Sabhal Mor Ostaig to become home of Scotland's Gaelic teaching hub

The Scottish Government has announced Sabhal Mor Ostaig as the home of the country’s new Gaelic teaching hub.

The Skye college, the only one in the world which teaches exclusively in Gaelic, will be given £109,657 to upgrade its facilities.

Separate funding of £91,711 for Gaelic organisation Comunn na Gaidhlig will be spent on a minibus to support participation in Gaelic sports, as well as outdoor equipment.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced the funding during a visit to Skye on Thursday.

She met with teachers and students at Sabhal Mor Ostaig to discuss the aims of the Gaelic centre.

Gilruth also visited Broadford Primary to hear from staff and pupils about the English and Gaelic education there, as well as plans for a new school and community hub at the site.

Sabhal Mor Ostaig is in the south of Skye (Alamy/PA). PA Media

She said: “Sabhal Mor Ostaig is internationally respected as the only centre of higher and further education in the world which provides its learning programmes entirely through the medium of Gaelic.

“It has been a privilege to meet staff and students at the college to learn about the work here, including the Gaelic hub being developed for the Centre for Teaching Excellence.

“I was also hugely encouraged to hear about the great work being undertaken at Broadford Primary and to hear about their exciting plans for the new school.

“The Scottish Government is a strong supporter of Scotland’s indigenous languages and encourages bodies and communities to work together to support and promote Gaelic language and culture.”

Shona Cormack, head of teacher education at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, added: “We are delighted to be working with our colleagues at the University of Glasgow to establish the centre and to have Gaelic education recognised as a core area in the new centre’s work.

“We look forward to working with Gaelic teachers to identify priority areas for development and to provide access to professional learning based on the latest research that will positively impact teaching and learning in Gaelic classrooms across the country.”