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Scottish Parliament election: 7 May. This site won't be routinely updated during the pre-election period.

Designating areas of linguistic significance: Statutory guidance

Statutory guidance for local authority and relevant public authorities on the process of designating areas of linguistic significance.


Annex A - Data from Scotland’s Census 2022 showing areas for possible designation as Areas of Linguistic Significance under Section 1A (1)(a) of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended)

Census Tables, 2022, National Records of Scotland

Annex A-1

Annex A-1 contains census electoral wards in Scotland where at least 20% of the population have Gaelic skills. The information in the tables below is from the 2022 Census. An authority could designate any of these electoral wards as an Area of Linguistic Significance. NRS Link - Gaelic language skills - Census Maps, NRS

Electoral Wards

Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills

An Taobh Siar agus Nis

65.39

Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh

65.62

Eilean a’ Cheò

35.28

Loch a Tuath

58.58

Na Hearadh

61.5
Sgir’ Uige Agus Carlabhagh 56.39

Sgire an Rubha

51.37

Sgire nan Loch

52.47

Steòrnabhagh a Deas

47.5

Steòrnabhagh a Tuath

49.9
Uibhist a Deas, Eirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla 67.27

Uibhist a Tuath

62.01

Annex A-2

Annex A-2 contains census electoral wards in Scotland where there is less than 20% of the population with Gaelic skills, yet in these electoral wards there are much smaller census output areas that have at least 20% of the population with Gaelic skills. These electoral wards could also be designated under a combination of considerations. The smaller output areas in electoral wards are in the following tables.

 

Electoral Wards

Electoral Wards

Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
Caol and Mallaig

11.94

Fort William and Ardnamurchan

11.93

Kintyre and the Islands

15.8

Oban North and Lorn

9.7

Oban South and the Islands

15.44

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh 15.6

Annex A-3

Annex A-3, Caol and Mallaig electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Caol and Mallaig, Output Areas

Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00163874 9.4
S00163877 8.6
S00163895 12.4
S00163899 9.4
S00163912 10.5
S00163924 (Mallaig) 28.0
S00163925 (Mallaig) 23.3
S00163926 (Mallaig) 24.1
S00163934 13.0
S00163936 16.9
S00163937 9.6
S00163938 13.9
S00163939 9.4
S00163940 12.8
S00163942 11.9
S00163944 17.3
S00163946 10.2
S00163941 (part, Glenfinnan) 20.1

Annex A-4

Annex A-4, Fort William and Ardnamurchan electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Fort William and Ardnamurchan, Electoral Ward

Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00163933 11.7
S00163937 9.6
S00163941 (Glenfinnan) 20.1
S00163942 11.9
S00163946 10.2
S00163951 5.1
S00163954 14.2
S00163955 (Glenuig) 21.6
S00163955 xx 6.6
S00163959 18.3
S00163973 14.1
S00164014 16.7
S00164028 15.5
S00164037 (Mingarry) 37.6
S00164038 13.5
S00164039 15.8
S00164041 10.8
S00164043 (Ardtoe) 46.0
S00164044 8.6
S00164047 14.7
S00164049 8.8
S00164051 (Kentra) 39.1
S00164052 7.7
S00164053 10.4
S00164054 (Acharacle) 31.2
S00164055 (Ardnamurchan) 25.1
S00164056 (Kilchoan) 27.2
S00164057 18.4
S00164058 (Ariundle) 26.2
S00164061 10.7
S00164062 3.9
Fort William contains a number of output areas with a range of percentages 8% - 15%

