Gaelic and Scots now recognised as official languages

Gaelic and Scots have now been recognised as official languages as part of a range of new measures coming into force on St Andrew’s Day.

The Scottish Languages Act, which MSPs voted through in June, also empowers parents to ask for a Gaelic school to be established in their area and aims to ensure that more qualifications are available in Gaelic.

It includes powers for ministers to commission research into the use of Gaelic and Scots and establish teaching standards for the languages.

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes called it a “historic milestone”.

“St Andrew’s Day is a fitting time to celebrate Scotland’s identity by recognising Gaelic and Scots as official languages,” she said.

“This is a historic milestone which acknowledges the vital place these languages hold in Scotland’s culture and heritage.”

Forbes added that the Scottish government had already allocated £35.7m for Gaelic and Scots initiatives this year.

Other measures in the act include supporting the creation of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities so ministers can better target policies to support the language’s growth.

The Scottish Languages Bill was introduced on St Andrew’s Day in 2023.

It was passed at the Scottish Parliament in June this year and received Royal Assent on 1 August 2025.

Latest census statistics show that 130,161 people in Scotland had some Gaelic skills in 2022, an increase of 43,105 from 2011.

And it shows that 2,444,659 people in Scotland had some Scots skills in 2022, an increase of 515,215 from 2011.

The Scottish council with the highest proportion of Gaelic speakers was Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) with 57.2% having some Gaelic skills.

This was far higher than the next highest council areas, Highland (8.1%) and Argyll and Bute (6.2%).