New guide is putting Gaelic on the map

A new online guide that will provide a single, authoritative source of information on Gaelic place names in Scotland has been launched, according to the Scottish Herald. The site, The National Gazetteer of Gaelic Place Names, is the culmination of 10 years of research by Ainmean-Aite na h-Alba (AAA). This initiative is part of the National Plan for Gaelic which is intent on significantly increasing the number of native speakers in Scotland (currently at just under 60,000 according to the 2001 Census). As regards non-Gaelic speakers, understanding what the place names mean contributes immeasurably to an appreciation of the Scottish landscape and the Fort William Lochaber Outdoor Capital of the UK web site has a handy translation into English of key place names.