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.
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Council education chair hits out at Dunvegan school funding snub
The Highland Council’s education chair has criticised the Scottish Goverment for ignoring the pressing need for a new primary school for Dunvegan by omitting the Skye institution from a key funding award.
All four bids from the Highland Council, including for Dunvegan, were rejected by the Scottish Government in its latest round of the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme, which was announced on Monday.
As well as plans for a new primary school the proposal for Dunvegan also includes new housing and a community sports pitch.
In announcing the awards, Scottish Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she was determined to deliver excellence and equity across Scotland’s schools, and ensuring that pupils are educated in modern, state of the art facilities is an important part of that.
She added that every Scottish local authority which submitted a bid has now received funding for a project across the three phases of LEIP funding.
However, speaking to Radio Skye following the decision, Skye and Raasay Councillor who chair the Highland Council’s education committee, questioned the Scottish Government’s judgement.
He said: “What is very galling is the fact that a strong bid was put in for Dunvegan, and the bid was accepted as being strong by the Scottish Goverment.
But the outcome within LEIP 3, seems to now suggest that councils who had not got funding in round 1 or 2, were given funding this time round. So in effect, the condition of schools, the need for replacements, the strength of bids was ignored in favour of every authority getting an allocation…”
He added: “This is some way undermines the whole process.”
The cost of the project has risen from £12.5 million when the plans were approved by the council in 2019 to £23 million in 2023.
However, councillor Finlayson contended that the project was not dead and buried despite the significant set back.
“Personally, I’m very, very disappointed at the outcome, especially for Dunvegan…I also feel that governments of all colours (politically) need to try to understand the challenges that rural areas and islands face in terms of many issues including education.
“I am still committed to and convinced that a new school, housing and a pitch will be in place in Dunvegan, even though it will take longer than I or the community had hoped it would.”
Fellow Skye and Raasay Councillor Ruraidh Stewart argued that the council was not blameless and said that communities of Highland has found themselves let down by the Councils SNP and Independent administration, which he claimed had consistently failed to prioritise the needs of our school communities.
He also criticised the SNP/Green administration in Holyrood for what he has called an “abandonment of our school communities”.
He concluded by saying that that the absence of LEIP funding did not negate the urgent requirement for investment in the Dunvegan, Beauly, Park, and St Clement’s schools, and pledged that he and his colleagues would continue to press the administration to invest in the learning estate and prioritise the well-being and future of Highland’s young people.
Rural and Islands Housing Plan challenged at Holyrood
The conservatives and labour have today challenge the scope of Scottish Government’s Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan during a debate at Holyrood today.
Through its Rural and Islands Housing Action plan plan, the Scottish Government has committed to delivering 110,000 houses by 2032 across the country, with 10 per cent earmarked for rural and islands areas.
However, Scottish Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton said that the plan was insufficient with rural and island areas accounting for 17 per cent of Scotland population.
Meanwhile, Scottish labour member Mark Griffin has asked that the government set that an interim target for 5,500 houses to be completed in rural areas by 2026.
In an amendment to housing minister Paul MacLennan’s motion, Mr Griffin stressed that greater economic support from the Goverment was needed for infrastructure needed to allow local authorities, registered social landlords, community organisations and Scottish Government agencies to successfully retain and attract people to rural and island communities.
Breakish group to hold wind farm event
A Skye campaign group who standing against plan to site a wind farm in Breakish are hosting a public exploring community-owned alternatives.
The Breakish Wind Farm Action Group comprise of local community members who are in opposition to Swedish Developer Arise AB’S plans to site 16 wind turbines 180 metres in height in the south Skye settlement.
This Wednesday the group are hosting an event where a presentation will be given by Faye MacLeod of Campbell Stewart MacLennan and Co. Chartered Accountants.
The event will be held on Wednesday (1st November) at 7.30pm upstairs at Broadford Village Hall.
Green MSP backs Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to be granted university status
A Highland MSP is leading a campaign for Skye’s Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to be granted University Status as Scotland’s First Gaelic University.
Scottish Green MSP Arianne Burgess introduced a motion to support full degree-conferring powers to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig which passed by an overwhelming majority.
Speaking to the National newspaper Ms Burgess said granting the centre university status would place the Sleat-based institution it on the international stage and attract more people to the Gaelic language.
The Green MSP will now take the campaign onto the Scottish Parliament.
Voting open for Dunvegan and Glengarry Community Councils
Ballot papers have been sent to voters in Dunvegan and Glengarry to determine the make-up of their local community councils.
Postal ballot papers for ten contested Highland community councils have been mailed out today (Tuesday 31 October 2023).
The ballot papers need to be completed and returned by the deadline of 12 noon on Monday 27 November 2023.
Candidates were invited to submit a statement to support their candidacy and these statements are now published online at the community council elections section of the Council’s website
The counting of the votes for the ten contested Community Councils will take place from 12noon onwards on Monday 27 November 2023 and the count process will be broadcast live on the Council’s social media channels.
You can listen to the latest local news for Skye and Lochalsh live at the times below by clicking on the banner. 
