San iris seo den An Teachdaire Phàrlamaideach, cho math ri gnothaichean an t-Seòmair, chithear barrachd fiosrachaidh mu reachdas, comataidhean agus athchuingean leis gu bheil an seisean seo den Phàrlamaid a-nis fo làn sheòl. Chì sibh cuideachd gu bheil coltas ùraichte is leasaichte air a’ chuairt-litir le teamplaid ath-nuadhaichte. Cuir fios thugainn aig an t-seòladh àbhaisteach ma tha beachd sam bith agaibh.

In this issue of an Teachdaire Pàrlamaideach, you’ll see that as well as Chamber business we have more details of legislation, committees and petitions under consideration as this session gets underway. You will see we also have a new, improved look for our newsletter, with a new template. Do let us know what you think about it at the usual address.

Tha sinn cuideachd ag aithris air Aithris Bith-iomadachd na Pàrlamaid a chaidh fhoillseachadh bho chionn ghoirid agus tha ri faighinn sa Ghàidhlig. Bheir sinn sùil air bith-iomadachd agus Gàidhlig a-rithist a dh'aithghearr sa chuairtlitir. Tha am fios naidheachd againn Farpais trusaidh ga cur air bhog gus a’ chiad Choimiseanair Luchd-fulaing is Luchd-fianais a chur an dreuchd ri fhaighinn sa Ghàidhlig cuideachd. Tha gealltanas sa Phlana Ghàidhlig againn a bhith a’ beachdachadh air sgrìobhainnean nach eil sa Ghàidhlig eadar-theangachadh ma tha daoine gan iarraidh. Cuir fios thugainn aig an t-seòladh àbhaisteach ma tha thu airson lethbhreac Gàidhlig iarraidh de rud sam bith. 

We also report on the Parliament’s Biodiversity Statement which has recently been published and which is available in Gaelic. We will look further at Gaelic and biodiversity in a future newsletter. Our news release Recruitment competition to appoint Scotland’s first Victims and Witnesses Commissioner launched is also available in Gaelic. Our Gaelic Plan includes a commitment to consider translating Scottish Parliament documents not currently available in Gaelic if there is a request for them. Contact us at the usual address if you would like to request a Gaelic copy of Scottish Parliament information. 

Ma tha thu air a bhith sa Phàrlamaid bho chionn ghoirid, is dòcha gum faca tu gu bheil coltas ùr air cafaidh poblach, a’ gabhail a-steach soidhnichean ùra. Ann an earrann an luchd-ionnsachaidh an turas seo, tha sinn a’ coimhead air ainmean taighean-bìdh na Pàrlamaid agus air ainmean-àite co-cheangailte gu h-ionadail agus gu nàiseanta.

If you’ve been in the Parliament of late, you will have seen that the public café has had a refresh complete with new Gaelic signage. In this week’s learners’ section, we look at the names of the Parliament eateries and related place-names locally and nationally.

Mu dheireadh, bha sgioba na Gàidhlig a’ gabhail pàirt ann an Latha-fosgailte nan Coimhearsnachd sa Phàrlamaid an-diugh agus bidh sinn a’ gabhail pàirt ann an Taisbeanadh a’ Mhòid aig a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta ann an Glaschu air Diluain 12 agus Dimàirt 13 Dàmhair – nach tig thu ann gus bruidhinn ruinn! Leig fios ma tha thu airson ’s gun tig sinn dhan taisbeanadh agaibh no gum bruidhinn sibh ris an tachartas, buidheann no clas Gàidhlig agaibh oir tha sinn daonnan airson fios a sgaoileadh mu bhith a’ gabhail pàirt ann an obair Pàrlamaid na h-Alba.

Finally, we have been taking part in the Parliament’s Community Open Day today and we will be taking part in the trade fair at the National Mòd in Glasgow on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 October – do come along and say hello. Please let us know if you’d like us to come and exhibit or speak at your event, group or Gaelic class as we’re always keen to spread the word about how to participate in the work of the Scottish Parliament. 

Coffee, Crosses and Clachans
in the Scottish Parliament

Welcome to Gaelic Insight, our section for Gaelic awareness and Gaelic learners, which aims to add to the visibility of Gaelic and provide some insight into Gaelic and its culture.

