136-614: The River Shin ( Scottish Gaelic : Abhainn Sin , pronounced [ˈa.ɪɲ ˈʃin] ) is a river in the Scottish North West Highlands. The river flows from the southern end of Loch Shin , next to the village of Lairg . It flows in a generally southward direction, passing by Shin Forest and over the Falls of Shin . It joins the Kyle of Sutherland at Invershin , which then flows into
272-442: A 19% fall in bilingual speakers between the 1911 and 1921 Censuses. Michelle MacLeod of Aberdeen University has said that there was no other period with such a high fall in the number of monolingual Gaelic speakers: "Gaelic speakers became increasingly the exception from that point forward with bilingualism replacing monolingualism as the norm for Gaelic speakers." The Linguistic Survey of Scotland (1949–1997) surveyed both
408-496: A 45 ft (14 m) span. Being a pioneer in the use of cast-iron for large scaled structures, Telford had to invent new techniques, such as using boiling sugar and lead as a sealant on the iron connections. Canal engineer William Jessop oversaw the project but left the detailed execution of the project in Telford's hands. The aqueduct was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The same period also saw Telford involved in
544-462: A boiling house and two ice houses. Salmon were par-boiled and despatched to market initially by sea and later by railway. The Shin hydro-electric scheme was implemented by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board . After the board was created in 1943, they produced a list of 102 projects which they thought could be built, from small ones to huge ones involving several neighbouring glens, including that for
680-515: A central feature of court life there. The semi-independent Lordship of the Isles in the Hebrides and western coastal mainland remained thoroughly Gaelic since the language's recovery there in the 12th century, providing a political foundation for cultural prestige down to the end of the 15th century. By the mid-14th century what eventually came to be called Scots (at that time termed Inglis ) emerged as
816-805: A challenge to revitalization efforts which occur outside the home. Positive engagements between language learners and native speakers of Gaelic through mentorship has proven to be productive in socializing new learners into fluency. In the 2022 census, 3,551 people claimed Gaelic as their 'main language.' Of these, 1,761 (49.6%) were in Na h-Eileanan Siar, 682 (19.2%) were in Highland, 369 were in Glasgow City and 120 were in City of Edinburgh; no other council area had as many as 80 such respondents. Gaelic has long suffered from its lack of use in educational and administrative contexts and
952-523: A copper roof, sculpted panels showing mythical Celtic beasts, and a panel showing "Shin Power Station". The outfall from the station is a little further downstream, where there is a dam which prevents migrating fish from entering the station. The Shin then joins the Kyle of Sutherland. Near the junction on the left bank is Invershin farm and salmon station. The buildings date from the early 19th century, and include
1088-498: A day, but it was to no avail for he died on the 2nd September, very peacefully at about 5pm. … His old servant James Handscombe and I were the only two in the house [24 Abingdon Street, London] when he died. He was never married. Mr Milne and Mr Rickman were, no doubt, Telford's most intimate friends. ... I went to Mr Milne and under his direction … made all the arrangements about the house and correspondence. ... Telford had no blood relations that we knew of. The funeral took place on
1224-565: A dialect known as Canadian Gaelic has been spoken in Canada since the 18th century. In the 2021 census , 2,170 Canadian residents claimed knowledge of Scottish Gaelic, a decline from 3,980 speakers in the 2016 census . There exists a particular concentration of speakers in Nova Scotia , with historic communities in other parts of North America , including North Carolina and Glengarry County, Ontario having largely disappeared. Scottish Gaelic
1360-540: A full range of language skills: speaking, understanding, reading and writing Gaelic. 40.2% of Scotland's Gaelic speakers said that they used Gaelic at home. To put this in context, the most common language spoken at home in Scotland after English and Scots is Polish, with about 1.1% of the population, or 54,000 people. The 2011 UK Census showed a total of 57,375 Gaelic speakers in Scotland (1.1% of population over three years old), of whom only 32,400 could also read and write
1496-577: A language ideology at odds with revitalization efforts on behalf of new speakers, state policies (such as the Gaelic Language Act), and family members reclaiming their lost mother tongue. New learners of Gaelic often have a positive affective stance to their language learning, and connect this learning journey towards Gaelic language revitalization. The mismatch of these language ideologies, and differences in affective stance, has led to fewer speaking opportunities for adult language learners and therefore
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#17328584628441632-786: A national centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, based in Sleat , on the Isle of Skye . This institution is the only source for higher education which is conducted entirely in Scottish Gaelic. They offer courses for Gaelic learners from beginners into fluency. They also offer regular bachelors and graduate programs delivered entirely in Gaelic. Concerns have been raised around the fluency achieved by learners within these language programs because they are disconnected from vernacular speech communities. In regard to language revitalization planning efforts, many feel that
1768-470: A number of streams and rivers which rise to the north and north-west of Lairg. Loch Dudb a' Chuail is located on the southern slopes of Meallan a' Chuail, a small mountain of 2,460 feet (750 m). Water from it flows along the Abhain a Choire ("Corrie River") past the settlement of Corriekinloch to reach the north-west end of Loch Shin. Loch Merkland is fed by a number of streams rising in the mountains, including
1904-600: A proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 65% (the highest value is in Barvas , Lewis , with 64.1%). In addition, no civil parish on mainland Scotland has a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 20% (the highest is in Ardnamurchan , Highland , with 19.3%). Out of a total of 871 civil parishes in Scotland, the proportion of Gaelic speakers exceeds 50% in seven parishes, 25% in 14 parishes, and 10% in 35 parishes. Decline in traditional areas has recently been balanced by growth in
2040-643: A shepherd, died soon after Thomas was born. Thomas was raised in poverty by his mother Janet Jackson (died 1794). At the age of 14, he was apprenticed to a stonemason, and some of his earliest work can still be seen on the bridge across the River Esk in Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway. He worked for a time in Edinburgh and in 1782 he moved to London where, after meeting architects Robert Adam and Sir William Chambers , he
2176-502: A single beat of 1.5 miles (2.4 km). A long term scientific study has taken place on the Shin to look at the life cycle of the Atlantic salmon. Smolts have been caught and tagged with a passive integrated transponder, to calculate survival rates as they attempt to exit from Loch Shin through the hydro-electric dams. This showed that less than 10 percent of the smolts survived, a proportion that
