Highland businesses urged to use Gaelic to boost growth
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands are being encouraged to explore how they can integrate Gaelic into their plans for growth.
A pilot scheme set up by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Bòrd na Gàidhlig is looking to gauge interest in using the language as a key part of business’s strategies.
Cruthachadh Chothroman: A’ Cur ri Fàs san àm ri Teachd (Shaping Opportunities: Fuelling Future Growth) is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurial organisations to harness the power of Gaelic and use it as a key asset in their business strategy, according to the partnership.
The new programme has 10 places offering tailored mentoring and support to help businesses develop their Gaelic skills, strengthen their brand identity, and reach new markets.
Mairi Buchanan, head of Gaelic at HIE, said: “The programme will encourage participants to look at new opportunities to use Gaelic within their business. There will be specialist support to explore: Gaelic integration; strengthening brand authenticity through Gaelic language and heritage; and considering how language can add commercial value.
“There will be the additional advantage of connecting with industry leaders and like-minded business people.”
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “Gaelic is a unique selling point for businesses, with whisky brands, hospitality and tourism notable among the sectors which benefit from it. This new initiative will enable more companies to incorporate Gaelic into their branding and use the language’s appeal to reach new markets.
“To grow Gaelic, we are taking forward the Scottish Languages Bill to strengthen provision of Gaelic education and investing a total of £35.7 million in initiatives to promote the language in 2025-26.”
Steven Kellow, funding and projects manager at Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Cruthachadh Chothroman programme to support individuals within the Highlands and Islands to put Gaelic at the heart of their business activities.
“Developing entrepreneurial and business skills through the medium of Gaelic is important to supporting Gaelic communities and we look forward to working with HIE to deliver this.”
Details of the full programme will be available soon, and HIE is encouraging anyone interested to register at https://www.hie.co.uk/support/browse-all-support-services/cruthachadh-chothroman-ghaidhlig
