East Lothian Council draft Gaelic Language Plan

Overview

We are seeking views on our draft Gaelic Language Plan. Please refer to the draft plans available on this consultation before answering the questions.

The draft Plan sets out our ambitions for Gaelic over the next five years, to 2030. It builds on our first Gaelic Language Plan, which covered the period 2020-25, in recognition of the Scottish Government ambition to see an increase in the number of people speaking learning, using and supporting Gaelic.

East Lothian Council is committed to making Gaelic more visible, valued and accessible — ensuring it thrives as part of our diverse and inclusive cultural landscape. It is recognised that good progress has been made across Scotland in the use and promotion of Gaelic in recent years. Since 2011, there has been an increase in the number of people with Gaelic language skills in East Lothian. This has coincided with a period in which East Lothian has consistently been one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas. Gaelic, however, continues to face a number of challenges and that is why organisations such as East Lothian Council are required to play their part in supporting collective efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of the language.

Our new Gaelic Language Plan has been prepared in the context of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act and National Gaelic Language Plan 2023-28. This highlights that the promotion of Gaelic is a shared responsibility and that a significant number of local authorities and public bodies make an important contribution to support for the language. We believe that, through a partnership approach including increased community engagement, we can build on the progress of recent years by continuing to develop Gaelic language provision in East Lothian in a proportionate way.

This plan will help us to meet our commitment to the aspirations and objectives included in the National Gaelic Language Plan and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005.

Why your views matter

Your views will help to shape our plan and the future of Gaelic language provision in East Lothian.