2312-536: A situation where new learners struggle to find opportunities to speak Gaelic with fluent speakers. Affect is the way people feel about something, or the emotional response to a particular situation or experience. For Gaelic speakers, there is a conditioned and socialized negative affect through a long history of negative Scottish media portrayal and public disrespect, state mandated restrictions on Gaelic usage, and highland clearances . This negative affect towards speaking openly with non-native Gaelic speakers has led to
2448-513: A style which was called vernacular modernism, and reflected the attempt to ensure that the buildings harmonised with the landscape. To ensure that migrating salmon could still reach their spawning grounds on the upper river, a fish screen at Inveran stops them from entering the tail race of the power station. Borland fish lifts are installed at the Little Loch Shin weir and the Lairg dam. The flow in
2584-549: A task completed by his assistant of ten years, John MacNeill ; today, much of the route is the A5 trunk road, although the Holyhead Road diverted off the A5 along what is now parts of A45 , A41 and A464 through the cities of Coventry , Birmingham and Wolverhampton . Between London and Shrewsbury, most of the work amounted to improvements. Beyond Shrewsbury, and especially beyond Llangollen,
2720-525: A thousand new bridges (including the Craigellachie Bridge ), numerous harbour improvements (including works at Aberdeen , Dundee, Peterhead , Wick , Portmahomack and Banff ), and 32 new churches. Telford also undertook highway works in the Scottish Lowlands, including 184 miles (296 km) of new roads and numerous bridges, ranging from a 112 ft (34 m) span stone bridge across
2856-605: A translation of the New Testament. In 1798, four tracts in Gaelic were published by the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home, with 5,000 copies of each printed. Other publications followed, with a full Gaelic Bible in 1801. The influential and effective Gaelic Schools Society was founded in 1811. Their purpose was to teach Gaels to read the Bible in their own language. In the first quarter of
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#17328584628442992-694: Is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family ) native to the Gaels of Scotland . As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as both Irish and Manx , developed out of Old Irish . It became a distinct spoken language sometime in the 13th century in the Middle Irish period, although a common literary language was shared by the Gaels of both Ireland and Scotland until well into
3128-490: Is a significant step forward for the recognition of Gaelic both at home and abroad and I look forward to addressing the council in Gaelic very soon. Seeing Gaelic spoken in such a forum raises the profile of the language as we drive forward our commitment to creating a new generation of Gaelic speakers in Scotland." Bilingual road signs, street names, business and advertisement signage (in both Gaelic and English) are gradually being introduced throughout Gaelic-speaking regions in
3264-429: Is around 17 miles (27 km) long with a maximum depth of 162 feet (49 m). It covers 8,138 acres (3,293 ha) and its surface level is 312 feet (95 m) AOD. The level was raised by 35 feet (11 m) when the dam at its southern end was built, and so its surface area is also larger than it was. A short way along the loch on its south-western shore is Cassley power station, which discharges water collected from
3400-607: Is classed as an indigenous language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , which the UK Government has ratified, and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 established a language-development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig . The Scottish Parliament is considering a Scottish Languages Bill which proposes to give the Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland. Aside from "Scottish Gaelic",
3536-507: Is crossed part way down by the A839 road, and ends at the dam, from which water enters a tunnel to feed the power station at Inveran, and compensation water is released to maintain the flow on the River Shin. The River Shin properly starts at the weir or dam at the lower end of Little Loch Shin. A short distance below the dam, a prehistoric stone circle stands on the right bank. The river continues to
3672-411: Is no evidence that Gaelic was ever widely spoken. Many historians mark the reign of King Malcolm Canmore ( Malcolm III ) between 1058 and 1093 as the beginning of Gaelic's eclipse in Scotland. His wife Margaret of Wessex spoke no Gaelic, gave her children Anglo-Saxon rather than Gaelic names, and brought many English bishops, priests, and monastics to Scotland. When Malcolm and Margaret died in 1093,
3808-498: Is not sustainable in the long term. In consultation with the Kyle of Sutherland District Fishery Board and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the proprietors of the river have designated it as a catch and release river, where all fish caught should be released again, in order to improve the health of the salmon population. The Fishery Board maintains a hatchery, but salmon are not released to enhance
3944-508: Is the Falls of Shin, a waterfall which has a major impact on fish migration. There is a poorly preserved prehistoric hut circle on the right bank of the river. The hut is around 36 feet (11 m) in diameter, but there is no obvious evidence of associated land use. Shortly afterwards, the Grudie Burn joins on the right bank, after it has passed through the single-arched Achany Bridge, which carries
4080-635: The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway with an unusual system for flushing out mud using a tidal reservoir. He also completed the Grand Trunk after James Brindley died due to being over-worked. In 1820, Telford was appointed the first President of the recently formed Institution of Civil Engineers , a post he held until his death. He was Initiated into Freemasonry in Antiquity Lodge, No. 26, ( Portsmouth , England) in 1770. This lodge no longer exists. He
4216-605: The Dee at Tongueland in Kirkcudbright (1805–06) to the 129 ft (39 m) tall Cartland Crags bridge near Lanark (1822). In 1809, Telford was tasked with improving the Howth Road in Dublin, to connect the new harbour at Howth to the city of Dublin as part of wider plan to improve communication between Dublin and London. The milestones that are a feature of this route from Howth to
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4352-589: The Derby Canal just months earlier. The aqueduct is no longer in use, but is preserved as a distinctive piece of canal engineering. The Ellesmere Canal was left uncompleted in 1805 because it failed to generate the revenues needed to finance the connecting sections to Chester and Shrewbury. However, alongside his canal responsibilities, Telford's reputation as a civil engineer meant he was constantly consulted on numerous other projects. These included water supply works for Liverpool , improvements to London's docklands and
4488-579: The Dornoch Firth at Bonar Bridge and then the North Sea . The river is part of a larger network with several tributaries, but the part which is actually called the Shin is just 7 miles (11 km) long. There are several bridges on this section, a number of prehistoric remains on the banks, and the ruins of a corn mill at Gruid. The river was extensively altered in the 1950s when the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board constructed Cassley power station on
4624-630: The GPO on O'Connell Street still mark the route. He also drafted the first design of the Ulster Canal . Irish engineer, William Dargan , was trained by Telford. Telford was consulted in 1806 by the King of Sweden about the construction of a canal between Gothenburg and Stockholm . His plans were adopted and construction of the Göta Canal began in 1810. Telford travelled to Sweden at that time to oversee some of
