The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland is continuing its long standing relationship with the Royal National Mod by offering the Gaelic Learner of the Year Award which is presented annually - a silver medal and a cash prize of £100.
The criteria for the award will be set by the organisers An Comunn Gaidhealach.
This award is being made in the year of the Society’s 227th anniversary and marks an association with the Gaelic language, Gaelic and Highland culture going back to the Society’s establishment.
One of its original objectives in 1784 was to help preserve the language, poetry and music of the Highlands.
“Although our objectives have changed over the years and now focus more on the promotion of agriculture and rural industry, it is good to re-establish our links with Gaelic culture,” said Mr Stewart.
“There is a lot of effort presently to encourage more people to take up Scotland’s native language and we are pleased to contribute to Gaelic learning by making this award.”
BACKGROUND
The RHASS has a centuries old link with the Gaelic language, Gaelic and Highland culture.
One of the Society’s original objectives was to help preserve the language, poetry and music of the Highlands.
Early in its history the Society had a bard (Duncan M’Intyre) and a monument to his memory stands in Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Chuchyard.
In 1784 the Society elected a Professor of Gaelic Robert M’Farlane. Fifteen years later the offices of bard and professor were abolished although a Translator of the Gaelic language was appointed to replace the latter.
Other efforts towards supporting the culture of the Highlands were the compilation of a Gaelic dictionary, an investigation of the Poems Ossian, assistance in the publication of a Gaelic edition of the old testament and supervision of piping competitions.
In more recent years an award was made at the Royal National Mod to further the learning of Gaelic by young people.
The Society is now to award a silver medal and a cash prize of £100 for the best Gaelic learner of the year. It will be an annual award presented at the National Mod.
The award re-establishes the links between both organisations and fulfils part of the charitable remit of the RHASS.
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