AN COMUNN GÀIDHEALACH the Royal National Mod Western Isles 2016 Evaluation of Economic Impact Final Report

AN COMUNN GÀIDHEALACH

The Royal National Mod Western Isles 2016

Evaluation of Economic Impact Final Report

10 Jerviswood Drive, LANARK ML11 7RT Tel: 01555 661416. Email: [email protected]

January 2017

AN COMUNN GAIDHEALACH The Royal National Mod Western Isles 2016

CONTENTS

Page No.

1. STUDY OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH 1  The Royal National Mòd  Future Threats

2. FIELD SURVEY RESULTS AND ANALYSIS 4  Field Survey Results  Media Exposure

3. ECONOMIC IMPACT AND OTHER ANALYSES 17  Impact Analysis Inputs  The Calculation of Impacts

4. SUMMARY 23  Conclusions  Key Findings

Appendix

The Field Survey Questionnaire 27

Evaluation of Economic Impact Final Report Contents

AN COMUNN GAIDHEALACH The Royal National Mod Western Isles 2016

1. THE BACKGROUND

 The Royal National Mòd  Future Threats

The Royal National Mòd

An Comunn Gaidhealach was established in 1891. A year later, it organised the first National Mòd which was held in Oban in1892. Since then, the event has been held in every year except the World War years. This is a remarkable achievement, especially when one takes account of the Charitable Trust status of An Comunn Gaidhealach.

Nowadays the executive work in organising and staging the Royal National Mòd is the responsibility of its small team under the leadership of its Chief Executive. Such has been the success of An Comunn in recent times that it is easy to believe that it will inevitably go on forever. This may prove to be the case but it is not a cause for complacency. The Mòd needs the support of others if it is to survive and prosper.

These observations are not made in any judgemental way: they are simply facts that have to be taken into account in making evaluations of any kind and - more importantly - in charting a way forward for a fragile organisation which does not have huge financial reserves to call upon – and the Mòd is an event that takes both time and money to organise.

All of the host areas benefit from the money left at the end of the summer season and before winter has arrived. Without the Mòd injection of cash in October these host areas - to varying extents – would be less protected from the worst economic ravages of winter. Many of them are in relatively fragile Highland rural locations in which the mainstay of the economy is the tourism industry. Whilst the Royal National Mòd is not necessarily seen as part of the tourism industry, the substantial amount of money that it leaves in these areas at the end of the summer season is extremely important to the survival of the rural economy during the coming relatively quiet winter months. This can amount to up to £3 million at today’s prices, which is a very significant contribution indeed to the local economy.

Indeed, such has been the success of the event in recent years that there is very real competition amongst host areas to host this premium annual event which brings so much business to local economies at exactly the right time of the year. Having said that, the spending does multiply far beyond the local economy too – the charter flights from Islay alone leading to a minimum investment in the Scottish transport industry of £57,000!

However, there are also threats which can sometimes come from unexpected sources. Numbers attending the big events such as the Gold Medal Finals and the

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Lovat & Tullibardine Shield were marginally down this year and senior figures within An Comunn have debated if this could be caused by live televising on BBC Alba. There is currently no proof to either support or deny this but it could well be a question that should be included in next year’s research questionnaire.

Against this backdrop, John Swinney – the Education Minister and Deputy to Nicola Sturgeon - not only allocated more money for Gaelic Medium education this year but also robustly defended this decision in the light of the criticisms it received. He also chose to deliver his rebuttal whilst he was at the 2016 Mòd in the Western Isles. In so doing, he made the point that the Gaelic language was an integral part of Scotland’s heritage and that he would continue to support it as best he could in these difficult times. It was also good to see a return visit from the Prince Charles, especially since it was his second Mòd attendance in relatively recent times.

Last year we found that 66% of those asked about the contribution the Mòd made to the two main Scottish Government objectives of encouraging the take-up and use of the language felt that it made a very significant contribution indeed. The survey response was rather less positive this year, but this is not surprising in Islands that regularly use the Gaelic language and need no external encouragement to do so. The tremendous support received each year from the host area Local Authority also has to be acknowledged, and it was again made available to An Comunn by the Western Isles Council in 2016.

Future Threats

Our main objective each year is to provide the evaluation required by An Comunn Gàidhealach. There is also keen interest in the evaluation results from the particular host area as well as from the media. In addition, the consistency of the approach adopted in recent years has allowed the comparisons across host areas referred to above to be examined in a little more detail.

The cornerstone of the approach is provided by the research that is undertaken through one to one interviews with those attending the event each year. This was the responsibility of a team from Edinburgh Napier University under the leadership of Dr Kathy Velander but she decided last year that it would be her final involvement. This year we have therefore returned to Lomond Market Research whom we have previously used to undertake the research interviews.