4760-548: The Outer Hebrides , accommodation ethics exist amongst native or local Gaelic speakers when engaging with new learners or non-locals. Accommodation ethics, or ethics of accommodation, is a social practice where local or native speakers of Gaelic shift to speaking English when in the presence of non-Gaelic speakers out of a sense of courtesy or politeness. This accommodation ethic persists even in situations where new learners attempt to speak Gaelic with native speakers. This creates
4896-662: The River Mersey . Among other structures, this involved the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct over the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen , where Telford used a new method of construction consisting of troughs made from cast iron plates and fixed in masonry. Extending for over 1,000 feet (300 metres) with an altitude of 126 ft (38 m) above the valley floor, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct consists of nineteen arches, each with
5032-659: The Scottish Lowlands . Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, the number of Gaelic speakers rose in nineteen of the country's 32 council areas. The largest absolute gains were in Aberdeenshire (+526), North Lanarkshire (+305), the Aberdeen City council area (+216), and East Ayrshire (+208). The largest relative gains were in Aberdeenshire (+0.19%), East Ayrshire (+0.18%), Moray (+0.16%), and Orkney (+0.13%). In 2018,
5168-853: The Trent and Mersey Canal (1827), and the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal (today part of the Shropshire Union Canal ) – started in May 1826 but finished, after Telford's death, in January 1835. At the time of its construction in 1829, Galton Bridge was the longest single span in the world. Telford surveyed and planned the Macclesfield Canal , which was completed by William Crosley (or Crossley). He also built Whitstable harbour in Kent in 1832, in connection with
5304-759: The significant increase in pupils in Gaelic-medium education since that time is unknown. Gaelic Medium Education is one of the primary ways that the Scottish Government is addressing Gaelic language shift. Along with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig policies, preschool and daycare environments are also being used to create more opportunities for intergenerational language transmission in the Outer Hebrides. However, revitalization efforts are not unified within Scotland or Nova Scotia, Canada. One can attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ,
5440-598: The 10th September [in Westminster Abbey ]. ... Mr Telford was of the most genial disposition and a delightful companion, his laugh was the heartiest I ever heard; it was a pleasure to be in his society. Thomas Telford was buried in the nave of Westminster Abbey; a statue was erected to him nearby, in St Andrew's Chapel adjoining the north transept. Throughout his life Telford had a great affection for his birthplace of Eskdale and its people and in his will left legacies to
5576-472: The 17th century. Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names. In the 2011 census of Scotland , 57,375 people (1.1% of the Scottish population aged over three years old) reported being able to speak Gaelic, 1,275 fewer than in 2001. The highest percentages of Gaelic speakers were in the Outer Hebrides . Nevertheless, there is a language revival , and
River Shin - Misplaced Pages Continue
5712-587: The 19th century, the SSPCK (despite their anti-Gaelic attitude in prior years) and the British and Foreign Bible Society distributed 60,000 Gaelic Bibles and 80,000 New Testaments. It is estimated that this overall schooling and publishing effort gave about 300,000 people in the Highlands some basic literacy. Very few European languages have made the transition to a modern literary language without an early modern translation of
5848-404: The 2011 Census. The 2011 total population figure comes from table KS101SC. The numbers of Gaelic speakers relate to the numbers aged 3 and over, and the percentages are calculated using those and the number of the total population aged 3 and over. Across the whole of Scotland, the 2011 census showed that 25,000 people (0.49% of the population) used Gaelic at home. Of these, 63.3% said that they had
5984-451: The A838 road, near the settlement of Tirryside. At the southern end of Loch Shin lie the dam and power station which were constructed in the 1950s, and which raised the level of the loch. The architecture is of a high quality with a prominent copper roof, as the structures form a focal point for the village of Lairg . Below the dam is Little Loch Shin, which is immediately to the west of Lairg. It
6120-511: The Allt an Locha Ghaineamhaich, close to Loch Gaineamhach. This is also a tributary of the River Tirry. The Shin is popular with anglers for game fishing, as it contains stocks of salmon and trout. Unlike many rivers in Scotland, where water levels are too low for fishing in the summer months, the Shin can be fished throughout the summer, as water levels are maintained by compensation water released from
6256-562: The B864 road. This section of the Shin valley is known as the Achany Glen. At Inveran, the river is crossed by two bridges, the oldest dating from around 1830. It has three arches, with the centre arch being taller than the outside arches. It was bypassed by a newer bridge when the A837 road was realigned. On the right bank is Inveran power station, supplied with water by a tunnel from Little Loch Shin. It has
6392-494: The Bible; the lack of a well known translation may have contributed to the decline of Scottish Gaelic. Counterintuitively, access to schooling in Gaelic increased knowledge of English. In 1829, the Gaelic Schools Society reported that parents were unconcerned about their children learning Gaelic, but were anxious to have them taught English. The SSPCK also found Highlanders to have significant prejudice against Gaelic. T. M. Devine attributes this to an association between English and
6528-498: The EU's institutions. The Scottish government had to pay for the translation from Gaelic to other European languages . The deal was received positively in Scotland; Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy said the move was a strong sign of the UK government's support for Gaelic. He said; "Allowing Gaelic speakers to communicate with European institutions in their mother tongue is a progressive step forward and one which should be welcomed". Culture Minister Mike Russell said; "this
6664-484: The Forth–Clyde line and along the northeastern coastal plain as far north as Moray. Norman French completely displaced Gaelic at court. The establishment of royal burghs throughout the same area, particularly under David I , attracted large numbers of foreigners speaking Old English. This was the beginning of Gaelic's status as a predominantly rural language in Scotland. Clan chiefs in the northern and western parts of Scotland continued to support Gaelic bards who remained
6800-415: The Gaelic Act falls so far short of the status accorded to Welsh that one would be foolish or naïve to believe that any substantial change will occur in the fortunes of the language as a result of Bòrd na Gàidhlig 's efforts. On 10 December 2008, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the Scottish Human Rights Commission had the UDHR translated into Gaelic for
