W GORDON Watson's' letter on dual-language road signs has triggered quite a response (Letters, June 26, 27 & 28).
I consider it important that minority languages such as Gaelic are supported and encouraged. However, I find dual-language road signs unhelpful. With the Gaelic text uppermost one's eye focuses on this first and then has to read on to get to the English version, hence one is distracted for at least twice as long as would otherwise be the case.
The worst situation is when directional and roundabout signs are encountered where, again, one has to work through twice as much text, at times passing the sign before reaching the information one is looking for. This can be a considerable inconvenience and potentially dangerous.
I am surprised that the authorities have agreed to dual-language signs in the present format, particularly on trunk roads.
Duncan Miller,
38 Middlemuir Road,
Lenzie.
THE proposal to put up Gaelic road signs for our major roads shows that the SNP is just as capable as the other parties of wasting taxpayers money ("Gaelic for all major roads", The Herald, June 26). I respect the right of people in the West Highlands and the islands to keep alive their ancient language, but in large tracts of Scotland, particularly the east and south, there is no tradition of speaking Gaelic. I understand that of our 129 MSPs only one is a fluent Gaelic speaker. Some people will have a few words of Gaelic, but the number who speak it as an everyday language may be as low as 1% of the population,
This road sign proposal looks like a political move by the SNP which may think it can get some kind of marketing advantage in the forthcoming referendum on the future of Scotland. It could be mistaken in this, as the 99% of voters who do not speak Gaelic may not take kindly to being force-fed the language.
J M Anderson,
72 Bow Butts,
Crail.
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