Scotland Supports the Gaelic Tongue in Cape Breton - Pan Celtic Unity In Action

In late 2011 Alasdair Allan, Scottish Government Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages visited Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Minister Allan’s visit to the heartland of the Gaelic language beachhead in North America included an announcement on the start of a scholarship program funding Gaelic speakers in Cape Breton to visit Scotland and study Gaelic at the expense of Edinburgh.

The Cape Breton post in an article entitled “ Cape Bretoners Help Keep Gaelic Alive”, puts a warm Celtic face to the exchange program with a profile of the winners of the 2014 scholarships; Beth Anne MacEachan, Bernard Cameron, Amber Buchanan, Laura Stirling and Jennifer Richards.  Each recipient will be visiting Scotland to study at the prestigious Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO), which translates to “The Big Barn of Ostaig”.  Over the years SMO has been fundamental in the revitalisation and regeneration of the Gaelic language and culture.  Having graduated over 800 students since its founding, the College has greatly contributed to the number of Gaelic speaking graduates in the workplace in Scotland and with the continuation of the partnership between Scotland and Nova Scotia the same can soon be said about the impact of SMO on the restoration of the Gaelic tongue to its rightful place in Canada’s maritime.

The support of the Scottish government for the preservation of the Gaelic language and culture in Nova Scotia (the province was home to a 100,000 Scots Gaelic speakers in 1900) is consistent with the mandate enjoyed by Bord na Gaidhlig under Scotland’s Gaelic Language Act of 2005. The language Act mandates the Bord to support Scots Gaelic outside of Scotland.

The interest taken by the Bord is significant for the long term return to health of the Celtic tongue in Nova Scotia because under provisions of Scotland’s language Act the Bord have been tasked with developing a Scottish national language plan and strategy for Gaelic medium Education for the Scottish government.  The learning’s from these endeavors cannot but be of great value to the champions of the growth of Gaelic language and culture of Cape Breton. And in a gesture of Pan Celtic unity the Cornish Language Partnership (MAGA) recently invited a representative of Scotland's Bord na Gaidhlig to share the Bord's learning's gained in their efforts to restore Scots Gaelic to its rightful place and in doing so aid the restoration of Cornish..  

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2014-05-30/article-3742926/Cape...

http://www.transceltic.com/blog/cornish-language-partnership-teams-scotl...

http://www.transceltic.com/scottish/sabhal-mor-ostaig-scotlands-gaelic-c...