6936-582: The Gaelic aristocracy rejected their anglicised sons and instead backed Malcolm's brother Domnall Bán ( Donald III ). Donald had spent 17 years in Gaelic Ireland and his power base was in the thoroughly Gaelic west of Scotland. He was the last Scottish monarch to be buried on Iona , the traditional burial place of the Gaelic Kings of Dàl Riada and the Kingdom of Alba. However, during the reigns of Malcolm Canmore's sons, Edgar, Alexander I and David I (their successive reigns lasting 1097–1153), Anglo-Norman names and practices spread throughout Scotland south of
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#17328584628447072-402: The Garbh Allt, which flows eastwards to reach the western bank of the loch. It covers 430 acres (174 ha) and its surface is 377 feet (115 m) above Ordnance datum (AOD). The short Merkland River joins it to Loch a' Ghriama, which covers 270 acres (109 ha) and is at 318 feet (97 m) AOD. A narrow channel crossed by a bridge carrying a minor road joins it to Loch Shin. Loch Shin
7208-442: The Highland and Island region. In 1616, the Privy Council proclaimed that schools teaching in English should be established. Gaelic was seen, at this time, as one of the causes of the instability of the region. It was also associated with Catholicism. The Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) was founded in 1709. They met in 1716, immediately after the failed Jacobite rising of 1715 , to consider
7344-416: The Highlands and Islands, including Argyll. In many cases, this has simply meant re-adopting the traditional spelling of a name (such as Ràtagan or Loch Ailleart rather than the anglicised forms Ratagan or Lochailort respectively). Some monolingual Gaelic road signs, particularly direction signs, are used on the Outer Hebrides , where a majority of the population can have a working knowledge of
7480-426: The Inner Hebridean dialects of Tiree and Islay, and even a few native speakers from Western Highland areas including Wester Ross , northwest Sutherland , Lochaber and Argyll . Dialects on both sides of the Straits of Moyle (the North Channel ) linking Scottish Gaelic with Irish are now extinct, though native speakers were still to be found on the Mull of Kintyre , on Rathlin and in North East Ireland as late as
7616-406: The Kyle of Sutherland. Additional water enters the tunnel from the Grudie Burn, and the tunnel feeds water to two horizontal Francis turbines, each of which was connected to a 12MW generator. On exit from the power station, the water passes back into the Shin. The Lairg dam has a fixed spillway in the centre, with higher parapet walls to either side. There is a lower spillway at the north-east end of
7752-413: The Shin hydro-electric scheme. Close to its junction with the River Tirry, the river is crossed by the A838 road at Feith Osdail bridge. This is a single span rubble bridge designed by Thomas Telford and constructed around 1815, as part of his project to build the Parliamentary road from Bonar Bridge to Tongue , completed in 1819. Just before the Tirry enters Loch Shin, it is crossed by a bridge carrying
7888-424: The Shin. The scheme has a catchment area of around 250 square miles (650 km) in an area where the average yearly rainfall is 60 inches (1,500 mm) and the total head is around 265 feet (81 m). These figures are considerably smaller than for many of the Board's other schemes, but the local population was fairly small and scattered, and so the capacity of the system was consequently lower. Plans to implement
8024-428: The UK Government as Welsh . With the advent of devolution , however, Scottish matters have begun to receive greater attention, and it achieved a degree of official recognition when the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was enacted by the Scottish Parliament on 21 April 2005. The key provisions of the Act are: After its creation, Bòrd na Gàidhlig required a Gaelic Language Plan from the Scottish Government. This plan
8160-581: The Western Isles (−1,745), Argyll & Bute (−694), and Highland (−634). The drop in Stornoway , the largest parish in the Western Isles by population, was especially acute, from 57.5% of the population in 1991 to 43.4% in 2011. The only parish outside the Western Isles over 40% Gaelic-speaking is Kilmuir in Northern Skye at 46%. The islands in the Inner Hebrides with significant percentages of Gaelic speakers are Tiree (38.3%), Raasay (30.4%), Skye (29.4%), Lismore (26.9%), Colonsay (20.2%), and Islay (19.0%). Today, no civil parish in Scotland has
8296-589: The Western Isles. The Scottish Qualifications Authority offer two streams of Gaelic examination across all levels of the syllabus: Gaelic for learners (equivalent to the modern foreign languages syllabus) and Gaelic for native speakers (equivalent to the English syllabus). An Comunn Gàidhealach performs assessment of spoken Gaelic, resulting in the issue of a Bronze Card, Silver Card or Gold Card. Syllabus details are available on An Comunn's website. These are not widely recognised as qualifications, but are required for those taking part in certain competitions at
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#17328584628448432-408: The annual mods . In October 2009, a new agreement allowed Scottish Gaelic to be formally used between Scottish Government ministers and European Union officials. The deal was signed by Britain's representative to the EU, Sir Kim Darroch , and the Scottish government . This did not give Scottish Gaelic official status in the EU but gave it the right to be a means of formal communications in
8568-414: The banks of Loch Shin , Lairg power station at the southern end of Loch Shin, and Shin power station at Inveran , close to the mouth of the river. A large dam was built at Lairg , to increase the storage capacity of Loch Shin, and a smaller one just below Lairg to form Little Loch Shin, from where a tunnel runs to Inveran to feed the power station. Flow down the river has been increased by capturing some of
8704-403: The banks of Loch Shin. Cassley power station is fed by water collected from the headwaters of the River Cassley, which runs parallel to Loch Shin, but further to the west. 5 miles (8 km) of new road were required to access the site, because of its remoteness. A pipeline to the west of the river collects water from the Allt a' Chnaip Ghiubhais and the Allt Loch Carn nan Conbhairean, while one to
8840-402: The benefit of other species. Since the construction of the hydro-electric dams, the transport of sediment downstream from the dams has changed, resulting in less habitat for the mussels and for spawning salmon. A project to create new habitat at four sites was carried out in October 2022. This involved constructing eleven large wooden structures and the addition of new gravel to the river bed. Once
8976-413: The bill be strengthened, a revised bill was published; the main alteration was that the guidance of the Bòrd is now statutory (rather than advisory). In the committee stages in the Scottish Parliament, there was much debate over whether Gaelic should be given 'equal validity' with English. Due to executive concerns about resourcing implications if this wording was used, the Education Committee settled on
9112-422: The cables. Telford also worked on the North Wales coast road between Chester and Bangor, including another major suspension bridge at Conwy , opened later the same year as its Menai counterpart. Further afield Telford designed a road to cross the centre of the Isle of Arran . Named the 'String road', this route traverses bleak and difficult terrain to allow traffic to cross between east and west Arran avoiding
