A University of Aberdeen academic has been appointed a member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
Professor Michelle Macleod, Personal Chair in Gaelic, was announced as one of four new Board members by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth.
Established under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 , Bòrd na Gàidhlig is the principal public body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development and providing advice to Scottish Ministers on Gaelic issues.
Professor Macleod has taught Gaelic and related subjects in universities in Scotland and Ireland for more than 25 years. She joined the University of Aberdeen in 2004 and was promoted to Personal Chair in Gaelic in 2019.
In addition to her teaching and research responsibilities she sits on the University's Gaelic Language Plan Advisory Group and has held various leadership roles at the University, including most recently as Director of the Confucius Institute.
She currently sits on the British Academy/University Council for Languages Strategic Committee for Languages in Higher Education and was one of three Future of Languages Research Fellows funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, where her work considered how research could support the policy ambitions for the UK’s indigenous languages.
Professor Macleod has also conducted research into Gaelic literature, theatre, second language acquisition and community language planning.
Professor Macleod said: “I am honoured to accept this appointment by the Scottish Government to become a member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig. There have been many great initiatives to support the Gaelic language over recent years, and I am looking forward to building on these and working with the Bòrd as a new National Gaelic Language Plan and a Scottish Languages Bill are launched to help secure the future of Gaelic for generations to come.”