An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 87, 23 July 1970

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HI-LINGUAL NEWSPAPER OF CURRENT EVENTS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND THE ISLANDS AND IN SCOTLAND
DI-ARDAOIN, 23 LAHTA DE’N IUCHAR 1970 THURSDAY, 23;;d JULY 1970 No. 87 Sixpence
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I SIGNS LEGAL
I THE oldest Gaelic society in the
I world is still well to the fore
| in the struggle to get some form of
recognition for the Gaelic lan¬
guage. The Gaelic Society of
London, formed in 1777, have re¬
cently circulated all local authori¬
ties in the Gaelic speaking area
asking them to consider the pos¬
sibility of erecting signs and noti¬
ces in both Gaelic and English
particularly within those areas
where Gaelic is still spoken.
Recent corerspondence with the
Secretary of State assured them
that such signs are quite legal and
for the Scottish local authorities to
decide on. Road signs are included.
Until recently, it was illegal to
erect such signs in Wales, but it
appears that no legal objection
;an be raised in Scotland. However
■vith the exception of the bilingual
itreet names in Stornoway, there is
ittle evidence so far of willingness
>f local authorities to erect Gaelic
;igns.
There is a growing demand
imongst tourists for more evidence
if the existence of Gaelic in the
fighlands, but still local authori-
ies fail to take advantage of what
is obviously an asset in the pro¬
notion of tourism.
The communication from the
. society said, "In few better ways
ire we as Gaels able to show our
isitors some evidence of our
' 3aelic heritage, and in what better
vay ?n this European Conservation
Tear'1970 could we demonstrate
n our own communities our de-
ermination to conserve our cul¬
tural heritage.”
Blairlogie, near Stirling, is the first village in Scotland to he conserved. The 18th century hamlet was
originally a popular health resort for invalids who came to partake of the goal's milk, h sprang ip us
a goat milk spa because of the vast numbers of goats which grazed in the surrounding Ochils. Now, the
Goal’s Drinking Trough, in a garden, is the only relic of Blair’s heyday.
BLOW TO SKYE FERRIES
Hr IAIN MacLEOD
THE death occured on Monday,
20th July, of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer. Mr Iain Mac¬
Leod. Mr MacLeod, who had
'neld the post for 30 days died
of a heart attack, having had an
emergency operation for appendi¬
citis only days earlier.
B ann an Cearsadar an Sgire na
Loch an Leodhas a rugadh ‘sa
thogadh athar Iain MhicLeoid
thug e nach an dotaireachd agus
bha e ri dhrenchd an Yorkshire
far na rugadh a mhac.
Fhuair Iain MacLeoid an foglum
an Dumfris agus Colaisd Fettes.
an Duneideann Leonadh e aig
Dunkirk an toiseach a chogaidh
‘s dh'fhag gu leon sin e 'na chirip-
leach gu deireadh a latha.
Dhuilt a dhaoine fhein an 1945
nuair a sheas dha na Tories anns
na h-Eileannan an lar ach thagh-
adh e mar Bh. P. Enfield West an
1950's roichdhaich e iad an tigh
nan Cumantan gus na chaoichaii
e. Cha robh far air enslairt nuair
a sheasadh e an Tigh mar Paria-
maid san luin sin.
Bha e 'na dhuine con.asach,
er,<|mhor le teanga cho gtfur ri
faobhar na claidheamh. S bochda
an rioghachd as eugmhais duino
cho seasmhach.
THE Welsh shipyards build¬
ing the two new Skye
ferry boats have been hit by
a strike which will further de¬
lay delivery of the boats now
urgently needed on the Kyle/
Kyleakin run. July 17 was the
launching date for the first of
the ferries, but it will be the
end of the month at the earli¬
est before it is seen in Skye.
Fitters and electricians
employed by Newport Ship¬
building Company went on
strike last week, because of
the stoppage the firm have
been unable to launch the
first of the two boats which
have been orderd by the Scot¬
tish Transport Group.
“We cannot blame the
Scottish Transport Group for
this, it is the situation at the
shipyard,” said Mr Russell
Johnston, M.P. for Inverness-
shire, who is leading the fight
for provision of adequate
links with the mainland.
The new ferryboats can
carry 28 cars using a roll-on,
roll-off system. The largest of
the existing ferry boats carry
only seven.
The islanders had hoped
that the new boats would
have been available to ease,
the build-up of traffic at the
terminals during the busy
tourist season. New jetties at
Kyle and Kyleakin are opera-'
tional and await the ai rival
of the new boats.
The situation at the ferry,
has angered islanders, who
rely a great deal on tourism
for their livelihood, and they
have appointed a five-man
action committee to look after
their interests and stress the
urgency of the situation.
A spokesman for the Scot¬
tish Transport Group said
that they greatly regretted
the inconvenience caused by
the strike and were doing
everything they could to get
the boat to Skye as quickly
as possible. They had two
representatives at the nego¬
tiations between the strikers
and the employers and they
were hopeful of an early
settlement.
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