9248-625: The census of pupils in Scotland showed 520 students in publicly funded schools had Gaelic as the main language at home, an increase of 5% from 497 in 2014. During the same period, Gaelic medium education in Scotland has grown, with 4,343 pupils (6.3 per 1000) being educated in a Gaelic-immersion environment in 2018, up from 3,583 pupils (5.3 per 1000) in 2014. Data collected in 2007–2008 indicated that even among pupils enrolled in Gaelic medium schools, 81% of primary students and 74% of secondary students report using English more often than Gaelic when speaking with their mothers at home. The effect on this of
9384-415: The circuitous coastal route. His work on improving the Glasgow – Carlisle road, later to become the A74 , has been described as "a model for future engineers." Telford improved on methods for the building of macadam roads by improving the selection of stone based on thickness, taking into account traffic, alignment and slopes. The punning nickname 'Colossus of Roads' was given to Telford by his friend,
9520-419: The cities and professors of Celtic from universities who sought to preserve the language. The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 provided universal education in Scotland, but completely ignored Gaelic in its plans. The mechanism for supporting Gaelic through the Education Codes issued by the Scottish Education Department were steadily used to overcome this omission, with many concessions in place by 1918. However,
9656-450: The concept of 'equal respect'. It is not clear what the legal force of this wording is. The Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament unanimously, with support from all sectors of the Scottish political spectrum, on 21 April 2005. Under the provisions of the Act, it will ultimately fall to BnG to secure the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland. Some commentators, such as Éamonn Ó Gribín (2006) argue that
9792-450: The dam, with gates to control its operation. The power station building is a two-storey design, integrated into the dam wall, and faced with random rubble. The architect for the design was James Shearer , and architectural details include carved panels and armorials. In common with many of their projects, the engineers were responsible for the functional form of the buildings, but the architect decided on their appearance and style. This led to
9928-551: The design and construction of the Shrewsbury Canal . When the original engineer, Josiah Clowes, died in 1795, Telford succeeded him. One of Telford's achievements on this project was the design of Longdon-on-Tern Aqueduct , the cast-iron aqueduct at Longdon-on-Tern , pre-dating that at Pontcysyllte, and substantially bigger than the UK's first cast-iron aqueduct, built by Benjamin Outram on
10064-494: The dialect of the Scottish Gaelic language, and also mixed use of English and Gaelic across the Highlands and Islands. Dialects of Lowland Gaelic have been defunct since the 18th century. Gaelic in the Eastern and Southern Scottish Highlands, although alive until the mid-20th century, is now largely defunct. Although modern Scottish Gaelic is dominated by the dialects of the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Skye, there remain some speakers of
10200-574: The ear. Farewell my lov'd, my favourite child, A mother's pride farewell! The muses on thy cradle smiled, Ah! now they ring thy knell. ---- ten verses and then ---- And round the tomb the plough shall pass, And yellow autumn smile; And village maids shall seek the place, To crown thy hallowed pile. While yearly comes the opening spring, While autumn wan returns; Each rural voice shall grateful sing, And SCOTLAND boasts of BURNS. 22nd August, 1796. T.T. (Turnbull includes notes that explain nine references to Burns's life in
10336-480: The early modern era . Prior to the 15th century, this language was known as Inglis ("English") by its own speakers, with Gaelic being called Scottis ("Scottish"). Beginning in the late 15th century, it became increasingly common for such speakers to refer to Scottish Gaelic as Erse ("Irish") and the Lowland vernacular as Scottis . Today, Scottish Gaelic is recognised as a separate language from Irish, so
10472-577: The early 19th century, he was elected as the first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers , a post he held for 14 years until his death. The town of Telford in Shropshire was named after him. Telford was born on 9 August 1757, at Glendinning, a hill farm three miles (five kilometres) east of Eskdalemuir Kirk , in the rural parish of Westerkirk, in Eskdale, Dumfriesshire . His father John Telford,
10608-496: The early dating of the traditional accounts and arguing for other interpretations of the archaeological evidence. Regardless of how it came to be spoken in the region, Gaelic in Scotland was mostly confined to Dál Riata until the eighth century, when it began expanding into Pictish areas north of the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. During the reign of Caustantín mac Áeda (Constantine II, 900–943), outsiders began to refer to
10744-476: The east collects water from the Allt Moavally. The pipes feed into a headpond, created by building Duchally weir. From there, the water passes through two small turbines to enter a tunnel which carries it beneath Moavally, a hill of 1,677 feet (511 m), to the western shore of Loch Shin. Cassley power station has two turbines, capable of generating a total of 10MW, and was used to feed the area around Durness in
10880-680: The east of the road. The first is the Abhainn Sgeamhaidh, which is crossed by the A836 at Rhian Bridge, near the hamlet of Rhian. The bridge has a single arch and is made of rubble. The second is the Feith Osdail, which flows from the east. Its flow has been augmented by the construction of a weir at Dalnessie on the River Brora, which diverts the headwaters of that river into the Feith Osdail. The weir and interconnecting channal were constructed as part of
11016-608: The eighth century. For the first time, the entire region of modern-day Scotland was called Scotia in Latin, and Gaelic was the lingua Scotica . In southern Scotland , Gaelic was strong in Galloway , adjoining areas to the north and west, West Lothian , and parts of western Midlothian . It was spoken to a lesser degree in north Ayrshire , Renfrewshire , the Clyde Valley and eastern Dumfriesshire . In south-eastern Scotland, there
11152-404: The end of May, and ends at the end of September. Most of the trout caught on the river are caught between April and June. The Shin descends by 270 feet (82 m) over the 7 miles (11 km) from Little Loch Shin dam to its mouth, and most of the drop occurs in the final mile (1.6 km), where the river tumbles over large rocks, making fishing a challenging sport. The lower Shin is managed as
11288-492: The eventual Poet Laureate , Robert Southey . In 1821, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences . An Act of Parliament in 1823 provided a grant of £50,000 for the building of up to 40 churches and manses in communities without any church buildings (hence the alternative name: 'Parliamentary Church' or 'Parliamentary Kirk'). The total cost was not to exceed £1500 on any site and Telford
11424-459: The far north west of Scotland. The power station was completed in July 1960. There is also a single turbine at Duchally weir, which operates automatically controlled by the water level. The feed from the turbine rises upwards, and then descends again into the water. Only when the water level is high enough to pass over the invert does water reach the turbine. The flow into Loch Shin is augmented by some of
11560-545: The first time. However, given there are no longer any monolingual Gaelic speakers, following an appeal in the court case of Taylor v Haughney (1982), involving the status of Gaelic in judicial proceedings, the High Court ruled against a general right to use Gaelic in court proceedings. While the goal of the Gaelic Language Act was to aid in revitalization efforts through government mandated official language status,
