The first female MSP to make a plenary address in the Scottish Parliament chamber in Gaelic has warned the language’s future will only be secured for the next generation if all speakers step up their efforts. Skye MSP Kate Forbes believes more Gaelic speakers should be using the language ‘loudly and noticeably’ in the public square.
Delivering the prestigious Oraid an t-Sabhail lecture on Friday night at Scotland’s national centre for Gaelic language, culture and the arts, Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye, the Highland MSP follows in the footsteps of four serving Scottish First Ministers (Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond, Jack McConnell and the late Donald Dewar).
Ms Forbes told us: ‘Great progress has been made in the past few decades to secure the future of Gaelic, but we need to go further and faster. ‘My generation of Gaelic speakers has benefited from hard-won initiatives like Gaelic-medium education, BBC Alba and Feisean nan Gaidheal. We must choose to fight for Gaelic’s future with urgency and determination if the next generation are to hear it, learn it and use it as a language of everyday life.