Scotrail using Gaelic translations in places which Lowland Scots was spoken

[route:oxford]

The timetable for the route is now available on the ScotRail website:

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/122963_newcraighall-edinburgh.pdf

Interesting, they've chosen to use a dead language on this timetable.

How many people really speak Gaelic in Tweedbank? Surely it should be Lowland Scots?

 

[me123]

Gaelic is not a dead language. There are some people who are still active speakers in Scotland. However, there are likely to be very few in the Borders!

 

[NotATrainspott]

ScotRail already have to employ people to translate so they may as well use them.

 

[QueensCurve]

ScotRail already have to employ people to translate so they may as well use them.

Reminds me of the Welsh hospital that asked for a Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the reply was what they needed. Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said "Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch unrhyw waith i’w gyfieithu" (I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7702913.stm

 

[yorkie]

ScotRail already have to employ people to translate so they may as well use them.

That's a poor reason. By that logic, if FirstGroup employed people to translate into Cornish, would we expect to see signs at Dewsbury stating "Gluthbre"?

 

[Yew]

That's a poor reason. By that logic, if FirstGroup employed people to translate into Cornish, would we expect to see signs at Dewsbury stating "Gluthbre"?

I wonder what 'London Paddington' would be

 

[danielnez1]

it would seem to me that it would be more appropriate to provide Lowland Scots translations rather than Gaelic, so I guess it's another political vanity exercise.

 

[cf111]

All the signs in Caithness are Gaelic now. I wanted Norse as that's what we spoke but apparently that's not allowed .

 

[krus_aragon]

I wonder what 'London Paddington' would be

At a guess, "Loundre Paddington".

 

[Senex]

All the signs in Caithness are Gaelic now. I wanted Norse as that's what we spoke but apparently that's not allowed .

Why isn't it allowed? Like Lowland Scots in its part of the country it has far more claim to be seen as the historic language of the area (if that means anything!) than Gaelic does. The linguistic situation in Scotland is not parallel to Wales at all.

 

[cb a1]

My anecdotal understanding of the situation was that someone from some Gaelic society put together a case for this back in the days when Nicol Stephen was the Transport Minister.

It was then adopted as a change to the franchise agreement.

If that's the case (bearing in mind my understanding is anecdotal), there is precedent for someone to put forward a case for Norse / Lowland Scots / English / Maltese / or whatever. However, that case would have to be put to the transport minister rather than Scotrail though.

Customer: "Scotrail, I want this station name to be in Pidgin English."
Scotrail: "Sorry, but that's not allowed."

Customer: "Minister, I want the Scotrail franchise to be able to put station names up in the following languages subject to consultation and agreement with the local community".
Minister: "???"

 

[Crossover]

That's a poor reason. By that logic, if FirstGroup employed people to translate into Cornish, would we expect to see signs at Dewsbury stating "Gluthbre"?

How about the entire country's signs are written in Yorkshire

 

[cf111]

Why isn't it allowed? Like Lowland Scots in its part of the country it has far more claim to be seen as the historic language of the area (if that means anything!) than Gaelic does. The linguistic situation in Scotland is not parallel to Wales at all.

The local council weren't interested in anything bar Gaelic going on new signs. It doesn't particularly bother me outside of it being a waste of money, some others were slightly more annoyed!

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotla...gunmen-shoot-road-sign-in-caithness-1-3075913

A BILINGUAL road sign was blasted by gunfire a day after it was put up – prompting fears that it was targeted by anti-*Gaelic protesters.

The sign on the A99 next to Wick Airport in Caithness was found to be vandalised less than 24 hours after it was erected. SNP councillor and Gaelic speaker Alex MacLeod* last night said he feared the vandalism had been motivated by strong anti-Gaelic feelings within the community.

He said: “If someone has felt so incensed by Gaelic that they have gone and attacked an inanimate object, then I feel very sorry for them indeed. This is a sad and senseless attack.

“We need to determine who the vandal was, and why they did this. However, I think it’s pretty clear this was an extreme anti-Gaelic incident.

“I find this latest anti-Gaelic incident deeply troubling. The vast majority of people in Caithness welcome our cultural diversity and are keen to promote our Gaelic heritage.

“They recognise that this county has a rich and varied cultural and linguistic tapestry, and this is a great asset. However, they are drowned out by a vocal and nasty anti-Gaelic minority, who stoke prejudice and ignorance in the county.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said it had not yet received any report of the incident, but urged anyone with information to contact them.

The sign was installed at the Wick industrial estate junction at North Road last Thursday.

By Friday morning, passers-by noticed the sign had been shot three times. The vandalism had left a number of dents, but did not pierce through the metal sign.

Caithness councillor Willie Mackay said: “I know there has been a lot of controversy over bilingual road signs coming to Caithness, and I for one have not been a great supporter of them. But there was no need to deface them – they cost a lot of money.”

Many people in Caithness feel the county’s strong Norse heritage should make the area exempt from the policy for road signs to be bilingual.

Pro-Gaelic campaigners say there is evidence that 3,422 people in Caithness spoke the language in 1881.

In 2008, eight Caithness councillors put forward a motion that bilingual signs in the far north be restricted, but they were defeated by 50 votes to 12.

In 2010, the Prince of Wales, attending the Royal National Mod in Thurso, said he would question suggestions Gaelic had no direct relevance to Caithness.

He said: “The suggestion has been made that the language has little or no direct relevance in this part of the world. If I may, I might just gently question that view. I would suggest Gaelic … belongs to all the people and communities of a nation, whether they or not they are actively involved with it.”

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd requested the local authority put up a directional sign at the airport to provide information to visitors heading into the town centre, John o’ Groats and other places.

Under the terms of the Highland Council’s policy, such a sign would have to include Gaelic, as only street name signs do not need to be bilingual.

Councillor Alex MacLeod was later convicted for election expenses fraud, which of course has nothing to do with Gaelic but is still interesting .