If you have visited the Scottish Parliament recently, you may have noticed that the Parliament Café has had a makeover with new signage.  

The Parliament Café in Gaelic is called a’ Bhiadhlann. This comes from the Gàidhlig biadh – food, with the suffix lann and means eating-place, café or canteen. Lann is a very useful word as it means “a place associated with something”. You may recognise this from other words such as leabharlann – library (from leabhar, “book”), broclann – sett (from broc, “badger”) and deuchainn-lann – laboratory (from deuchainn, “test”). In fact, the sky is the limit for lann words as amharc-lann (from amharc, observe) means observatory. 

If you have been on a tour, you may also have noticed that the Garden Level restaurant and coffee bar have been renamed and have become The Gàrradh and The Clachan. 

Gàrradh originally meant a wall, usually of drystone construction. As walls of this type often surrounded walled gardens, the word has now come to mean a garden. This makes it a very appropriate name for a restaurant next to the Parliament’s garden, which was once a walled kitchen garden. Another Gaelic word for garden is lios – which you might recognise from the name of the island of Lios Mòr or Lismore – “the big garden”. 

The coffee bar’s name, the Clachan, is a Gaelic word derived from the word clach (“stone”), reflecting an original meaning connected to stones, stone-built settlements or paved areas coming to mean kirkton, hamlet or small village. While originally a Gaelic word, clachan has also been adopted in the Scots language – one of the many words borrowed between Gaelic and Scots and vice versa. In Gaelic, the word still mainly means a kirkton but in Scots it carries the meaning of hamlet or small village in general. There are many settlements called Clachan including in Kintyre, Galloway, Skye, Uist and in Moray where there is a village with the alternative spelling of Clochan. 

The Parliament also has the Holyrood Room restaurant. Holyrood is from English and means “Holy cross”, with rood being an old English word meaning “cross”. According to etymologists, the native English word rood was replaced with the loanword cross which came from the Latin crux via old Gaelic and old Norse – so even this name has a very slight Gaelic connection!  

The name Holyrood has an interesting origin story. According to medieval legend, the Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I. While out hunting in the area, the king had a vision of a stag with a glowing cross between its antlers. Seeing this as a message from God, he had an abbey built on the very same spot and named it after the holy cross. Another language connection with the name is that King David I was a Gaelic speaker as were all Scottish monarchs up to and including James IV and possibly also James V. 

This all helps to show that names are never just names. In the Scottish Parliament, even a quick stop for a srùbag (“a wee cuppa”) can turn into a journey through Scotland's linguistic history!  

Le ùmhlachd do dh’aonta na Pàrlamaid, thèid na deasbadan a chumail an ath-sheachdain san t-Seòmar: 

Dimàirt 29 Sultain

Ceistean Coitcheann
Ceistean dhan Phrìomh Mhinistear (Cùl-bheingearan)
Gnothaichean Riaghaltas na h-Alba: A' toirt cumhachd do choimhearsnachdan agus a' neartacahdh deamocrasaidh ionadail
Gnothaichean Bhall: Breast Cancer Now Wear It Pink Day 2026

Diciadain 30 Sultain 

Ceistean Portfolio: Ceartas Sòisealta agus Taigheadas; Eaconamaidh, Turasachd agus Còmhdhail
Gnothaichean Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba: Lùths

Gnothaichean Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba: Ionmhas
Gnothaichean Bhall: A' togail ath-leumachd na h-Alba a thaobh teintean fiadhaich agus buaidhean eile atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde

Diardaoin 1 Dàmhair

Ceistean dhan Phrìomh Mhinistear (Ceannardan Pàrtaidh)
Gnothaichean Riaghaltas na h-Alba: Prìomhachasan na h-Alba bho bhuidseat na RA
Gnothaichean Bhall: Ag iarraidh Ro-innleachd Adhair airson na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean

Faic an duilleag againn Na tha ùr gus am fiosrachadh as ùire mu ghnothaichean fhaicinn, no an duilleag Dè tha dol againn gus faicinn na tha a' tachairt sa Phàrlamaid.