The findings produced by the Lomond team are drawn upon heavily in firstly determining the number of unique and eligible visitors who attended the Mòd in the Western Isles in 2016. Based on the latter, we are then able to assess the various spending levels and impacts at each of two evaluation area levels: the Western Isles and Scotland as a whole.

However, we have also drawn upon the records kept by An Comunn on competitors. This gives us a very good, accurate number of competitors at this and

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previous events. The press coverage received is another important evaluation measure. We are fortunate in being able to draw upon the outputs provided by the media company employed by An Comunn to assess this, their outputs being presented inn Chapter 2 after our consideration of the Field Research outputs. The evaluation process is relatively complicated, but we have been consistent in its application over the years. The whole process begins with the field research findings which follow in Chapter 2.

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2. FIELD SURVEY RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

 Field Survey Results  Media Exposure

Field Survey Results

As well as the various Mòd funders and An Comunn itself there is also keen interest in the evaluation results from the particular host area as well as from the media, as previously mentioned – but worthy of repetition. In addition, the consistency of the approach adopted in recent years has allowed the comparisons across these host areas to be examined in a little more detail.

The cornerstone of the approach is provided by the research that is undertaken through one to one interviews with those attending the event each year. As noted earlier the An Comunn competitor records are also very important to the evaluation process in that they are drawn upon heavily in determining the number of unique and eligible visitors who attended the Mòd in the Western Isles in 2016. Based on the survey information we are also able to assess the various spending levels and impacts on the Western Isles and Scotland as a whole.

We also concluded last year - on the basis of consistent evidence over the years - that around one third of Mòd attendees were competitors. This year, however, the number of competitors was found to be 44% of total attendees. This was due to an over concentration of interviews in one of the performance venues where competitors gathered: what should have happened was that interviews should have been conducted across venues through approaching those going to and coming from different competitions in the different venues which included the Lewis Sports Hall as well as An Lanntair.

After considerable thought we believe that the best way forward would be to accept the 44% figure of 2016 but to also include the percentage of competitors in the 2011 Mòd in the Western Isles which we also evaluated. We then took an average over the two years which produced a competitor percentage of 40%. The interviewing error was made by the interviewers in innocence: the problem lay in their briefing for which we must partly take the blame. However, we also believe that the adjustment we have made has led to a robust competitor percentage and we are confident that the overall evaluation has produced wholly credible outputs.

In summary, we believe that an adjustment in the percentage of competitors is justified on the grounds of past experience and the jump in the percentage of competitors in 2016. That said, we also believe that it is credible to postulate that there was an increase in competitors at the 2016 Western Isles Mòd because fewer non-competitors travelled to the event from mainland Scotland.

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Despite the need to make this adjustment, the cornerstone of the approach is provided by the research that is undertaken through one to one interviews with those attending the event each year. The Research Agency findings are drawn upon heavily in determining the number of unique and eligible visitors who attended the Mòd in the Western Isles in 2016. Based on the latter, we are then able to assess the various spending levels and impacts on the Western Isles and Scotland as a whole.

Table 1: Place of Residence of Those Attending the Mòd

Western Isles Mòd 2016 Oban Mòd 2015 Actual Actual % % Number Number Resident in host 27% 54 10% 41 area (Stornoway) Resident elsewhere 14% 28 13 % - in Western Isles Resident elsewhere 58% 115 71 % 159 in Scotland Resident elsewhere 1% 2 4 % 2 in the UK Resident outside the 1% 1 2 % 2 UK

Key points in the above table were the far higher percentage of host area residents than there were in Oban last year. In addition, there were far less people attending the 2016 Mòd, who had made the journey from Scotland to attend the event; and the percentage of host area residents was higher in the Western Isles than it was in Oban. All of this points to a drop in visitors from mainland Scotland in 2016 but it was relatively modest in the current economic climate.

Table 2: Reason for Visiting the Mòd

Western Isles Mòd 2016 Oban Mòd 2015 Actual Actual % % Number Number Spectator at daytime event 2% 4 10% 18 Regular follower of the Mòd 2% 4 26% 20 Competitor 44% 80 16% 57 Friend/family of competitor 37% 70 37% 83 Mòd Organiser 2% 4 1% 2 Attending social events in evening 1% 1 1% 3 Other* 12% 22 8% 21

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This table also shows the relative dominance of competitors and the importance of friends and family in travelling to the 2016 event. As noted earlier, we have treated these findings with some caution in our estimate of total attendees at the 2016 Western Isles Mòd. As noted earlier we have treated this table in particular with some caution in our later analysis.

Table 3: Area of Residence

Day Day Overnight Overnight Area of Residence Visitors Visitors Visitors Visitors % Number % Number Resident in Stornoway area 68% 54 0% 0 Resident Elsewhere in Western Isles 31% 24 3% 4 Resident Elsewhere (in Scotland & Beyond) 1% 1 97% 117 Totals 100% 79 100% 121

Table 3 above contains information which is quite dramatic on one level, but wholly credible on another. It shows that almost all day visitors came from the Western Isles; and that almost all overnight visitors came from mainland Scotland. These are important findings as far as the evaluation process is concerned.