11696-486: The fishery, as there is growing evidence that this is not effective and may be harmful. Conservation of the stock and enhancements to their habitat are more effective ways of improving the salmon population. Work has been carried out on the Shin to improve the habitat for freshwater pearl mussels. These are particularly beneficial to the fish populations, because each adult filters up to 50 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal) of water per day, keeping it clear for
11832-551: The headwaters of the River Cassley to the west and the River Brora to the east. The river is used by anglers, because it contains populations of game fish such as trout and salmon. Fishing is managed by the riparian landowners, and the river is divided into three beats, on which the number of fishing permits issued on any one day is strictly limited. Fish lifts were built into the dams to allow migrating salmon to pass upstream into
11968-528: The headwaters of the River Brora, to the east of Loch Shin. A weir near the Dalnessie Estate diverts water into an aqueduct, which discharges into the upper reaches of the Feith Osdail, a tributary of the River Tirry, which flows into Loch Shin. Another aqueduct captures some of the flow in the upper tributaries of the River Vagastie to the west of Vagastie Bridge on the A836 road, and diverts the water into
12104-489: The headwaters of the River Cassley into the loch. This supply passes under Moavally mountain through a tunnel. The River Fiag enters the loch at Fiag Bridge, which carries the A838 road over its mouth. The river flows southwards along the narrow Glen Fiag from Loch Fiag, which collects water from a number of streams. The loch covers 363 acres (147 ha) and its surface is 650 feet (198 m) AOD. As Loch Shin continues to
12240-420: The hydro-electric dams. In Scotland, all rivers which can be fished for salmon are divided up into beats, which are lengths of river, usually between 2 and 3 miles (3.2 and 4.8 km) long, for which the riparian landowner issues a limited number of permits for each day. Scotland does not have a national rod licence scheme, and only a permit from the riparian owner is required to go fishing. The riparian owner for
12376-479: The initiatives must come from within Gaelic speaking communities, be led by Gaelic speakers, and be designed to serve and increase fluency within the vernacular communities as the first and most viable resistance to total language shift from Gaelic to English. Currently, language policies are focused on creating new language speakers through education, instead of focused on how to strengthen intergenerational transmission within existing Gaelic speaking communities. In
12512-590: The island of Anglesey a new embankment across the Stanley Sands to Holyhead was constructed, but the crossing of the Menai Strait was the most formidable challenge, overcome by the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819–26). Spanning 580 feet (180 m), this was the longest suspension bridge of the time. Unlike modern suspension bridges, Telford used individually linked 9.5-foot (2.9 m) iron eye bars for
12648-670: The language may also be referred to simply as "Gaelic", pronounced / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / GAL -ik in English . However, "Gaelic" / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik also refers to the Irish language ( Gaeilge ) and the Manx language ( Gaelg ). Scottish Gaelic is distinct from Scots , the Middle English -derived language which had come to be spoken in most of the Lowlands of Scotland by
12784-495: The language. Compared with the 2001 Census, there has been a diminution of about 1300 people. This is the smallest drop between censuses since the Gaelic-language question was first asked in 1881. The Scottish government's language minister and Bòrd na Gàidhlig took this as evidence that Gaelic's long decline has slowed. The main stronghold of the language continues to be the Outer Hebrides ( Na h-Eileanan Siar ), where
12920-576: The language. These omit the English translation entirely. Bilingual railway station signs are now more frequent than they used to be. Practically all the stations in the Highland area use both English and Gaelic, and the use of bilingual station signs has become more frequent in the Lowlands of Scotland, including areas where Gaelic has not been spoken for a long time. Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS FRSE (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834)
13056-453: The members of Highland school boards tended to have anti-Gaelic attitudes and served as an obstacle to Gaelic education in the late 19th and early 20th century. Loss of life due to World War I and the 1919 sinking of the HMY Iolaire , combined with emigration, resulted in the 1910s seeing unprecedented damage to the use of Scottish Gaelic, with a 46% fall in monolingual speakers and
13192-723: The mid-20th century. Records of their speech show that Irish and Scottish Gaelic existed in a dialect chain with no clear language boundary. Some features of moribund dialects have been preserved in Nova Scotia, including the pronunciation of the broad or velarised l ( l̪ˠ ) as [w] , as in the Lochaber dialect. The Endangered Languages Project lists Gaelic's status as "threatened", with "20,000 to 30,000 active users". UNESCO classifies Gaelic as " definitely endangered ". The 1755–2001 figures are census data quoted by MacAulay. The 2011 Gaelic speakers figures come from table KS206SC of
13328-532: The modern era. Some of this was driven by policy decisions by government or other organisations, while some originated from social changes. In the last quarter of the 20th century, efforts began to encourage use of the language. The Statutes of Iona , enacted by James VI in 1609, was one piece of legislation that addressed, among other things, the Gaelic language. It required the heirs of clan chiefs to be educated in lowland, Protestant, English-speaking schools. James VI took several such measures to impose his rule on
13464-593: The more important initial excavations. Many of Telford's projects were undertaken due to his role as a member of the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission , an organ set up under the Public Works Loans Act 1817 ( 57 Geo. 3 . c. 34), to help finance public work projects that would generate employment. During his later years, Telford was responsible for rebuilding sections of the London to Holyhead road ,
13600-434: The number of speakers of the language under age 20 did not decrease between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. In the 2022 census of Scotland , it was found that 2.5% of the Scottish population had some skills in Gaelic, or 130,161 persons. Of these, 69,701 people reported speaking the language, with a further 46,404 people reporting that they understood the language, but did not speak, read, or write in it. Outside of Scotland,
13736-687: The official language of government and law. Scotland's emergent nationalism in the era following the conclusion of the Wars of Scottish Independence was organized using Scots as well. For example, the nation's great patriotic literature including John Barbour's The Brus (1375) and Blind Harry's The Wallace (before 1488) was written in Scots, not Gaelic. By the end of the 15th century, English/Scots speakers referred to Gaelic instead as 'Yrisch' or 'Erse', i.e. Irish and their own language as 'Scottis'. A steady shift away from Scottish Gaelic continued into and through
