HIE believes Scottish Gaelic has an important part to play in securing economic growth in the Highlands and Islands. The agency has had a long and pivotal role in supporting projects which impact on social and economic development. The language has an important place within key sectors like tourism and creative industries, and in improving community confidence and sustainability, particularly in our more remote and rural areas.
It is HIE's ambition that people recognise the benefits that Gaelic brings both culturally to its speaking population and economically to the Scottish business community.
HIE employs the skills of Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) to deliver a range of priorities including:
- Partnership working to identify economic and community development opportunities to regenerate Gaelic as a spoken language in fragile areas.
- Develop innovative projects which contribute to Gaelic related creative industries, goods and services, tourism initiatives and the Gaelic Labour market.
- The creation of a close working relationship with HIE staff to support the use of Gaelic in businesses and social enterprises.
- Promotion of grant schemes
- Promotion of Gaelic as a method for social and economic development and to the further demarginalise Gaelic in Scotland.
A copy of HIE's Gaelic plan, in English or Gaelic, can be downloaded from the right of this page.