Table 4 Mòds Attended in the Previous 11 Years

Actual Actual Previous Mòd s % Previous Mòds % Number Number Western Isles 2016 Oban 2015 Oban 2015 65% 155 Paisley 2013 67% 137 Inverness 2014 77% 154 Dunoon 2012 62% 126 Paisley 2013 68% 136 Western Isles 2011 62% 125 Dunoon 2012 58% 117 Caithness 2010 49% 100 Western Isles 2011 45% 91 Oban 2009 54% 111 Caithness 2010 38% 76 Falkirk 2008 45% 91 Oban 2009 60% 121 Fort William 2007 53% 109 Falkirk 2008 37% 74 Dunoon 2006 44% 89 Fort William 2007 39% 79 Western Isles 2005 47% 95 Dunoon 2006 35% 71 Perth 2004 41% 84 Western Isles 2005 28% 56 Oban 2003 46% 94

It is interesting to see that a significantly smaller proportion of those who attended the previous Mòd in Oban attended the 2016 Mòd in the Western Isles compared to the 77% who attended the Western Isles event who had also been at the Inverness one. Indeed, it is quite interesting to see from the above table that there was a slightly higher percentage of people who had attended the Paisley event in 2013

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than those who attended the Oban Mòd a year later. That said, the analysis is of rather more interest than consequence.

Table 5: Nature of Visitors to the Western Isles Mòd?

Western Isles Mòd Oban Mòd 2016 2015 Actual Actual % % Number Number While staying away from home with 51% 102 69% 136 specific purpose of attending the Mòd From home in host area 26% 51 10% 50 More general day trip from home outside Stornoway area, not specifically for the 1% 1 0% 3 Mòd On a day trip from home from outside 14% 28 16% 4 Stornoway District Staying away from home while a on a more general holiday/a short break (i.e. 9% 18 5% 10 Mòd is incidental to the wider trip) Base 200

Just over half (51%) came to the 2016 Mòd for the specific purpose of attending the event. Given the 69% who came to the event in Oban for this purpose this is another indicator of perhaps less people travelling from mainland Scotland this year than might have been expected. Another 26% were attending from home in the host area; and 14% were on a day trip from home from outside the Stornoway district - albeit to take in the Mòd in the process.

As far as accommodation used is concerned, Table 6 overleaf indicates that much fewer in percentage terms stayed in hotels, slightly more staying in guest houses and B&Bs and many more were able to come to the event in 2016 from their own homes. All of this rather confirms the picture that there were less visitors from mainland Scotland at the 2016 event than might have been expected; but there was a very strong response from Western Isles residents in terms of competing in the 2016 Mòd and quite possibly as attendees as well.

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Table 6: Type of Accommodation Used

Western Isles Mòd Oban Mòd 2015 2016 Actual Actual % % Number Number Own Home 40% 79 26% 58 Hotel 5% 9 24% 72 Guest House/Bed & Breakfast 24% 47 17% 30 Rented Property/Hired Caravan 10% 21 18% 18 Own Caravan/Motor Van/Tent 1% 2 1% 3 Staying with Friends/Relatives 14% 28 8% 18 Hostel/Activity Centre 7% 13 6% 3 School/Community Hall - - - - Other 1% 1 - 2

Table 7: Significance of Mòd in Taking Trip

Western Isles Mòd Oban Mòd 2016 2015 Actual Actual % % Number Number Had an alternative holiday/leisure 11% 22 6% 6 trip in the host area (Western Isles) Had an alternative holiday/leisure 23% 46 16% 34 trip Scotland Had an alternative holiday/leisure 5% 10 4% 6 trip elsewhere in the UK Had an alternative holiday/leisure 7% 13 11% 8 trip overseas Would not have taken 22% 109 63% 150 holiday/leisure trip at this time Base 201

In Table 7 above almost twice as many people claimed that they would have taken an alternative holiday or leisure trip in the host area compared to the percentage who claimed this in Oban. Significantly more also said that they would have taken an alternative holiday in Scotland and a relatively modest 22% - as opposed to the 63% in Oban - said that they would not have taken any holiday or leisure trip at this time if the 2016 Mòd had not been held.

The data in the next table (Table 8) is central to the evaluation in that it contains information of spending by different types who attended the 2016 Mòd. The detailed information contained in the table presented below is therefore extremely important

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to the evaluation process, and we have therefore also highlighted those variables that are especially significant below (in emboldened purple). Some of the other values are somewhat surprising -- such as the total expenditure by large parties – but we have focussed on the average day and overnight spending figures per day and the party size and days spent in the Western Isles and Scotland respectively.

