Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997
Encyclopedia
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1997 enables local councils in Scotland
to rename the areas for which they are responsible with Gaelic names. It enables them also to revert to names in English
. The act was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
.
The act added subsections 1A and 1B under section 23 (change of name of local government area) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
. The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
states that the name of a council (in Gaelic) shall be "Comhairle" with the addition of the name of their area.
The only council to date (2006) that has taken up the new right is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
(formerly Western Isles Council), meaning that the former Western Isles are now officially named Na h-Eileanan Siar, even in English-language contexts.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to rename the areas for which they are responsible with Gaelic names. It enables them also to revert to names in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The act was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
The act added subsections 1A and 1B under section 23 (change of name of local government area) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....
. The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
The Local Government etc. Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland....
states that the name of a council (in Gaelic) shall be "Comhairle" with the addition of the name of their area.
The only council to date (2006) that has taken up the new right is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the local government council for Na h-Eileanan Siar council area of Scotland.It is the only local council in Scotland to have a Gaelic-only name...
(formerly Western Isles Council), meaning that the former Western Isles are now officially named Na h-Eileanan Siar, even in English-language contexts.