Eilean a'Cheo

The hub of Aura activity, the cortex that binds the forum together.
Post Reply
User avatar
Matt
Noble Warrior
Posts: 4543
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:39 pm
Location: England
Contact:

Post by Matt » Tue May 01, 2007 11:38 am

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highla...nds/6607163.stm
Mixed emotions have been stirred after Highland Council's decision to refer to the Isle of Skye by its romantic Gaelic title - Eilean a'Cheo.

It means the Misty Isle, while the direct Gaelic translation of the Isle of Skye is an t-Eilean Sgiathanach.

The council said the change has only been made in terms of its local authority ward name.

However, some Skye residents fear it will lead to confusion, while others have welcomed it.

Skye, which is ward number 11, was one of three changed for the elections on Thursday.

Mid Ross is now known as Dingwall and Seaforth and East Sutherland is East Sutherland and Edderton.

They won't have a clue where that is. It's just going to ruin the whole island I think
Anne Healey
Bed and breakfast owner
Anne Healey, who runs a bed and breakfast in Uig, fears Eilean a' Cheo could lead to confusion.

She told Radio 4's Today programme: "The island gets many, many tourists. They won't have a clue where that is. It's just going to ruin the whole island I think."

DNA expert Professor Bryan Sykes, who bought a former home of acclaimed Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean, welcomed the use of Gaelic.

The professor of human genetics at the University of Oxford, who has lived on the isle for seven years, told BBC Scotland: "The Western Isles has done that for a number of years so I do think that it is preserving the cultural identity of places like Skye.

"It is extremely important in an age of modernisation, not just the Gaelic language and its other aspects such as the Mod and song, to maintain the diversity of the British Isles."
User avatar
Chewi
Anti-Hero
Posts: 3521
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:51 pm
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Post by Chewi » Tue May 01, 2007 10:04 pm

Well what do you think about it then? :P As much as I'd love them to call it that, I guess it would get a bit confusing but then again, any tourist that doesn't know probably hasn't heard of Skye either. Almost typed Skype there. :wacko:
User avatar
Matt
Noble Warrior
Posts: 4543
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:39 pm
Location: England
Contact:

Post by Matt » Tue May 01, 2007 10:19 pm

I personally think they should go for. It's their Island and if they mostly speak Gaelic, who are we to stop them?
User avatar
Mik
Born under a bad sign
Posts: 3394
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:44 am
Location: Beyond your borders
Contact:

Post by Mik » Wed May 02, 2007 2:38 pm

Changing the name now is a bit silly, it's like the time they put Ulster-Scots roadsigns up in Ards, kinda pointless but handy when your drunk.

it'd be like changing Germany back to Prussia.
User avatar
kaos
Noble Warrior
Posts: 4089
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 3:09 pm
Location: Atlanta, Ga

Post by kaos » Wed May 02, 2007 7:56 pm

Anyone think that in todays world if a war broke out and the invading country sucessfully took over a place, that they might be bothered about renaming stuff?

this is ofcourse without the world police showing up and drawing things out and trying to make it into a world war.
Post Reply