13872-459: The outcome of the act is distanced from the actual minority language communities. It helps to create visibility of the minority language in civil structures, but does not impact or address the lived experiences of the Gaelic speaker communities wherein the revitalization efforts may have a higher return of new Gaelic speakers. Efforts are being made to concentrate resources, language planning, and revitalization efforts towards vernacular communities in
14008-551: The overall proportion of speakers is 52.2%. Important pockets of the language also exist in the Highlands (5.4%) and in Argyll and Bute (4.0%) and Inverness (4.9%). The locality with the largest absolute number is Glasgow with 5,878 such persons, who make up over 10% of all of Scotland's Gaelic speakers. Gaelic continues to decline in its traditional heartland. Between 2001 and 2011, the absolute number of Gaelic speakers fell sharply in
14144-570: The poem.) Turnbull also states: His ability and perseverance may be understood from various literary compositions of after life, such as the articles he contributed to the Edinburgh Encyclopædia , such as Architecture, Bridge-building, and Canal-making. Singular to say the earliest distinction he acquired in life was as a poet. Even at 30 years of age he reprinted at Shrewsbury a poem called "Eskdale", … Some others of his poems are in my possession. Another example, later in Telford's life,
14280-596: The poet Thomas Campbell (1777–1844) and to the publishers of the Edinburgh Encyclopædia (to which he had been a contributor). George Turnbull states that Telford wrote and gave him a poem: On reading an account of the death of ROBERT BURNS , the SCOT POET CLAD in the sable weeds of woe, The Scottish genius mourns, As o'er your tomb her sorrows flow, The "narrow house" of Burns.' Each laurel round his humble urn, She strews with pious care, And by soft airs to distance borne, These accents strike
14416-459: The prosperity of employment: the Highland economy relied greatly on seasonal migrant workers travelling outside the Gàidhealtachd . In 1863, an observer sympathetic to Gaelic stated that "knowledge of English is indispensable to any poor islander who wishes to learn a trade or to earn his bread beyond the limits of his native Isle". Generally, rather than Gaelic speakers, it was Celtic societies in
14552-519: The putative migration or takeover is not reflected in archaeological or placename data (as pointed out earlier by Leslie Alcock ). Campbell has also questioned the age and reliability of the medieval historical sources speaking of a conquest. Instead, he has inferred that Argyll formed part of a common Q-Celtic -speaking area with Ireland, connected rather than divided by the sea, since the Iron Age. These arguments have been opposed by some scholars defending
14688-645: The rebuilding of London Bridge (c. 1800). Most notably (and again William Pulteney was influential), in 1801 Telford devised a master plan to improve communications in the Highlands of Scotland , a massive project that was to last some 20 years. It included the building of the Caledonian Canal along the Great Glen and redesign of sections of the Crinan Canal , some 920 miles (1,480 km) of new roads, over
14824-454: The reform and civilisation of the Highlands, which they sought to achieve by teaching English and the Protestant religion. Initially, their teaching was entirely in English, but soon the impracticality of educating Gaelic-speaking children in this way gave rise to a modest concession: in 1723, teachers were allowed to translate English words in the Bible into Gaelic to aid comprehension, but there
14960-526: The region as the kingdom of Alba rather than as the kingdom of the Picts. However, though the Pictish language did not disappear suddenly, a process of Gaelicisation (which may have begun generations earlier) was clearly under way during the reigns of Caustantín and his successors. By a certain point, probably during the 11th century, all the inhabitants of Alba had become fully Gaelicised Scots, and Pictish identity
15096-449: The river at the southern end of Loch Shin, which raised the level of the loch by 35 feet (11 m). The dam is 1,740 feet (530 m) long and 66 feet (20 m) high. It required 40,000 cubic yards (31,000 m) of concrete and 76,000 cubic yards (58,000 m) of earth to complete it. The consulting engineers for the construction were Sir Murdoch MacDonald and Partners. The dam is used to release compensation water to maintain flows in
15232-429: The river below, and that water is fed through a 3.5MW vertical Kaplan turbine which is built into the dam. The water first passes into Little Loch Shin, a small reservoir immediately below the dam. Its level is controlled by a weir at the downstream end, but much of the water passes into a long tunnel, which carries it to the Shin power station at Inveran, located on the west bank of the River Shin close to its junction with
15368-432: The river is maintained by releasing compensation water from the weir, but even this is used to generate electricity, as the water passes through a small turbine built into the weir. It was one of the first uses of a "compensation set" in the country. This part of the scheme was completed in 1959, although the dam and weir were ready for impounding of water to begin in January 1956. The scheme included another power station on
15504-406: The rivers beyond Loch Shin, but survival rates for smolts which hatch in the upper reaches are small, and a catch and release policy has been implemented, to attempt to improve dwindling stocks of game fish. Habitat improvements have also been carried out, to provide spawning grounds for salmon and to increase the population of freshwater pearl mussels, which clean the water. The River Shin is fed by
15640-478: The scheme were published in 1951, and it became the 32nd constructional scheme promoted by the Board. Parliamentary approval to proceed was received in the summer of 1953, after lengthy negotiations, and George Wimpey & Co began work on the contract in 1954. The scheme was the most northerly on the Scottish mainland of those implemented by the Board. It involved constructing a concrete gravity and earthfill dam across
15776-408: The south and is crossed by a pedestrian suspension bridge. Soon the river flows over a weir, which runs diagonally across the river. There is an island near the right bank, formed by the leat running to the west of it which formerly supplied Gruids Mill, parts of which are still in situ. Close to the point at which the leat rejoins the river, early maps show a corn mill and a saw mill. Further downstream
15912-446: The south-east, there is a promontary known as The Airde which is attached to the north-east bank. At its tip, near the disused Shinness Quarry, there are a number of prehistoric remains, including several hut circles. The next tributary to enter Loch Shin is the River Tirry, which rises to the south-east of Loch Fiag, and flows down the wide Strath Tirry, to the west of the A836 road. It is joined by two of its own tributaries, which rise to
16048-501: The town's prison (during the planning of which he met leading prison reformer John Howard ), the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth and another church, St Michael's , in Madeley . Called in to advise on a leaking roof at St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury in 1788, he warned the church was in imminent danger of collapse; his reputation was made locally when it collapsed three days later, but he
