Category: Consultations

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted a response to Glasgow Life’s consultation on Glasgow’s Culture Plan and Strategy.  Points raised in the response include.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig is responding to this consultation to, in particular, highlight the importance of Gaelic within the culture and creative sectors in Glasgow and thus its importance for the proposed Culture Strategy.

We welcome the Draft Plan’s statements that:

• Culture should be: “a product of the experiences, lives and views of everyone”.
• According to the Vision “Glasgow’s cultural landscape truly reflects the City’s people”.
• The Values should include to be “open, fair and inclusive” and to be “authentic and distinctive”.

Gaelic language and culture fit closely with these statements. That is in terms of their being important to the lives of those who speak the language and/or enjoy Gaelic culture which is both an authentic and distinctive element of Glasgow’s culture.

Gaelic is a unique cultural asset. It is a major part of Scottish cultural identity and a key part of the strong cultural assets that feature in events in Scotland. Many traditional and new forms of Scottish arts draw upon Gaelic culture: although not all will be expressed in the Gaelic language. For example, many pipe bands, folk bands, Highland dancing groups, Highland Games and cèilidhs will draw upon Gaelic culture and heritage.

Thus, there is a need for the Plan and the subsequent Strategy to acknowledge the contribution of Gaelic culture to overall cultural and creative activity in Glasgow.

The full response can be read here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted a response to the Scottish Government consultation Effective community engagement in local development planning guidance.  Amongst points raised, we said:

Bòrd na Gàidhlig are responding to this consultation because we wish to see sufficient and appropriate recognition of the Gaelic language within the Community Engagement in Local Development Planning Guidance.

We welcome the ICIA’s statement “that ‘Planning Advice Note 3/2010: Community Engagement’ is already in place and includes guidance relating to the needs of minority groups and provision of information in alternative languages which could include Gaelic”.

We also welcome that “The ECEG does not prescribe the use of specific engagement techniques, leaving this to local circumstances”, Further, that “It also leaves open the use of languages such as Gaelic / Scots and community languages as would fit local circumstances”.

The full response can be read here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted as response to the Scottish Government consultation on New National Parks Appraisal Framework.  Amongst the points raised, we said:

Bòrd na Gàidhlig are responding to this consultation because we wish to see sufficient recognition of cultural heritage – of which Gaelic language and culture is a key element – within the appraisal framework.

Understanding the Gaelic landscape and increasing awareness of one of Scotland’s indigenous languages can strengthen attraction to and sense of uniqueness of the Scottish landscape and its linguistic and cultural heritage. By ensuring that any new National Park places importance on Gaelic language and culture at the outset, the Park, its residents, and visitors will benefit from a sense of place, an opportunity to use and learn Gaelic, an increase wellbeing through linking nature and language.

The full response can be accessed here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig responded to the consultation by the University of the Highlands and Islands about Local Advisory Committees for a new merger of UHI colleges.

We said in our response:

In selecting members of Local Advisory Committees consideration should be given to the added value of recruiting individuals with Gaelic language skills and links to Gaelic communities and organisations.

Such individuals would extend the breadth of connections into local developments, opportunities, projects, and partnerships. They will also have an enhanced ability to act as ambassadors for the college and UHI in the local community.

The full response can be read here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted a response to the Scottish Government’s public consultation on the Draft Planning Guidance for Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods.

Among the points raised:

The report Living Well Locally 20 Minute Communities in the Highlands and Islands8 is referenced in the consultation document. It notes concerns that the 20-minute neighbourhood concept “could lead to further centralisation of services” the impact of which “would be to reinforce poverty, inequality and outmigration”.

If Gaelic users then leave their community to live elsewhere this can have two impacts. First, a reduction in the number of Gaelic speakers in the affected area.

Second, affected households may move to an area where Gaelic is much less used, and over time, they may no longer regularly use the language – or may lose it altogether.

The result is a reduction in the use of Gaelic. That runs counter to the National Gaelic Language Plan’s aim that the language is used more often, by more people.

The viability of these communities requires appropriate and flexible planning measures. We therefore welcome the approach set out in the ICIA and the draft guidance: in particular, the following points made in these documents.

Read the full response here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted a response to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Draft Plan public consultation.

We generally support the Draft Plan’s themes of:

• Restoring Nature.
• Creating A Sustainable, Low-Carbon Destination.
• Enabling a Greener Economy and Sustainable Living.

However, there is an issue of the balance between the three themes and those relating to cultural heritage.

Read the full response here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has submitted a response to the consultation: Council tax on second and empty homes / Non-domestic rates.

Among the points raised:

A number of socio-economic issues impact the viability of Gaelic communities and thus the language. Bòrd na Gàidhlig are working to ensure the impact of such issues are recognised and addressed. One of the critical issues affecting viability of Gaelic speaking communities is housing – specifically its cost and availability. This is vital in retaining and attracting population – including Gaelic speakers.

Sustainable and thriving Gaelic communities require sufficient numbers of people to live there all year round and have a connection to the region and the culture and language of the place. Gaelic speakers – and others – have strong ties to the place where they were born and raised and it must be recognised that there is a need to maintain these ties. They need places to live and they need suitable housing to do this – along with locally available services – and these communities will not be sustained unless sufficient people can live there full time.

You can read the full response here.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig have submitted a response to the Scottish Government’s public consultation: National Event Strategy Review and Refresh.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig submitted a response to this consultation to highlight the importance of Gaelic language and culture within the totality of events in Scotland, and the contribution it can continue to make to a range of positive outcomes for individuals, communities, and Scotland as a whole.

You can read the full response here.

At the end of May 2023, Bòrd na Gàidhlig submitted a response to the National Outcomes Review 2023 public consultation.  Points raised included:

The contribution of using and learning Gaelic is increasingly recognised in supporting wellbeing. That is because language and culture create self-esteem, nurture self-confidence, define identity and improve quality of life. This increases wellbeing for Gaelic users, learners, and supporters – who have great pride in the language and culture. Gaelic contributes positively to what these people think and feel about their lives. Bòrd na Gàidhlig has commissioned research to further quantify the benefits and opportunities for Scotland and wellbeing from the language and culture.

The full response can be read here.