Fledgling Gaelic-language channel BBC Alba has pa a new milestone by reaching a high of 610,000 viewers.
Gaining this many viewers is a large step in the right direction for the newly-formed channel. Head of BBC Alba Margaret Mary Murray went on record saying that this was “an excellent start”.
The debate over bilingual signage in Caithness continues, the Press & Journal reports.
Nine out of the area’s ten councillors have come out against bilingual signage in their area.
Speaking on the subject Independent councillor David Bremner said:
The council should respect the differences that exist within the different counties of the Highlands. We’re not anti-Gaelic, but let’s not waste public money on something the public don’t really want here.
Whilst Caithness council seems to be forming a bloc of opposition to the bilingual signage policy, the issue is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
We would like to inform members and friends that the Gaelic Society talk which was scheduled for Friday 24th October (Calum Fearghusdan, MA, Eilean Leòdhais — “A Ghàidhlig a b’ aithne dhomh”) has been cancelled for the time being, with a view to holding the talk next year. This is because there is a concert being held in Eden Court Theatre on the same night to celebrate the life of the late Simon Mackenzie. The concert will feature many well-known Gaelic singers and Gaels. Tickets are priced at £20 and will go towards Simon’s legacy — The Simon Mackenzie Trust. Tickets are on sale at the Eden Court Box Office.
Metro has a mini-interview with the new Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, Julie Fowlis.
While the interview is neither long nor particularly deep, it is still worth a read, if only as an opportunity to get to know the language’s new ambassador slightly better.
A leading Scottish historian has spoken out against the BBC’s landmark, ten-part series A History of Scotland, the Scotsman reports.
Describing the series as “Anglo-centric”, broadcaster and historian Alastair Moffat went on to say:
The BBC seems to have ignored 3,000 years. It’s a pity to let the Romans tell the story of Scotland; couldn’t the Scots have told it?
The series, produced at a cost of £2m, begins with the defeat of the Picts by Roman general Agricola in AD 84. The first episode will be shown on 9th November at 9pm on BBC 1.
More information on the series — and the rest of the BBC’s cross-media initiative titled “Scotland’s History” — can be found at the Scotland’s History microsite.
At the opening of the Mod yesterday, Alex Salmond unveiled a £2.7m package to fund a range of Gaelic education initiatives, the Press & Journal reports.
Outlining the thinking behind the move, Mr. Salmond said:
The Gaelic language is a vital way of seeing and understanding Scotland. It contains the symbols and metaphors, stories and landscapes, that help define Scotland’s unique culture and history.
[…]
That is why the Scottish Government is committed to promoting Gaelic education, and why I’m delighted to announce more than £2.7million to support the development of this strand of our cultural matrix.
For more information on the Royal National Mod 2008 you can visit its website.
In a letter to the Inverness Courier Donald Morris, chair of Foram Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis, has stated that his organisation fully supports bilingual signage and that local councillors should accept them; he notes that “Highland Council has voted on numerous occasions to use bilingual signage throughout the authority area”.
The letter ends with a stinging rebuke of those councillors who oppose the signage policies:
Their partisan and unreasonable behaviour flies in the face of the Gaelic Language Act and Highland Council’s own Gaelic Language Plan — both of which accept the place of Gaelic as a language deserving “equal respect” to English. It’s about time they showed some respect.
Bha tachartas shonraichte againn air Dihaoine 3mh Damhair airson a chiad òraid dhe 2008–09 a chomharrachadh. Chuala sinn òraid bho Anna Latharna NicGillìosa (“Donald MacKillop — Well-Loved Songwriter, Undiscovered Poet”) agus chaidh an leabhar aig Dòmhnall MacKillop, Coille an Fhàsaich, a chur air bhog. Anns an leabhar chithear a bhàrdachd agus na h-òrain aig Dòmhnall agus sgeulachdan is eile bho Beàrnaraidh. Chaidh an leabhar a chur ri chèile le Anna Latharna.
Tha Dòmhnall a’ fuireach ann an Gleann Comhainn agus gu mì-fhortanach cha b’ urrainn dha bhith an làthair ach bha sinn air leth thoilichte gun robh a nighean Peigi agus càirdean eile còmhla riunn. Fhuair an luchd èisteachd cothrom an leabhar a cheannach agus abair gun do chòrd an fheasgar ris a h-uile duine a bh’ ann.
A very special evening on 3rd October marked the beginning of our talks for the 2008–09 season. Anne Lorne Gillies presented a most interesting paper entitled “Donald MacKillop — Well-Loved Songwriter, Undiscovered Poet”, and we saw the launch of Donald’s book Coille an Fhàsaich. The book consists of a beautiful collection of Donald’s poems and songs and also memories and stories from his native Berneray. The book was compiled and edited by Anne Lorne Gillies.
Donald lives in Glencoe and unfortunately wasn’t able to attend the book launch and talk, but we were delighted to welcome his daughter Peggy and other family members. The audience were able to purchase signed copies of the book and everyone in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Gaelic development body Comunn na Gàidhlig has joined calls for BBC Alba to be broadcasted on Freeview, the Stornoway Gazette reports.
Many hope that the channel will become available on Freeview, otherwise it will very difficult for the channel to meet the ambitious target of gaining 250,000 non-Gaelic-viewers on a weekly basis set by the BBC Trust. As mentioned in the previous post on the subject, there is demanding set of criteria in place that the channel must meet before it can reach this goal.
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