Annex A-5

Annex A-5, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Electoral Ward Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00162294 11.0
S00162295 12.4
S00162302 16.1
S00162344 (L Broom – L Maree) 21.1
S00162346 6.2
S00162347 16.9
S00162350 13.4
S00162352 10.3
S00162364 (Mellon Charles) 20.5
S00162371 9.5
S00162372 (Inverasdale) 25.0
S00162375 13.4
S00162376 14.1
S00162381 17.6
S00162397 4.8
S00162400 17.7
S00162409 18.5
S00162412 (South of Inverasdale) 20.7
S00162424 15.8
S00162473 15.5
S00162499 (Port Henderson) 25.5
S00162641 13.3
S00162651 13.5
S00162656 12.3
S00162768 13.7
S00162922 16.0
S00163014 (Kishorn) 25.3
S00163372 (Inverasdale) 20.3
S00163417 (Lochcarron) 28.6
S00163499 (Port Henderson) 36.2
S00163544 14.9
S00163700 (Ardaneaskan) 19.4
S00163705 15.9
S00163718 (Nr Plockton) 30.5
S00163720 (Nr Plockton) 23.5
S00163724 (Duirinish) 25.7
S00163735 16.7
S00163736 18.4
S00163740 10.4
S00163743 18.4
S00163763 16.8
S00163778 17.9
S00163788 (Pt Kyle of L) 19.8
S00163794 (Nr Shiel Bridge) 28.1
S00163797 12.1
S00163800 24.6
S00163815 17.5
S00163833 19.2
S00163834 (Glenelg) 22.2
S00163874 9.4
S00163877 8.6
S00163899 9.4
S00163937 9.6

Annex A-6

Annex A-6, Oban North and Lorn electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Oban North and Lorn, Electoral Ward Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00140404 15.9
S00140406 18.8
S00140409 6.4
S00140415 (Lismore) 28.6
S00140416 12.1
S00140417 17.4
S00140419 10.9
S00140422 4.2
S00140423 7.0
S00140425 9.8
S00140427 15.1
S00140429 (Lismore) 28.4
S00140431 5.7
S00140435 6.1
S00140438 7.4
S00140439 10.2
S00140444 10.7
S00140448 9.2
S00140449 9.1
S00140451 18.9
S00140458 8.5
S00140459 10.9
S00140464 8.9
S00140495 5.6
S00140540 5.3
S00149542 4.5
S00140544 3.4
S00140549 5.3
S00140552 8.1
S00140553 3.9
S00140555 4.3
S00140558 3.1
S00140561 10.2
S00140562 10.9
S00140567 1.1
S00140568 4.3
S00140569 4.9
S00140579 4.3
S00140603 7.6
S00140610 3.0
Ballachulish Between 5.0 to 10.0

Annex A-7

Annex A-7, Oban South and the Isles electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Oban South and Isles, Electoral Ward Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00140391 (Colonsay) 16.7
S00140392 (Colonsay) 8.0
S00140393 (Mull) 13.1
S00140394 (Mull) 21.1
S00140401 (Mull) 18.9
S00140405 8.8
S00140407 (Mull) 13.0
S00140408 (Tiree) 51.9
S00140410 (Tiree) 54.8
S00140411 (Tiree) 53.2
S00140412 (Tiree) 47.2
S00140413 (Mull) 16.0
S00140414 (Tiree) 34.0
S00140418 (Tiree) 38.5
S00140420 (Mull) 24.8
S00140424 18.0
S00140426 17.0
S00140428 (Mull) 20.2
S00140432 (Mull) 18.5
S00140437 12.7
S00140441 (Mull) 9.4
S00140460 9.2
S00140462 9.1
S00140543 5.0
S00140544 (Mull) 31.3
S00140545 11.3
S00140546 22.4
S00140547 16.0
Oban output areas 5% - 12%

Annex A-8

Annex A-8, Kintyre and the Islands electoral ward, showing census output areas with percentages of the population with Gaelic skills.

Kintyre and the Islands, Electoral Ward Percentage of the population above 3 years of age with Gaelic skills
S00140022 (Islay) 25.2
S00140593 (Jura) 20.3
S00140596 (Islay) 11.2
S00140868 (Islay) 24.3
S00140869 (Islay) 18.1
S00140925 7.6
S00140967 (Islay) 29.5
S00140977 (Jura) 7.6
S00140985 (Islay) 28.0
S00140986 1.3
S00140993 (Islay) 41.6
S00141001 9.1
S00141008 (Islay) 22.5
S00141021 2.6
S00141048 (Islay) 19.6
S00141071 4.6
S00141072 (Islay) 33.3
S00141073 (Islay) 20.5
S00141077 (Islay) 19.8
S00141081 (Islay) 30.4
S00141084 5.4
S00141086 4.3
S00141087 (Islay) 22.4
S00141088 (Islay) 26.0
S00141089 3.7
S00141098 3.6
S00141 099 1.1
S00141100 4.4
S00141101 2.4
S00141102 6.9
S00141103 2.7
S00141104 4.3
Campbeltown Various %ages

Contact

Email: GaelicandScots@gov.scot

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