Litirichean/ letters Highland News

[Gràisg]

Background:

Seo na sgrìobh cuideigin thall aig Iomairtean Yahoo
This is what someone wrote over at Iomairtean Yahoo

'To encourage people to purchase the "Highland News", the publisher (Highland News Group, Stadium Drive, Inverness) trails that paper's main headlines on the front of their weekly freebee advertiser paper "Inverness Herald", which is itself dropped (to the best of my knowledge) through just about every letterbox in Inverness. The top of the front page of the latest issue of the "Inverness Herald" gives pride of place to a big colour photo of a green bilingual roundabout sign, with "GAEL FARCE?" emblazoned over it in white, then two bullet points *"Anger over £33k-a-year Gaelic tr*nsl*t*r job *Second post planned for documents and signs workload. So this was in effect a leafleting campaign, taking the "mì-rùn mòr" far beyond mere purchasers of the "Highland News". '

Mar thoradh às a sin nochd dà litir san Highland News - cùm sùil air na beachdan tighinn a-steach, agus carson nach leig do thaic leotha?
As a result of that two letters appeared in the Highland News, keep an eye on the comments they receive and why not support them?

Published: 04 December, 2008
I FIND it very disappointing that Councillor Jim Crawford should find it ridiculous to spend money on appointing a Gaelic tr*nsl*t*r for the Highland Council.
At a time when the Gaelic language is under real threat in our communities, we should be supporting the language and its development on all fronts.
I do realise it is the taxpayers' money, but surely as a taxpayer I should be allowed to read Gaelic literature as much as Mr Crawford is allowed to read his English literature.
We have a thriving Gaelic school in Inverness and both Portree and Fort William are to build new primary schools.
Does the councillor not realise the major benefits, both socially and economically, to being bilingual?
I live in Milton of Leys and would like to point out that I am more than delighted to see Gaelic notices for that area.
Should Mr Crawford prefer we spend the proposed £33k salary on a project which has nothing to do with our culture and heritage ie. a New Year firework display?

I sincerely hope that the future plans for Gaelic provision happen and that they do not go up in smoke.

DJ MacIntyre
http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/ful ... efits.html

Support the Gaels
Published: 04 December, 2008
I REFER to your front page item, Gael Farce, (Highland News, November 22), which is typical of the anti-Gaelic stance of some of the media.
Many people, especially outwith Scotland, find it puzzling the attitude many Scottish people have to the language, considering that Gaelic was the founding language of the original Scottish nation in the ninth century and remained the predominant language for centuries after that.
Its slow decline only started with the arrival of the Anglo Norman dynasty and administration in the 12th century.
It has however given a distinctive identity to Scotland in its placenames.
It is the reason why our lakes are called Lochs, our mountains are called bens, and our valleys called glens and strath.
Throughout Scotland you will see names derived from Gaelic, but there are too many to mention here, but Auch, Bal, kin, kil are a few examples.
In the Highlands, the area which your paper represents, the language is still present, although in rapid decline during the last hundred as a result mainly of the education system.
The 1891 census shows the towns and villages of Easter Ross over 50 per cent of Gaelic speakers and a survey 75 years before that showed many of the parishes there with 95 per cent Gaelic speakers.
It is also worth to remember that there was then a total of a quarter of a million Gaelic speakers in Scotland, covering a much wider area than now.
Braemar, in west Aberdeenshire was predominantly Gaelic speaking in 1891, but by 1986 the last native speaker had died.
Far from being vilified, the Highland Council should be supported for their efforts to preserve such an important part of Scotland's heritage.

Calum Laing,
http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/ful ... Gaels.html

[horogheallaidh]

s beag an t-iongnadh - tha a h-uile duine lan fios gur e seorsa de tabloid a th'ann an highland news co dhiu - chan eil cail aca ri sgriobhadh ach feuchainn airson puingean fhaighinn le tiotalan mar seo no rudeigin eile mar sex dens vice girls bla bla bla - gle mhath fhaicinn ge ta gu bheil litirichean a' nochdach a toirt taic dha gaidhlig - saoil an robh barrachd litrichean ann ge ta a bha ag aontachadh leis a phaipear?

[Gràisg]

quote] saoil an robh barrachd litrichean ann ge ta a bha ag aontachadh leis a phaipear[/quote]

Uill, cha bhi mise ga cheannaich gus sin faighin a-machach. Chì sinn dè thachras air an làraich aca. Seadh tha thusa ceart Horo - 's e sin an Highland News lòma-làn ***.

[Seonaidh]

A-reir an t-Aberdeen Press & Journal, creididh Seumas Creamhain ann an sealg is tilgeil. 'S e comhairleach neo-eisimeileach a th' ann. 'S dòcha nach eil e fosgailte ri chiall.