Prestigious Award for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Vice-Principal

John Norman MacLeod’s service to Gaelic education was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Herald Higher Education Awards ceremony in Glasgow. At the event run in association with the University of the West of Scotland and compered by broadcaster, Sally Magnusson, Paul Little, Principal of the City of Glasgow College, delivered the citation and presented the award.  In his citation Paul Little said of John Norman: ‘He has been working in education for over 35 years.  He has made an immense contribution to the development of further and higher education through the medium of Gaelic. His name is synonymous with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture based on the Isle of Skye.  Prior to his appointment, SMO was merely an independent college which offered seasonal short courses in Gaelic language and culture.  Today it offers five honours degrees and postgraduate courses. It is unlikely that Sabhal Mòr Ostaig would be what it is today if not for the, ambition, vision, industry and determination of John Norman MacLeod.’

SMO Principal, Professor Boyd Robertson, expressed delight at the award: ‘This is richly deserved recognition of the massive contribution John Norman has made to Gaelic education and to the development of SMO as a national and international Centre of Excellence and as part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. John Norman has led the development of the curriculum since 1983 and has created an academic portfolio that ranges from courses for ab initio learners through a suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to PhD study in the language. He has been the foundation on which the scholarly reputation of the College has been built and he is highly regarded and respected in education circles throughout, and beyond, Scotland.’