27 OCTOBER 2026

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Highland Council says it wants to make Skye and Raasay a so-called ‘Area of Linguistic Significance’ or ALS.

The local authority announced the plans on Tuesday, with a formal consultation process due to follow.

It says it “aligns” with the council’s commitment made in June to take what it calls a “layered approach” to ALS designation.

The Scottish Languages Act allows for an ALS to be established in places where Gaelic is spoken by a significant proportion of the population, or where there are important historical and cultural links.

There had been criticism earlier this year of plans to make the whole Highland region an ALS. Something campaigners said would water down the purpose of the original legislation.

Under the law, any area where 20% or more of the population has Gaelic skills must be considered within one year.

According to the 2022 Census, just over 8% of people in the Highlands aged three and over have some Gaelic.

Eilean a’ Cheò (Skye and Raasay) is the only electoral ward within the Highland Council area which has over 20% of the population with skills in the language.

Cllr Drew Millar, chair of Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee, said:

“Skye and Raasay has some of the strongest Gaelic-speaking communities in Highland, so it is fitting that they are the first area to be considered for designation as an Area of Linguistic Significance under the new legislation.

“Community engagement is a key part of a process that will provide important opportunities to work closely with local people, organisations and partners to better understand how Gaelic is used today and how we can support its continued growth for future generations.

“While our immediate focus is on meeting our statutory responsibilities in Skye and Raasay, this forms part of a wider ambition to strengthen and promote Gaelic all across Highland, recognising the language’s cultural, social and economic contribution to our communities.”

Gaelic and Scots were recognised as official languages by the Scottish Government last November. Former MSP for Skye, Kate Forbes was one of the main advocates for the legislation which came into effect in 2025.

The Council is now recruiting a Community Engagement Officer to help take forward the proposals. 

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Jobs created to help preserve Gaelic archives

The Highland Archive Service has been awarded an Archives Revealed Consortium Grant which will allow for two Gaelic Archive Project Officers to be employed. One will be based in Skye and the other in Lewis.

The project will be led by the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre, based in Portree, which will work alongside the Scottish Council on Archives, Tasglann nan Eilean, Comhairle nan Eailean Siar and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

The money will allow archivists to catalogue and display items which have previously not been made available to the public.

The collection will include the papers of Rev. Donald MacCallum, a Church of Scotland Minister from Argyll who was involved in the fight for better rights for Skye crofters in the late 1800s.

The poetry of Donald Alick MacDonald and members of the MacLauchlan family on themes such as war and migration will also feature.

At Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Tasglann nan Eilean, the archives include records of drama and literary projects. These include the papers of writer Norman Malcolm Macdonald and details of the development of early Gaelic theatre companies including Fir Chlis and Tosg.

Alison Mason, Highland Archivist, High Life Highland, said:

“Archives help us understand the people, places and traditions that have shaped our communities. This funding will enable us to preserve and share significant Gaelic collections that have remained largely hidden until now. By working together across the Highlands and Islands, we can safeguard this important heritage, strengthen connections with Gaelic culture and identity, and help more people discover, explore and enjoy these collections for years to come.”

Colin George Morrison, Heritage and Culture Team Leader, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said:

“We are delighted to be participating in this project. It will not only make an important Gaelic literary archive publicly accessible, but it will also provide opportunities for people to engage with all of the archives at the heart of the project. We hope that present and future generations will be inspired to respond creatively to the wealth of material the project will reveal.”

Archives Revealed is the only grant programme in the United Kingdom dedicated to cataloguing archival collections. It is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Archives.

Catherine MacPhee, Archivist at the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre has been speaking to Radio Skye. Listen to the full interview below.

Council seeks views for Highland-wide Gaelic language designation

Highland Council says it is looking to engage with communities on whether to make the entire local authority area an Area of Linguistic Significance (ALS).

The Scottish Languages Act allows for an ALS to be established in places where Gaelic is spoken by a significant proportion of the population, or where there are important historical and cultural links.

But critics argue that applying the designation across all of Highland would weaken the purpose of the legislation, which was introduced to support communities where language remains strongest, such as Skye and Raasay.

Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee met this week. It agreed to move forward with a framework to hold a consultation in September.

Màrtainn Mac A’Bhàillidh from Comann nam Pàrant Port Rìgh is among those who have raised concerns. Speaking to Radio Skye, he said:

“It essentially duplicates something we already have which is a Highland-wide Gaelic language policy. We’ve had Gaelic Medium Education (GME) in the Highlands for 40 years. We’ve had the Gaelic language plan in place since 2005/6. They’ve taken a Highland-wide approach to date.

“The whole idea of introducing the Scottish Languages Act and Area of Linguistic Significance was to make policy more granular, to support the Gaelic speaking communities and do more where more can be done. We see this as making a total mockery of the Scottish Languages Act.

