Of course, the complicating thing in Scotland is the existence in large, populated parts of the country (especially the North-East!) of a linguistic heritage that enthusiastic converts to the Gaelic cause unfairly denigrate, I think, as merely a "bastard" form of English. Actually Scots (or the "Doric" or "Lallands" -- sp?) has a long history of its own, and I suspect that many native Scots for whom it is THEIR "first language" resent the presumption that it ought not to be -- that if they were "true Scots" they would be diligently learning Scots Gaelic as the "true language of Scotland" and singing bothy ballads in it, as a more linguistically correct Robert Burns would doubtless have written his songs in Scots Gaelic too...   Do I exaggerate this presumption of "Celtic privilege"?   I did not feel it in Scotland but have felt it very strongly in Seattle, where the praiseworthy study of Scots Gaelic can go hand in hand with both political brainwashing and a blindness to the wonderful linguistic diversity of Scotland.   What a pity that language should become such an acrimonious political football!