In the first demonstration of its kind in over a decade, more 100 supporters of Scottish Gaelic demonstrated outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday. Gaelic students from the Western Isles together with Edinburgh-based Gaelic campaign group Fàs agus Gaels from Comann Gaidhlig Lunnain (London) demanded an act of secure-status to safeguard the indigineous language of Scotland. Centuries of suppression have left the language of the edge of extinction with less than 2% of Scots able to speak it. The oppression which saw children belted for speaking the language as late as the 1970s has largely given way to tolerance though if some areas of Scottish life, the language is effectively illegal. Gaels in the Borders for example have no right to have their children educated in the language which was once spoken as far south as the border of Northumberland. The group warned that this is only the beginning. Supporters of Gaelic are urged to raise the profile of the language by visable campaigns and some have taken to defacing English-language road-signs.

Chan eil ann an-seo ach an toiseach-toiseachaidh. Cumaidh sinn oirnn! Suas leis a' Ghaidhlig.