“We’ve all wasted four years getting to this point. If Highland Council goes ahead and duplicates their existing Gaelic Language Plan then we’re just no further forward. We’re back to where we started.”

There are 18,552 people in the Highland Council area with Gaelic skills, according to the latest census. 

Eilean a’ Cheò (Skye and Raasay) is the only electoral ward within the Highland Council area which has over 20 per cent of the population with Gaelic skills.

Skye Councillor Drew Millar is the Chair of the Gaelic Committee. He told Radio Skye:

“Here on Skye we have already ticked all the boxes that the Government want to see in an Area of Linguistic Significance. What we’ll do with Skye is keep supporting and promoting Gaelic and trying to encourage more people to use the language, not just in schools but for use in the whole community. We’ll be looking at how we can boost the economy here in Skye too.

“The consultation process doesn’t start until September and will run for 12 months. We’ll be talking to Comann nam Pàrant, working together consulting with the general public, and hopefully we’ll come to a very amicable solution that will be accepted by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and by the Scottish Government, and will allow Skye to move forward.”

Gaelic and Scots were recognised as official languages by the Scottish Government last November. Former MSP for Skye, Kate Forbes was one of the main advocates for the legislation which came into effect in 2025.

Raasay Councillor Chrissie Gillies also sits on the Gaelic Committee. Speaking to Radio Skye, she said: 

“This has been misunderstood, which is really unfortunate. This is not the Highland Council saying, ‘we are doing one huge big area’. That is not what is being proposed at all.”

Councillor Gillies went on to say the local authority is considering all options.

“Everything is on the table. The whole point of this paper which went through was to say, ‘right, we’re going to look at all of Highland’ because it all counts and let’s hear from everybody and see what everybody is wanting to have happen moving forwards.”

Councillor Gillies says she has receieved online abuse in the past week.

“Whether it is misunderstanding or misinformation, it doesn’t matter, the outcome is the same. It’s not actual discussion. It’s got to the stage of being really, really abusive and harrassing. I have absolutely no intention of being trolled online.

“This is why I blocked accounts. I’m not engaging like that. I will talk to everybody, I think everybody is aware of that. It’s having a discussion or a debate, whatever you want to call it, to look at what’s going on. For the council, this is the starting point.”

Responding to Councillor Gilles’, Màrtainn Mac A’Bhàillidh said:

The Council says it will begin to take views on the recommendations made to the Gaelic committee later this year.

The local authority says a consultation will follow if the Council decides to proceed with a proposed designation.

A Highland Council spokesperson said:

“It’s important to note that no decision on ALS designation has been made.

“The report before the Gaelic Committee this week sought agreement to take forward a framework for public engagement and consultation. The purpose is to gather the views of all our communities, their specific local context and their needs relating to Gaelic.

“The outcome of community engagement will inform the final approach to designation and that will then be submitted to the Scottish Government.

“Formal consultation and structured engagement will begin when the statutory consultation period begins in September 2026.

“The forthcoming consultation will provide a consistent, transparent and equitable opportunity for all stakeholders to consider and respond to the proposals.”

The Scottish Government has put forward £1.5 million to support the ALS process across the country.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan said:

“The Scottish Government welcomes Highland Council’s interest in and engagement with the provisions of the Scottish Languages Act. We also note the high level of positive community interest in the issue of areas of linguistic significance.

“We recognise this is a process with key steps for authorities, for Bòrd na Gàidhlig, for communities and for the Scottish Government. We are committed to working with all partners to ensure this process is implemented in a way that supports and strengthens Gaelic communities across the Highlands.”

Listen to the full interview with Màrtainn Mac A’Bhàillidh below.

Listen to the full interview with Councillor Chrissie Gillies below.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is to receive £4 million from the Scottish Government to reopen one of its key centres.

The Fàs building, which has been out of use since 2022, will be refurbished to become the new Centre for Gaelic Creativity.

The redevelopment will also include a media studio for broadcast training, the Fàs Mòr nursery, and a space for community activities and businesses.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:

“The Fàs Building is at the heart of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig – the renovation of this building will enable the college to expand its support for and promotion of Gaelic in Skye, in Scotland and beyond. One of the most important things we can do for Gaelic’s future is train and support more Gaelic medium education teachers, and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and the Fàs building has a key role in this. This is about more than a building, it is a commitment to Gaelic at a critical moment for the language, backed by investment and a determination to see Gaelic thrive for generations.”

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Principal Dr Gillian Munro welcomed the announcement. She said:

“Regenerating Fàs supports our work expanding and modernising our curriculum, digital learning opportunities, research capacity, and our work with the community. Gaelic deserves institutions that operate innovatively – and this investment ensures we can continue to do that for our students, the local community, and for all of Scotland.”

The college, which has over 1,600 full time and part time students, has been Scotland’s national centre for Gaelic language and culture for more than 50 years.