Government funding of £620,000 will help Gaelic language thrive – Kate Forbes

A funding boost of £620,000 to support the growth of Gaelic will “help the language thrive”, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said.

She announced the cash support at the start of World Gaelic Week – with the money including £200,000 for the Gaelic media service MG Alba to help it deliver “high quality content”, such as a second series of its crime thriller An t-Eilean.

Ms Forbes said the drama’s success “demonstrates there is a global appetite for high-quality Gaelic content”.

It comes as research shows that Gaelic media supports 340 jobs across Scotland, including 160 in island communities.

Meanwhile, the new funding will also help establish the first dedicated Gaelic cultural centre in the Highlands, along with supporting structural improvements at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, which is the world’s only Gaelic medium college.

Ms Forbes added that this year’s World Gaelic Week was “particularly special” as it was “the first since Gaelic gained official status through the Scottish Languages Act”.

And the Deputy First Minister said: “This new investment will help the language thrive, from broadcasting that brings Gaelic to new audiences to education initiatives that help more people learn it.

“An t-Eilean’s success demonstrates there is a global appetite for high-quality Gaelic content. The programme has brought Gaelic into living rooms around the world and this funding will ensure the communities and talent behind that success continue to flourish.”

Actor Sorcha Groundsell, who will return in series two of An t-Eilean in the lead role of Detective Sergeant Kat Crichton, said she was “so pleased” it had been recommissioned for a second season.

She added: “It was a wonderful and deeply fulfilling experience to be a part of season one and I have every faith the team will build on the work they did and that they will take the show to new heights and even broader audiences.

“It’s so important that we continue to platform Gaidhlig and to provide further opportunities for Gael creatives so that we can reinforce the language as a vital and vibrant force on the global cultural stage.

“I’m looking forward to picking up Kat’s journey and seeing where the show takes her in this next series!”