Growing Gaelic In The Highlands But Polish Is Now Also A Big Minority Language In Scotland

2nd November 2024

A new centre to promote Gaelic language and culture in Inverness is to receive a significant funding boost from the Scottish Government.

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis will receive £370,000 to develop a space for Gaelic gatherings, ceilidhs and exhibitions in the centre of the city.

The Cultarlann is based in what was the East Church building. The new funding is a crucial step in developing the property, which will also feature meeting rooms for language courses, a cafe and shop.

The investment forms part of a £4 million package to promote Gaelic initiatives across Scotland.

The centre will be the first dedicated Gaelic cultural centre in the Highlands and is also intended to be a tourist attraction where visitors can meet Gaelic-speaking staff and learn more about the language and its history.

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis's expansion will meet a growing demand for a dedicated space for Gaelic speakers in Inverness. Census figures published earlier this year show a 12% increase in the number of people with some Gaelic skills in Inverness compared to 2011.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes said:

"To strengthen Gaelic, we are supporting projects like Cultarlann which will enable more people to use the language in their day-to-day life.

"Gaelic is a unique selling point for Scotland, which is why promoting the language goes hand-in-hand with attracting visitors and growing the economy.

"The Scottish Government is also supporting the language's continued growth in the Highlands by working collaboratively to progress the Scottish Languages Bill. The Bill will create a system to enable all parents to apply for Gaelic early learning and childcare services and introduce measures to strengthen Gaelic education in secondary school."

Margaret Mulholland, Chair of Cultarlann, Inbhir Nis, said, "We are hugely grateful for this fantastic funding offer. It will enable our plans for a Gaelic Cultural Centre to take a major step forward. This is a wonderful, iconic building and this funding will enable us to ensure it is properly watertight and to deal with all external essential repairs.

"We are delighted to welcome Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, to the Cultarlann. Kate is a great enthusiast for Gaelic and she can see the exciting future the Cultarlann will have in promoting and building Gaelic culture in Inverness and the wider Highlands."

Census statistics show that 3,411 people in Inverness had some Gaelic skills 2022, an increase of 369 people from 2011.

A' Toirt Piseach air Cor na Gàidhlig air a' Ghàidhealtachd

Maoineachadh airson ionad cultarach.

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air taic-airgid nach beag a thoirt seachad airson ionad ùr ann an Inbhir Nis gus Gàidhlig agus cultar na Gàidhlig a chur air adhart.

Gheibh Cultarlann Inbhir Nis £370,000 gus goireas a chruthachadh ann am meadhan a' bhaile airson chruinneachaidhean, cèilidhean agus taisbeanaidhean Gàidhlig.

Tha an Cultarlann stèidhichte anns togalach far an robh an Eaglais an Ear. Leis a' mhaoineachadh ùr seo, 's urrainnear ceum cudromach a ghabhail ann a bhith a' toirt leasachadh air an togalach, far am bi seòmraichean-coinneachaidh airson chùrsaichean cànain, cafaidh agus bùth.

Tha an t-airgead mar phàirt de mhaoineachadh luach £4m airson iomairtean Gàidhlig a chur air adhart air feadh na h-Alba.

Leis an ionad ùr seo, bithear a’ stèidheachadh a’ chiad ionaid chultaraich Ghàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus thathar an dùil cuideachd gum bi e a’ tarraing luchd-turais a gheibh cothrom coinneachadh ri luchd-obrach le Gàidhlig agus ionnsachadh mun chànan agus eachdraidh nan Gàidheal.

Leis an leasachadh seo airson Cultarlann Inbhir Nis, bithear a’ frithealadh air an iarrtas a th’ ann airson àite cruinneachaidh sònraichte do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig sa bhaile. Sheall àireamhan bhon chunntas-shluaigh a chaidh fhoillseachadh am-bliadhna gun deach an àireamh de dhaoine le sgilean Gàidhlig ann an Inbhir Nis an àird 12% an coimeas ri àireamhan 2011.

Thuirt an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear is Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson na h-Eaconamaidh is Gàidhlig, Ceit Fhoirbeis:

"Airson cor na Gàidhlig a neartachadh, tha sinn a’ cur taic ri pròiseactan leithid Cultarlann Inbhir Nis far am faigh barrachd dhaoine cothrom gus an cànan a chleachdadh nam beatha làitheil.

"Tha a’ Ghàidhlig mar phàirt prìseil is sònraichte de chultar na h-Alba, agus sin carson tha adhartachadh a’ chànain cuideachd a’ cuideachadh le bhith a’ tàladh luchd-turais agus a’ cur ris an eaconamaidh.

"Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba cuideachd a’ cur taic ri adhartas leantainneach dhan chànan air a’ Ghàidhealtachd le bhith ag obair còmhla ri càch gus Bile nan Cànan Albannach a thoirt air adhart. Bidh am Bile a’ stèidheachadh siostam tron urrainn do gach pàrant cur a-staigh airson tràth-ionnsachadh Gàidhlig agus seirbheisean cùraim-chloinne dhan chloinn aca agus tha cumhachan sa Bhile cuideachd gus foghlam Gàidhlig ann an àrd-sgoiltean a neartachadh."

Thuirt Mairead Mulholland, Cathraiche Cultarlann Inbhir Nis:

"Tha sinn air leth taingeil airson a’ mhaoineachaidh fhialaidh seo. Tha e a’ ciallachadh gun urrainn dhuinn adhartas mòr a dhèanamh leis na planaichean againn airson Ionad Cultarach Gàidhlig. ’S e togalach iongantach is ainmeil a tha seo agus leis a’ mhaoineachadh seo ’s urrainn dhuinn dèanamh cinnteach gum bi e gu tur dìonach agus ’s urrainn dhuinn an obair chàraidh a tha a dhìth air an taobh a-muigh dheth a dhèanamh.

"Tha e a’ toirt toileachas mòr dhuinn fàilte a chur air an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear, Ceit Fhoirbeis, chun a’ Chultarlainn. Tha Ceit air leth taiceil dhan Ghàidhlig agus tha i a’ tuigsinn mar as urrainn dhan Chultarlann feum mòr a dhèanamh ann a bhith a’ cur cultar na Gàidhlig air adhart, agus ann a bhith a’ neartachadh a’ chultair, ann an Inbhir Nis agus air a’ Ghàidhealtachd air fad."

Tha àireamhan a’ Chunntais-shluaigh a’ sealltainn gun robh sgilean Gàidhlig aig 3,411 daoine ann an Inbhir Nis ann an 2022, sin àrdachadh de 369 bho 2011.

Nowe centrum promujące język i kulturę gaelicką w Inverness otrzyma znaczny zastrzyk środków od rządu Szkocji.

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis otrzyma 370 000 funtów na zagospodarowanie przestrzeni dla spotkań, ceilidh i wystaw w centrum miasta.

Siedziba Cultarlann mieści się w dawnym budynku Kościoła Wschodniego. Nowe finansowanie to kluczowy krok w rozwoju obiektu, w którym znajdą się także sale konferencyjne dla kursów językowych, kawiarnia i sklep.

Inwestycja stanowi część pakietu o wartości 4 milionów funtów mającego na celu promowanie inicjatyw gaelickich w całej Szkocji.

Centrum będzie pierwszym wyspecjalizowanym ośrodkiem kultury gaelickiej w regionie Highlands, a także ma być atrakcją turystyczną, w której odwiedzający będą mogli spotkać personel mówiący po gaelicku oraz dowiedzieć się więcej o języku i jego historii.

Ekspansja Cultarlann Inbhir Nis zaspokoi rosnące zapotrzebowanie na wydzieloną przestrzeń dla osób mówiących w języku gaelickim w Inverness. Dane ze spisu powszechnego opublikowane na początku tego roku wskazują na 12% wzrost liczby osób władających niektórymi językami gaelickimi w Inverness w porównaniu z 2011 rokiem.

As of 2021, there were around 60,000 people in Scotland who speak Scottish Gaelic, which is about 1% of the population. The Highlands and Islands region has the highest concentration of Gaelic speakers, particularly in the Outer Hebrides and Shetland.

Here are some other facts about Gaelic in Scotland:
The Scottish Government's Gaelic Language Plan, implemented in 2005, recognized Gaelic as an official language with equal status to English.
The 2022 Scottish Social Attitudes survey found that the number of people who can speak a few words of Gaelic has doubled in the last decade.
The Scottish Gaelic Duolingo course has over 1 million learners.
The Scottish Government has placed additional duties on local authorities to support Gaelic education.
24 councils provide Gaelic education at various levels.

There were approximately 62 thousand Polish nationals living in Scotland as of June 2021, the most common non-British nationality in Scotland, followed by Irish nationals, at 21 thousand. This makes Polish the most commonly spoken foreign language in Scotland, after English, Scots, and Gaelic.

The number of Polish speakers in Scotland increased rapidly after Poland joined the European Union in 2004. In 2022, there were also around 17,723 students in Scottish schools who spoke Polish as their main home language.

The Polish ethnic group is more spread out across Scotland than most other minority ethnic groups. More than half of people with a Polish background live outside of the four "City" council areas.