Darling unveils development trust to boost Gaelic culture and language

A NEW development trust has been launched in Downing Street to help support the work of Scotland's national centre for the Gaelic language and culture.

A reception hosted by Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and his wife Margaret celebrated the achievements to date of Sabhal Mr Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, and plans for its development.

The charitable trust has received a legacy of 100,000 presented by Professor Caroline Tisdall, who along with her partner, the late Paul van Vlissingen, has been a supporter of the college for many years.

Mr van Vlissingen, a Dutch businessman who died in 2006, owned the 81,000-acre Letterewe Estate in Wester Ross.

Donnie Munro, the trust's chief officer, said: "The new development trust will play a vital role in ensuring that Sabhal Mr Ostaig's significant contribution to the regeneration of the Gaelic language and culture through education, economic development, enterprise and the arts continues and that future aspirations for the college can be achieved.

"The trust will offer supporters of the Gaelic language throughout the world a direct opportunity with which to engage in supporting the work of Sabhal Mr Ostaig."

The trust has been strengthened by its amalgamation with the former Highland Fund and the Urras na h-Aiseirigh trust, established by Sabhal Mr Ostaig's founder, Sir Iain Noble.

It also contains the Dr Farquhar Macintosh Scholarship Fund in honour of the late former chairman of Sabhal Mr Ostaig and campaigner for the language.

The new, independent charitable trust, with its own board of trustees – who include former government minister Brian Wilson – has been established to help realise future plans for the college. These include expansion of course provision, development of facilities and broadening the range of cultural activities for students and the wider community.