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(First ever) National Gaelic Library for Scotland
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Proposal code: THC-2026-04-88
Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the National Centre for the Gaelic Language and Culture has developed advanced proposals for the creation of the first ever National Gaelic Library for Scotland
Estimated Price
£12,000,000
Sabhal Mor Ostaig, through our professional partnership with the National Library in Edinburgh, is seeking to create Scotland's first and only National Gaelic Library, as a key part of the cultural infrastructure underpinning the future development of the Gaelic Language, Culture and Community, for many generations to come. The new 'national Gaelic Library' would act as a key distributer 'hub' for all other smaller libraries with Gaelic collections around Scotland and internationally and would be able to provide this service uniquely through the medium of the Gaelic language where and as required. The Sabhal Mor collections are growing year on year and contain some of the rarest Gaelic antiquarian collection in existence anywhwere in the world.
The project is of the utmost importance in providing the literary infrastructure underpinning the development of the Gaelic Language and Culture, locally,regionally ,nationally and internationally.Having this national facility placed at the heart of the Gaidhealtachd is of great importance and adds to the critical mass of Educational,Linguistic,Social and Economic Development in the area,Sabhal Mor has imacted significantly on the socio economic development of the area and is the 3rd largest provider of quality employment to the area after THC and Highland Helath Board.The proposal is the subject of a full Design Concept, Options Appraisal and Feasibility Study and Green Book Standard Business Case.The proposal is genuinely 'shovel ready' in that it will be created on a fully serviced site, wholly owned by SMO and already approved within the Kilbeg Masterplan and the Local Area Plan.The project has received high level interest and support politically at Local ,Regional,Scottish and UK Gov levels and in the light of the recent Scottish Languages Act 2025 is seen as a strategic 'underpinning' of the development of the Gaelic Language, Culture and Community. SMO is at the heart of the regeneration of the local community and is the facilitator for much of the socio economic developments in the area, including the creation of the new Kilbeg Village, the first 'new' village on Skye in over 100 years and the new and first ever National Gaelic Library for Scotland would add significantly to that critical mass of development in the region, buidling capacity and confidence in the language the cuture and community.There is nothing that stands in the way of this exciting development other than the required capital investment, and a range of funders, including Scottish Gov,UK Gov,SFC,HIE,SSEN Regional Fund,SSE Transmission Line Local Area Fund,National Islands Plan, Islands Programme and Trusts and Foundations have all been made aware of the importance of this proposal to the cultural life of Scotland and the international community of interest beyond.There are very few language communities in the UK and Europe that do not have a National Library servicing the needs of their language communities and the time is surely right to ensure that the Scottish Gaelic Language and Community is supported equitably in this important way. This new national resource for Gaelic will impact at all levels of education and Learning, literary development,academic research, community life,learning and engagement,access to digital content, digital content creation and disemination,cataloguing and digitisation, employement and training opportunities along with attracting visitors to the area.
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