Projects supporting ‘treasured’ Scots language receive £650,000 funding boost

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has announced funding to help support the Scots language – which she said is a “treasured part” of the nation’s history and culture.

Scottish Government funding of £650,000 will help 11 organisations working to promote the language across the country.

One of those receiving cash is Scots Hoose Yaldi, which will get almost £89,000 to help it provide free resources to schools and nurseries.

During a visit to the Bill and Bain printworks in Glasgow, Ms Forbes unveiled the project’s new children’s book, The Auchertermichty Aw-Stars, which is written in Scots and features plays about a youth football club.

The book is one of a series of titles, including comics, which will be printed and distributed to youngsters thanks to the Government cash.

“Treasured”

Ms Forbes said: “These plays are part of a series of free Scots books, comics and poems which aim to provide young people with a better understanding of the language so that it can continue to grow.

“Scots is a treasured part of our history, heritage and culture. It enriches communities and research shows that learning the language benefits young people’s literacy skills and confidence.”

Other initiatives that will receive support include new Open University courses to help school teachers introduce Scots into their lessons, which will benefit from almost £85,000.

The largest sum of cash – £231,000 – will go to the Dictionaries of the Scots Language project, which aims to detail the origins and meaning of every Scots word.

The funding comes after the latest Census statistics showed that in 2022, some 2,444,659 people across the country had some skills in Scots – up from 515,215 in 2011.

The number of youngsters aged 15 or under with some ability in Scots had increased from 48,310 to 260,356 over the same period.

Increased funding

The funding is being awarded through the Scots Language Development Fund in 2025-26, with Ms Forbes saying the total amount represents a £150,000 increase when compared with last year.

She also noted that ministers had brought forward the Scottish Languages Act to “establish Scots and Gaelic as official languages and introduce teaching standards for Scots”, with this legislation passed in June 2025.

Matthew Fitt, a co-owner of Scots Hoose Yaldi, said: “For many children and young people, reading a story or comic in Scots for the first time can be a transformative learning experience.

“We work very hard to improve Scots language provision for young Scots speakers in Scotland’s schools.

“It’s good to be recognised by the Scottish Government for our efforts, especially if it means we can help more young Scots speakers enjoy and learn about their own Scots language.”