Huge rise in number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland during past decade hailed 'major success' by Bòrd na Gàidhlig
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The number of Scots who can speak some Gaelic has doubled in the past decade, the latest
Scottish Social Attitudes survey has revealed.
The proportion of people who say they can speak at least the odd word of Gaelic has
doubled from 15 per cent in 2012 to 30 per cent today.
Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic
development, has hailed the survey as a major success for the language, with findings
showing significant support and awareness throughout the country.
The Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey is conducted by the Scottish Centre for Social
Research (ScotCen) and has been tracking changes in people's social, political and moral attitudes in Scotland since 1999.
The 2021 survey found that more than half of those surveyed would like to see the number
of Gaelic speakers in Scotland rise in the future, with 56 per cent giving their backing.
Young people, those with a greater knowledge of Gaelic, and those who have experienced
greater exposure to the language are credited as the key factors associated with its growth.
The survey shows that those who come in to contact with Gaelic are more likely to hold
positive views.
The SSA also highlights a major shift of attitude towards education.
More than half of those surveyed (55 per cent) believe that all children in Scotland between five and 15-years-old, should be taught Gaelic as a school subject for between one and two hours a week.
This is a marked rise from just 38 per cent support in 2012.
It is clear that Gaelic also contributes to wellbeing with 70 per cent of adults stating that learning Gaelic gives someone a sense of achievement.
Mairi MacInnes, chairperson at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, described the results as "excellent".
"Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes this latest report from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey," she said.
"These results are excellent news and show the widespread support for Gaelic, which bodes well for its future.
"The rise in the usage of Gaelic is vital to preserving and growing the language for years to come, and we will continue to work tirelessly to provide support and solutions to help continue this growth.
"We are delighted by the rise in those with some knowledge of the language – to double that
figure in a decade is a remarkable achievement.
"Support for the growth of Gaelic education in our schools will only support the rise in popularity for future generations and we believe it will be a vital part of our strategy to build on this success."
Cabinet Secretary for Education Shirley-Anne Somerville said the rise in people speaking
some Gaelic and support for its continued increase showed the Scottish Government’s commitment to promote and develop the language was having a meaningful impact.
"We want to ensure that those who wish to use, or learn Gaelic are afforded the opportunity
to do so and we will continue to work with partners in this aim," she said.
Fundraising efforts are under way to establish a new Gaelic hub in Inverness to bring together Gaelic speakers and those who want to find out more about the language.