16184-473: The two counties meet. Telford was responsible for the repair to the northern (Shropshire) end of the bridge. Telford's reputation in Shropshire led to his appointment in 1793 to manage the detailed design and construction of the Ellesmere Canal , linking the ironworks and collieries of Wrexham via the north-west Shropshire town of Ellesmere , with Chester , utilising the existing Chester Canal , and then
16320-484: The two local libraries at Westerkirk and Langholm. In 2011 he was one of seven inaugural inductees to the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame . Telford's reputation as a man of letters may have preceded his fame as an engineer: he had published poetry between 1779 and 1784, and an account of a tour of Scotland with Robert Southey. His will left bequests to Southey (who would later write Telford's biography),
16456-496: The upper Shin from the Lairg dam almost to the Falls of Shin is the Lairg Estate. This is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and is divided into two beats, on which four permits per day are issued. There are 32 named pools where fishing can take place. The Falls of Shin are some 12 feet (3.7 m) high, and fish will not normally ascend them until May when the water becomes warmer. The salmon fishing season consequently does not start until
16592-481: The word Erse in reference to Scottish Gaelic is no longer used. Based on medieval traditional accounts and the apparent evidence from linguistic geography, Gaelic has been commonly believed to have been brought to Scotland, in the 4th–5th centuries CE, by settlers from Ireland who founded the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata on Scotland's west coast in present-day Argyll . An alternative view has been voiced by archaeologist Ewan Campbell , who has argued that
16728-612: The work often involved building a highway from scratch. Notable features of this section of the route include the Waterloo Bridge across the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed , the ascent from there to Capel Curig and then the descent from the pass of Nant Ffrancon towards Bangor . Between Capel Curig and Bethesda , in the Ogwen Valley , Telford deviated from the original road, built by Romans during their occupation of this area. On
16864-444: The work was finished, monitoring of the sites was carried out to understand their effectiveness and to identify maintenance requirements. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to River Shin at Wikimedia Commons Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
17000-540: Was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire , he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotland, as well as harbours and tunnels. Such was his reputation as a prolific designer of highways and related bridges, he was dubbed the 'Colossus of Roads' (a pun on the Colossus of Rhodes ), and, reflecting his command of all types of civil engineering in
17136-593: Was a founder member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 257 (also in Portsmouth). Telford designed a room within the George Inn for the lodge. In 1786 he became an affiliate member of Salopian Lodge, No. 262 (Shrewsbury, England). Telford's young draughtsman and clerk 1830–34 George Turnbull in his diary states: On the 23rd [August 1834] Mr Telford was taken seriously ill of a bilious derangement to which he had been liable ... he grew worse and worse … [surgeons] attended him twice
17272-399: Was accepted in 2008, and some of its main commitments were: identity (signs, corporate identity); communications (reception, telephone, mailings, public meetings, complaint procedures); publications (PR and media, websites); staffing (language learning, training, recruitment). Following a consultation period, in which the government received many submissions, the majority of which asked that
17408-567: Was built in 1830. Some have been restored and/or converted to private use. Other works by Telford include the St Katharine Docks (1824–28) close to Tower Bridge in central London, where he worked with the architect Philip Hardwick , the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal (today known as the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal ), Over Bridge near Gloucester, the second Harecastle Tunnel on
17544-429: Was commissioned to undertake the design. He developed a simple church of T-shaped plan and two manse designs – a single-storey and a two-storey, adaptable to site and ground conditions, and to brick or stone construction, at £750 each. Of the 43 churches originally planned, 32 were eventually built around the Scottish highlands and islands (the other 11 were achieved by redoing existing buildings). The last of these churches
17680-713: Was forgotten. Bilingualism in Pictish and Gaelic, prior to the former's extinction, led to the presence of Pictish loanwords in Gaelic and syntactic influence which could be considered to constitute a Pictish substrate. In 1018, after the conquest of Lothian (theretofore part of England and inhabited predominantly by speakers of Northumbrian Old English ) by the Kingdom of Scotland , Gaelic reached its social, cultural, political, and geographic zenith. Colloquial speech in Scotland had been developing independently of that in Ireland since
17816-424: Was influenced by Abraham Darby's bridge at Ironbridge , and observed that it was grossly over-designed for its function, and many of the component parts were poorly cast. By contrast, his bridge was 30 ft (9 m) wider in span and half the weight, although it now no longer exists. He was one of the first engineers to test his materials thoroughly before construction. As his engineering prowess grew, Telford
17952-416: Was involved in building additions to Somerset House there. Two years later he found work at Portsmouth dockyard and – although still largely self-taught – was extending his talents to the specification, design and management of building projects. In 1787, through his wealthy patron William Pulteney , he became Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire. His projects included renovation of Shrewsbury Castle ,
18088-542: Was long suppressed. The UK government has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Gaelic. Gaelic, along with Irish and Welsh, is designated under Part III of the Charter, which requires the UK Government to take a range of concrete measures in the fields of education, justice, public administration, broadcasting and culture. It has not received the same degree of official recognition from
18224-506: Was no further permitted use. Other less prominent schools worked in the Highlands at the same time, also teaching in English. This process of anglicisation paused when evangelical preachers arrived in the Highlands, convinced that people should be able to read religious texts in their own language. The first well known translation of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic was made in 1767, when James Stuart of Killin and Dugald Buchanan of Rannoch produced
18360-583: Was not the architect for its replacement. As the Shropshire county surveyor , Telford was also responsible for bridges. In 1790 he designed Montford Bridge carrying the London– Holyhead road over the River Severn at Montford , the first of some 40 bridges he built in Shropshire, including major crossings of the Severn at Buildwas , and Bridgnorth . The bridge at Buildwas was Telford's first iron bridge. He
18496-508: Was to return to this material repeatedly. In 1795, the bridge at Bewdley in Worcestershire was swept away in the winter floods and Telford was responsible for the design of its replacement . The same winter floods saw the bridge at Tenbury also swept away. This bridge across the River Teme was the joint responsibility of both Worcestershire and Shropshire and the bridge has a bend where
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