic and is currently a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Glasgow, used the lecture to discuss her research on some of the most notable figures in the promotion of Gaelic and Scots as official languages, explore the connections between the two languages, and suggest what more could be done by government and wider society to ensure both are afforded the appropriate protections.

Commenting following the lecture, Ms Roddick said:

“It was a joy to welcome Petra to the parliament and to listen to her incredibly detailed and thought-provoking research on the historic development of Gaelic and Scots. Our national languages mean a lot to folk across Scotland, particularly to many of us in the Highlands and Islands, which is why I have always strived to incorporate them into my work where I can. The fact that Petra is from the Czech Republic and yet has taken such a keen interest in Scotland’s languages demonstrates their impressive global reach and highlights how worthy they are of protection.

“Unfortunately, a tragic impact of the depopulation that we experience in the Highlands and Islands is that we risk losing those community ties which keep Gaelic and Scots alive.

“Whether it’s New Scots taking them up, or children learning them in school, Gaelic and Scots should be visible in daily lives across this country. That requires determined policy-making.

“I remain proud to support a budget which includes record funding for our languages and look forward to continuing to engage with the government and stakeholders on the Scottish Languages Bill. There are really exciting initiatives emerging across the Highlands and Islands which will be crucial in preserving, and hopefully growing, Gaelic and Scots.”