Faodar coimhead air gnothaichean beò cuideachd air TBh Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. 

Bheir sinn sùil an seo air iomraidhean air a' Ghàidhlig ann an gnothaichean uile na Pàrlamaid - deasbadan, coinneamhan comataidh, ceistean agus gluasadan.

San t-Seòmar

Coinneamh na Pàrlamaid, 23 Sultain 2026

Flood Resilience

Chaidh iomradh a thoirt air an abairt Ghàidhlig: “Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh”.

Coinneamh na Pàrlamaid, 24 Sultain 2026

Creative Economy

Chaidh grunn iomraidhean a thoirt air Gàidhlig, gu sònraiche co-cheangailte ri Craoaladh Gàidhlig agus Gàidhlig ann am fèin-aithne na h-Alba. 

Tha iomradh air a' Ghàidhlig agus Scots anns a' ghluasad a chaidh aontachadh: S7M-01304.  

Ceistean

S7W-03362

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to identify language skills gaps in the tourism sector, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, and what action it is taking to remedy any such gaps.

- Tim Eagle BPA

Cha deach a’ cheist a fhreagairt fhathast. 

Gluasadan

S7M-01196: Fèis Rois Celebrates 40th Anniversary

That the Parliament congratulates Fèis Rois on reaching its 40th anniversary in 2026; acknowledges that the Ross-Shire arts organisation was established in 1986 and has grown to become a nationally-recognised leader in traditional music education, enabling people of all ages to participate in and experience traditional music and the Gaelic language and enriching the cultural life in Ross-Shire; notes that Fèis Rois works with over 5,000 young people and adults every year through its residential fèisean, a year-round programme of music-making opportunities in the formal and informal sectors, and performance opportunities; recognises the remarkable contribution that Fèis Rois has made to ensuring that people of all ages and abilities in Ross-Shire and beyond can participate in and experience traditional music and the Gaelic language, and to removing barriers to participation throughout its programme and through bespoke projects; commends the organisation for the concert celebrating its 40th anniversary, featuring a 40-piece house band of past and present tutors and participants, many of whom have gone on to lead successful careers as performing musicians, as well as special guests including the Kiltearn Fiddlers, Cluich Rois, the Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail, Duncan and Rona MacLeod, Fell Line, and The Maes, and wishes Fèis Rois continued success for many years to come.

 - Kristopher Leask BPA

 S7M-01332: Welcoming Aberlangs in a Box

That the Parliament welcomes the introduction of the Aberlangs in a Box project from the University of Aberdeen; understands that the project is being launched to celebrate the European Day of Language on 26 September 2026, which aims to recognise the rich linguistic history of Europe, as well as its cultural diversity; notes that the wider Aberlangs project highlights Aberdeen as a city of languages with a deep tradition of multilingualism and cultural exchange; congratulates the organisers of the project, which will provide 52 simple language learning resource boxes to primary schools across Aberdeen city, with the goal of offering children near the end of their time at primary school the resources and guidance needed to learn and explore other languages and cultures; thanks the contributors at the University of Aberdeen from a variety of departments, including Modern Languages, Linguistics and Education, as well as members of staff from the Elphinstone institute, and hopes that the project will be a huge success.

- Jack Middleton BPA

S7M-01339: The Inaugural Moray Mòd

That the Parliament congratulates everyone involved in organising the inaugural Moray Mòd (Mòd Mhoireibh), which took place on 11 September 2026 at venues across Elgin, including Elgin Community Centre and Holy Trinity Church Hall; notes that the event featured 52 entries across a wide range of competitions, including Gaelic singing, action songs, poetry recitation, piping, clàrsach, fiddle and storytelling; welcomes the participation of people from across the community, from local school pupils to experienced performers and fluent Gaelic speakers; celebrates the many local successes throughout the day, including Dallas Primary School taking first place in the action song competition; notes that the celebrations continued on Elgin High Street, with traditional music and dancing outside McKerron's; thanks everyone involved in organising the event for their hard work, including volunteers, members of the Moray Gaelic Group, An Comunn Gàidhealach and Moray Council, and wishes the Moray Mòd every success as it continues to grow and develop in the years ahead.

- Laura Mitchell BPA