Cost of living crisis threatens Gaelic-speaking communities
The Scottish Greens have warned that the cost of living crisis is placing growing pressure on Gaelic-speaking communities, risking long-term damage to the language and culture, as people are priced out of the areas where it is most widely spoken.
The warning comes on Say a Gaelic Phrase Day, part of Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) as this year’s theme, Cleachd i no caill i (Use it or Lose it), highlights the importance of sustaining the communities that keep Gaelic alive.
Scottish Greens MSP for Highlands and Islands, Ariane Burgess MSP said:
“As we mark Seachdain na Gàidhlig [World Gaelic Week] this year, it is vital that we face the facts. If Gaelic-speaking communities are priced out, Scotland’s Gaelic culture as a whole, is put at risk.
“Across Scotland’s Gaelic-speaking communities, people are facing significantly higher costs for everyday essentials, struggling to make ends meet. Heating our homes costs more. Getting to our work costs more. Putting food on our table costs more.
“The communities that are the backbone to sustaining our Gaelic language and culture are being hit the hardest by soaring energy bills, crumbling infrastructure, rising transport costs and limited access to affordable local services.
“These pressures largely come directly as a result of UK Government decisions on energy markets, ferry freight charges and wider economic policy that consistently fail to reflect the realities of rural and island life, where Gaelic is spoken the most.
“When we talk about protecting Gaelic, it is not about warm words or symbolic support during Seachdain na Gàidhlig. It is about ensuring that the people who live their lives through the language can choose to remain in the places where it is spoken every day.
“But right now across Scotland’s Gaelic-speaking communities, young people in particular, are being forced to leave because they simply cannot afford to stay. That is not just a housing crisis or a cost of living crisis, it is a full-blown cultural crisis.
“If our Gaelic communities are forced out, we risk losing far more than livelihoods, we risk losing the language and culture itself.
“If we are serious about the message of Cleachd i no caill i [Use It or Lose It], then we must take action to bring down energy bills, invest in affordable and reliable public transport, and tackle the fuel poverty that is pushing Gaelic-speaking communities to breaking point.
“Gaelic is sadly on the verge of extinction, but it can genuinely recover and thrive with the right support. With more Green MSPs in Parliament, the fight for Gaelic-speaking communities can grow stronger, putting Gaelic language and culture at the forefront, through vital projects like Sabhal Mor Ostaig.”