Scottish Blog

The Gaelic Language Act 2005 was an act designed and passed by the Scottish Parliament, with the aim of increasing the recognition of the Gaelic language.

Many consider the Gaelic language to be a precious heirloom of Scottish history, and as such it should be protected for further generations to enjoy and celebrate. This was the sole reasoning behind the passing of the Gaelic Language Act 2005.

The Gaelic Language Act 2005 was marked as a momentous occasion for the Gaelic language. In fact, the Education minister of Scotland, who also is charged with the development of the Gaelic language, was quoted saying “This is a momentous day for Gaelic as we open a new chapter in the language's history. We have come a long way since the dark days of 1616 when an Act of Parliament ruled that Gaelic should be 'abolishit and removit' from Scotland."

The Gaelic Language Act aimed to place the Gaelic language next to the English language in terms of respect in Scotland. Primarily the Gaelic Language Act 2005 went about this task by the creation of the Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which is a Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization basically charged with the development of the Gaelic language.

Amongst other task assigned to the Bòrd na Gàidhlig by the Gaelic Language Act 2005, they are charged with creating a plan for the development of the Gaelic language. Also, they are required to inform ministry members on issues concerning the Gaelic language. As the Gaelic Language Act 2005 did not officially declare the Gaelic language as one of Scotland’s national languages, it is a task of the Bòrd na Gàidhlig to achieve this goal.