The Gurn sent a team of crack reporters to investigate reports of bilingual Gaelic/English signs in Nova Scotia. Critics of the policy in Scotland will be disappointed to find out that the reports are true. On Cape Breton Island there was virtually a bilingual road sign on the outskirts of every community. Inverness wasn't translated as Inbhir Nis however, local Gaelic speakers had called it "An Sithean" for some reason - saoil carson a tha sin? There was even a place called the Gaelic College which was just peppered with Garlic stuff.
Even outside Cape Breton Gaelic could be found on signs, including the top picture from Antigonish which had a really big one on the outside of town welcoming you in with the words "Am Baile Mor" - The Big Town.
Despite these irresponsible, confusing and completely unnecessary measures large numbers of tourists could still be seen spending considerable amounts of money on local products, accommodation and services in sunny Alba Nuadh. Where will it all end? Worse still, even over on Prince Edward Island Gaelic was even heard being spoken at a Saturday night Ceilidh.
8 comments:
Were there not loads of incomers complaining that it is a waste of money to spend scarce resources on Gaelic or Highland language and culture? Or do they perhaps appreciate that serial economic analyses evidence significant gains for communities?
Don't think there has been any significant research to show who complains the most anon but over the years many of the very strong anti-Gaelic stuff that has appeared in letters to the press has come from people with Highland surnames.
Yes a bit of Garlic is good for the economy anon.
Cheers
Des
'crack reporters', is this a specialist drug team?
opps "craic" reporters or 's dòcha mar a chanas iad sa chànain eile "O mo chreach sa thàinig!" (literaly "Oh my very destruction has come!")
What I think is a shame, given that Nairn had some strong Scots tradition rather than Gaelic (in Fishertown at least) and that it's still actively spoken to the East of us while remnants can still heard on everyday speech in Nairn, is that Gaelic seems to win all the battles for money. Scots seems to (still) be unfashionable.
@Paul many of us speak Scots everyday and some of us also use Gaelic. Our (Scottish) languages are not unfashionable, just sometimes suppressed or no longer taught in schools. Nairn has had a strong tradition of folk speaking Gaelic including the fishertown, where are you getting your information from?
Had a good chuckle reading this--Tapadh Leat.
Will there be a gaelic sign for the wee shelter hut at the Sun Dancer once it's rebuilt, that's assuming it gets rebuilt!
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