Skye and Raasay considered for Gaelic Linguistic Significance status
Highland Council aims to designate the islands as its first Area of Linguistic Significance for Gaelic, boosting language use.
By Kirsty Lennox
••2 min read
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Highland Council is progressing plans to designate the Isle of Skye and Raasay as its first Area of Linguistic Significance (ALS) for the Gaelic language.
The Council is currently recruiting a Community Engagement Officer to support this initiative. This role will work directly with communities on both islands to strengthen the use of Gaelic, supporting local people, organisations, and partners.
This plan aligns with the council’s commitment, agreed in June, to adopt a layered approach to ALS designation in the Highland region. The ambition is to collaborate with communities across Highland to identify and evidence areas of linguistic significance, contributing to the understanding of the Scottish Languages Act 2025 and informing future designation recommendations.
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"Skye and Raasay has some of the strongest Gaelic-speaking communities in Highland, so it is fitting that they are the first area to be considered for designation as an Area of Linguistic Significance under the new legislation."
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"Community engagement is a key part of a process that will provide important opportunities to work closely with local people, organisations and partners to better understand how Gaelic is used today and how we can support its continued growth for future generations."
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"While our immediate focus is on meeting our statutory responsibilities in Skye and Raasay, this forms part of a wider ambition to strengthen and promote Gaelic all across Highland, recognising the language's cultural, social and economic contribution to our communities."
Under the Act’s statutory criteria, any area where 20 per cent or more of the population reports Gaelic skills must be considered for designation within one year. Based on current census data, Skye and Raasay is the only electoral ward in Highland meeting this threshold. The Highland Council must complete its consideration of the Skye and Raasay ward no later than 1 September 2027.
The 2022 Census data indicates that 8.07 percent of Highland’s population aged three and over report some Gaelic language skills. Details of the Community Engagement Post can be found at https://myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/highland-council/jobs/community-engagement-officer-35hpw-fixed-term-18-months-highland-wide-494191.
Based on information from the official source: The Highland Council (27/10/2026)
