Recently Angus MacDonald MSP (SNP) for Falkirk East lodged a motion at Holyrood regarding the United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages and called on the members of the parliament to recognise the rich and varied linguistic culture of Scotland. In addition he also spoke about recognising that every year on 26 September 47 member states of the Council of Europe celebrate the European Day of Languages. In relation to Scotland and the Scots language he called on members to recognise “...the work of the Scots Language Centre in promoting and encouraging Scots and the regional dialects of the language throughout Scotland and, in doing so, raising the understanding of Scots, Doric and Lallans and how Scotland's language came to be; notes the work of the Scots Language Society in its efforts to promote and encourage the Scots leid, best known for its “Lallans” journal and annual “Sangschaw”, which is a competition of singing and writing in Scots equivalent to the Scottish Gaelic Mod or Welsh Eisteddfod.”

MacDonald also highlighted the role that the Day of Languages plays in promoting multilingualism, intercultural understanding, and the richness of cultural diversity. MacDonald’s motion was supported in the chamber at Holyrood on 6 November 2019 by the following MSPs - Stewart Stevenson, Joan McAlpine, Stuart McMillan, Richard Lyle, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Gail Ross, Kenneth Gibson, Fulton MacGregor, Jenny Gilruth, John Mason, Gil Paterson, Emma Harper, Gillian Martin, John Finnie, Alasdair Allan, Clare Adamson, Peter Chapman, Edward Mountain, David Torrance, Tom Arthur, an Maureen Watt. To read the entire text of the motion please visit the Scottish Parliament website and refer to Motion S5M-18960.