This week sees the launch of a Business Plan for Faclair na Gàidhlig, the project to produce an Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic, one of the critical cornerstones for the survival and future development of the Gaelic language and culture. 

Faclair na Gàidhlig is an ambitious, long term inter-university initiative supported by the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, an institutional partnership which provides the project with a strong base encompassing all aspects of Gaelic language scholarship. 

The primary aim of the project is to produce an historical dictionary of Scottish Gaelic compiled on the same principles as the multi-volume resources already available for Scots and English. 

Faclair na Gàidhlig underpins the key principles of the National Plan for Gaelic, published by Bòrd na Gàidhlig in 2007: Language Acquisition, Usage, Status and Corpus. The Language Corpus section of the plan identifies the research and development of an historical dictionary of Scottish Gaelic as one of its priorities. 

The dictionary will respond to the needs of the Gaelic language in the 21^st Century providing an authoritative foundation for smaller bilingual and mono-lingual dictionaries and learning materials. By identifying the interfaces of Gaelic with Scots and Irish throughout history, it will increase understanding of our linguistic national heritage and the fundamental role of Gaelic in the linguistic identity of Scotland. 

Minister for Culture, Linda Fabiani, in launching the Project Business Plan at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig today, said,

"I welcome the launch of this Business Plan. This Government is committed to ensuring a successful future for Gaelic in Scotland. This historical dictionary will be a valuable resource not only to the general public but to the Education, Arts and Broadcasting communities.”

"The First Minister was pleased to announce the additional support for this project on 11 April and I would like to wish it continued success as we build a sustainable future for Gaelic.”  

Boyd Robertson, of the University of Strathclyde, Convener of the Steering Committee for Faclair na Gàidhlig, in welcoming everyone to today’s launch said, 

“The production of Faclair na Gàidhlig is a long cherished aspiration of the Gaelic community and is a project that will enhance the status of the language and help to secure its future. It will give Gaelic a vital linguistic and cultural resource which other minority languages across Europe already enjoy and it will provide Scotland with a national asset of comparable importance to the great art collections that adorn our major galleries”. 

As the current foundational project draws to a close, the Faclair na Gàidhlig Business Plan now sets out very clearly and strongly the case for a long term funding strategy to be put in place to ensure the continuation of this critically important national initiative. Such investment will provide the solid cornerstone on which Scotland can secure the status of the language and build a sustainable basis to support the growth of language usage in our communities, schools, centres and bodies of higher and further education and in the home and workplace.

Kenneth Murray, Chief Executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig said:

“This is a groundbreaking initiative that will add much to the ongoing development of the Gaelic language.

“Bòrd na Gàidhlig has supported Faclair na Gàidhlig for a number of years and the project complements the National Plan for Gaelic and its aim to grow the number of speakers across Scotland. The language, will benefit enormously from this excellent project and we are delighted to offer our continued support for it”

Donnie Munro, SMO Director of Development, added,

“Sabhal Mòr is delighted to be involved in this important partnership project and particularly pleased to welcome Faclair na Gàidhlig to its new base within Fàs. This project is critical to the development of the language and culture and adds to the critical mass of complementary and related projects and initiatives now based within the new centre”.