Gaelic-English road sign

Contemporary collecting provides a way of exploring and documenting the impact of changing laws and policies, as well as shifting attitudes, on communities across Scotland.

Today, all of the signs on trunk roads across the North-West region of Scotland carry a place name in Gaelic first with English underneath. In this film, singer Anne Martin and Gaelic language specialist Eilidh Sgaimel discuss the impact of these bilingual signs. Reflecting on a replica road sign from Skye, donated by Transport Scotland, we hear about the diverse origins of Scotland’s place names, and the distinct relationship between the Gaelic language and the landscape.

This road sign will be preserved in the National Collections and is not currently on display.

You can find out more about it in this blog post.

Soidhne-rathaid Gàidhlig is Beurla

Tha cruinneachadh nithean a bhuineas dhan latha an-diugh na dhòigh gus eòlas a chur air a’ bhuaidh a bheir atharrachadh laghan is phoileasaidhean cho math ri beachdan ag atharrachadh air coimhearsnachdan air feadh na h-Alba.

An-diugh, tha na soidhnichean air fad air na prìomh-rathaidean ann an Ceann an Iar-thuath na h-Alba ann an Gàidhlig an toiseach leis a’ Bheurla foidhpe. San fhilm seo tha an seinneadair Anna Mhàrtainn agus an t-eòlaiche Gàidhlig Eilidh Sgaimeal a-mach air buaidh nan soidhnichean dà-chànanach seo. A’ beachdachadh air samhla de shoidhne-rathaid às an Eilean Sgitheanach, a thug Còmhdhail Alba seachad mar thiodhlac, tha sinn a’ cluinntinn mun fharsaingeachd àiteachan às an tàinig ainmean-àite na h-Alba agus mun cheangal dhlùth eadar a’ Ghàidhlig agus cruth na tìre.

Thèid an soidhne-rathaid seo a ghleidheadh anns na Cruinneachaidhean Nàiseanta agus chan eilear ga thaisbeanadh an-dràsta.