Sàr-amadan na mìos sa John o'Groats Journal

[Gràisg]

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Gaelic signs – trumped-up, airy-fairy load of rubbish
Published: 19 September, 2008
SIR – It looks as if the Gaelic road signs question is almost never-ending.

Personally, can I just put a bit of the record straight.

At a meeting, months ago, of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council, I, along with my colleagues, came out against the imposition of Gaelic signs in Caithness. The local Highland councillors voted eight to two against this imposition. But the sad fact is that our 10 councillors are outvoted by the massive power of the Highland Council.

It is so dismaying to read of Gaelic-orientated councillors referring to the census of 1881 and 1921 and so on. I would like to remind them that we are now living in 2008, and know our history only too well. I appreciate that Gaelic was spoken mainly in the Reay area and Dunbeath and Berriedale, but Caithness has never been largely Gaelic-speaking.

If there is any inference that I am just born and educated in Glasgow and an incomer, who has found his spiritual home in Caithness, and knows nothing about culture and language, can I state the following.

In 1970 I started up the magazine Scotia Review, which I edited for 34 years and then handed over to Christine Russell. The magazine is still going well.

Scotia Review, in its time, published poetry, essays, short stories, review of books in, let this be noted, our three languages – English, Gaelic and Scots. One of the prominent features was work in Gaelic. For starters we published Uilleam Neill, Frang Macthomas, Somhairle Mac'illeathan, Magaidh Choineagan, Mac Iain Dheorsa and Tormod Calum Domhnallach, to mention just a few. All writers, some of them firm friends, who would be appalled at what is happening in Caithness.

They, and their families, and the whole of Gaeldom, suffered by the imposition of English, mainly educationally, in the past. I am totally certain that they would disagree vehemently with the pressure by the Highland Council to impose these road signs into a land which is not indigenously Gaelic.

Caithness is the "land beyond the Highlands", a plateau, which should have no allegiance to this trumped-up, airy-fairy, Brigadoon-type, nostalgic, load of rubbish which all politicians with a modicum of intelligence should vote against. But then, do we have any belief in our politicians?

I expect, by the end of the day, words like mine and those of many others will just be regarded as combative and insane. But let us cranks think that maybe history will prove us right, or at least half right.

David Morrison

[Seonaidh]

Uill, tha Mgr. Moireasdan ceart - cha robh mòran Gàidhlig faisg air Uig, Inbhir Theorsa amsaa idir. Ach tha e ceàrr a bhith an aghaidh sanasan Gàidhlig an sin. Tha sanasan Fraingis is Gearmailtis air am M20 faisg air Dover - tha mòran às an Fhraing is às a' Ghearmailt a' siubhal an sin. Agus tha mòran às a' Ghàidhealtachd fhèin a' siubhal ann an Gallaibh. A bheil e an aghaidh bileagan anns a' Phoilis, Panjabi, Cantonais cuideachd?

[Coinneach Cìr]

A bheil e an aghaidh bileagan anns a' Phoilis, Panjabi, Cantonais cuideachd?

Feumaidh gu bheil, tha iad a smaoineachadh gu bheil a' Bheurla cho math 's a ghabhas agus nach eil cànan sam bith eile cho math rithe.