Inverness announced as 2014 Mòd venue

Event organisers An Comunn Gàidhealach are hailing this year’s Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail (The Royal National Mòd) a massive success as the week long celebration of Gaelic arts, music, culture and language in Caithness comes to a close.

The weather did little to dishearten the thousands of competitors and spectators who flocked to Caithness to experience the very best of Gaelic culture and language at the Mòd which this year ran from the 8th to 16th October 2010.

Locals and visitors took the opportunity to visit more than one hundred events and competitions throughout the week, and entertainers and competitors from solo musicians to pipe bands, local schools and community groups made the 107th Royal National Mòd a memorable occasion for the towns of Wick and Thurso.

John MacLeod, president of An Comunn Gàidhealach said:  “We are thrilled with the level of fluency displayed by competitors this year whose ages range from 5 to late eighties who have travelled from all across Scotland, the UK and the world to celebrate Gaelic culture with us at this year’s Royal National Mòd. 
“Highlights of the week include the fantastic turnout in Wick for the Celtic Praise and Gaelic church services, and 11 year old Anna and Eilidh Macdonald from the Island of Islay winning the under 13s duet competition which was indicative of the standard of children’s entries this year.  The level of fluency and overall grasp of the language shown by our younger competitors has given us a huge boost.

“Other highlights include Iain MacLean and Joy Dunlop’s fantastic Gold medal win - Joy winning after four attempts and Iain in his first year of entering the competition, Allan Campbell being announced as 2011 Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, this year’s Gaelic Learner of the Year Robin Beaton and of course, the welcome from the people of Caithness and diligence of the local committee.

“Prince Charles’s visit to the Mòd was a fantastic endorsement of the Gaelic language and we are hugely grateful to His Royal Highness for his kind words which reflect the feelings of many across the Gaelic community.  We agree wholeheartedly that Gaelic does have relevance in modern day Scotland and events such as the Royal National Mòd encourage the language to flourish.

“We’d also like to thank our principal sponsors Caledonian MacBrayne, The Highland Council, our continuing support from The Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Mail and EventScotland and for the support expressed by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.  We look forward to building upon the success of the Royal National Mòd this year to create another fantastic event next year in the Western Isles.”

EventScotland has supported the Royal National Mòd since 2004 and continues to invest in the event through a period of growth and development. 

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency said: “The 2010 edition of the Royal National Mòd was a fantastic celebration of all things Gaelic. It was particularly fitting that His Royal Highness the Duke of Rothesay, such a passionate believer in the values of organic produce, should attend during Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink.

“Year on year the event continues to set the benchmark in terms of showcasing the very best of Gaelic culture and celebrating Scotland’s rich Gaelic heritage. We’re looking forward to 2011 in Stornoway, when the event will be part of the year long celebration of Scotland’s Islands”.

Raymond Bremner, convenor of the local organising committee said: "We are delighted that the week has been so successful.  Caithness has embraced the Royal National Mòd and this is evident by the number of Caithness entries and successes in the various competitions. 

“There are so many people, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, to make it successful and it was great to see the community getting involved by attending the various fringe events.  I would like to thank, on behalf of the local organisation committee, everyone who has played a part in making this an event that will be remembered for years to come.

“The Royal National Mòd has left a legacy of the Gaelic culture and I hope that Caithness has left a lasting impact on our visitors as a place they will visit again for the friendly welcome that is typical of our community."

Last year’s event in Oban generated in excess of £2 million in spend from visitors and organisers estimate that this year’s event in Caithness, which is a highlight of Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink celebrations, has generated a considerable sum to the local economy and the wider area.

It was also announced that the 2014 Royal National Mòd will take place in Inverness running from Friday 10th October to Saturday 18th October. John Macleod said: "It has been 17 years since the last Mòd took place in Inverness. It’s a great central venue, has a great Gaelic community in the centre of the city, a Gaelic school and has a great structure for a Mòd. We at An Comunn Gàidhealach are delighted to be going back to Inverness."

Representing the Provost of Inverness, Councillor Fraser Parr travelled to Caithness to officially welcome the announcement.  He said:  “It is a major honour for the city of Inverness to have the opportunity to host Gaelic’s premier cultural and linguistic festival in four years time.  The Mòd was last held in the capital of the Highlands in 1997 and since then the language continues to grow and flourish.  Evidence of this is clear as the first Gaelic Primary School in the Highlands, the Bun Sgoil Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis, has surpassed all expectations, and the building has been extended to fulfil demand from parents wishing to educate their children through the medium of Gaelic.  The Highland Council looks forward to working closely with An Comunn and the Local Organising Committee, to ensure the 2014 Mòd is a resounding success which reflects the importance of Gaelic within the Highlands and beyond.”

Also welcoming the announcement, chairman of the Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee, Councillor Hamish Fraser said.  “This is very good news for Inverness and the whole Highlands. We look forward to working in partnership to promote this important event both locally and internationally. It is very apt as the world-wide media focus will be on Scotland in 2014 due to the Commonwealth Games. It will be wonderful if the Inverness Mòd could capitalise on this, to both promote and increase the number of competitors from across the globe. Having a high participation in all competitions such as drama, prose, creative industries, art, music and song, especially among young people will leave a legacy for us to build upon for many years to come.  I am also delighted that an agreement has been reached for the Highlands to host the Mòd every three years from 2014 onwards.”

Phil Preston, managing director of Caledonian MacBrayne, said:  "The Mòd provides an invaluable opportunity each year for us to meet people from all over our network and get their feedback on the ferry services we provide. This year, for the first time, we brought a vintage MacBrayne bus with us and this has proved a popular addition to the Mòd landscape, with many people sharing their happy memories of travelling on the familiar red and green buses. We have also been delighted at the warm welcome we have received and the support for the Mòd from everyone in Caithness has been evident everywhere you go."

John Angus MacKay, chief executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig said:  “An Comunn Gàidhealach, the local Mòd organising committee, and indeed the whole community, are to be congratulated on creating a very sucessful Mòd in Caithness. It will hopefully create a lasting legacy, particularly in terms of education and was of significant benefit to the local economy. 

“There was a good atmosphere, organisers were very co-operative, and indeed a very high quality of entrants was found at the competitions.  I am also sure that many people are better informed about Gaelic and why it matters to a lot of people in the area.  This has encouraged Bòrd na Gàidhlig to offer to come back to Caithness to meet with interested parties to discuss how we can build on this, and I have already spoken to the organiser in chief Raymond Bremner regarding this. 'S math a rinn sibh uile! (well done to everyone)". 

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