Table 8: Average Expenditure per Party and Person

Western Isles Mòd 2016 Oban Mòd 2015

Spending

Visitor

All All

Ind. Ind.

Party Party

Visitor Visitor Visitor

Overnight Overnight Overnight Overnight Overnight

Overnight Overnight Overnight

Visitor Ind. Visitor Ind. Visitor

Day Visitor Visitor Day Visitor Day

Day Day Visitor Day

Day Visitor Day Visitor Day Visitor

Large Party Large Party Large

Your party’s total spending at the 92.49 296.32 157.03 799.11 2787.7 1402.39 84.28 42.14 73.15 396.19 404.11 399.08 2016 Mod in Stornoway Your party’s total spending 11.27 7.32 10.01 94.03 7.33 67.73 6.26 3.93 5.64 39.80 12.59 29.87 elsewhere in the Western Isles Your party’s spending 7.24 5.21 6.6 77.74 7.33 56.38 11.87 23.57 14.96 96.26 58.46 82.47 elsewhere in Scotland TOTAL (e.g. accommodation, food and drink, travel to and from the Westrn Isles 165.64 283.73 203.73 975 3945.88 1897.99 102.41 69.64 93.75 532.24 475.17 511.42 and all other related items such as goods and souvenirs) Average Party Size 3.28 24.62 10.3 3.42 28.5 12.54 2 2.36 2.1 2.4 3.9 2.9 Average Party Size Covered by 3.69 3.79 3.72 4.11 14.73 7.27 2 2.07 2.02 2.21 2.8 2.4 spending Average number 3.26 3.15 3.23 3.99 2.82 3.56 1.8 1.4 1.7 3. 8 3.7 3.8 Days at Mod Average nights 5.13 3.57 4.56 0 0 0 4.8 3.9 4.5 away from home If Average nights in 1.45 0.89 1.25 the Western Isles Average per 47.35 80.03 69.05 76.56 52.47 135.91 77 person/per day

Table 9 overleaf gives an idea of the various activities pursued by those attending the 2016 Western Isles Mòd. Comparisons with last year’s findings in Oban are also provided. Key points are as follows.

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 Mòd attendees are real devotees in terms of attending Mòd competitions, but in 2016 the percentage attending on most days fell from 72% in 2015 to 42% in 2016. However 41% attended on some days compared to the 16% of last year. Attendance at Fringe events was also down on last year as far as reasonably regular attendances were concerned.

 Eating out in the Western Isles was also down on last year but visiting pubs in the host area was up. Shopping in the Western Isles was broadly on a par with last year but with Stornoway having a slight edge.

 Visiting attractions and/or other areas outside the host area are activities that are not generally pursued by those attending the Mòd and this was no different in Oban in 2015 – but it was significantly higher in the Western Isles in 2016.

Table 9: Activities Pursued While Attending the Western Isles Mòd (shown in bold)

2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 Q 14 - Pursuing activities Most Most Some Some Once Once Don’t Don’t None None days days days days only only Know Know % % % % % % % % % % Attending Mòd 42 72% 41 16% 12 9% 1 2% 4 1% performances Eating out in host area 33 53% 34 21% 17 20% 9 2% 8 3% Visiting host area pubs 27 20% 25 23% 8 13% 29 35% 13 8% Taking part in official Mòd Fringe events 18 23% 30 33% 19 14% 26 22% 9 8% daytime/ evening Shopping in host area 26 23% 36 28% 16 15% 14 20% 10 13% Visiting attractions or places of interest in host 11 2% 30 11% 11 13% 38 51% 12 22% area Visiting other areas outside host area for a 9 1% 18 5% 11 9% 50 63% 14 21% day/half-day trip

Table 10 below has become more important since we introduced our own particular means of measuring customer satisfaction. This gives particular weight to the percentages relating to the extremes of “well above” or “well below” prior expectations. However, we have found that that over the past few years little or nothing has been considered below average by those attending the annual Mòd. Nevertheless, interesting observations can be drawn from the “Well Above” categories at the top end of the marking scale.

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Table 10: Satisfaction with particular features of this trip (2015 figures shown in bold)

Well above Well above Above Above Matched expect % expect % expect expect expect 2016 2015 % 2016 % 2015 % 2016 Mòd/Fringe events added to the 17% 6% 15% 9% 37% overall experience Eating out in the local cafes and 11% 9% 18% 20% 58% restaurants Experience of local pubs 10% 9% 15% 9% 51% Visiting attractions and/or places 11% 6% 20% 5% 44% of interest in the area Information on the Mòd 11% 14% 22% 9% 56% Overall Mòd “Buzz” 12% 19% 21% 29% 51% Organisation of the Mòd 14% 13% 26% 9% 51% Competition venues 20% 27% 30% 13% 46% Stornoway as the host venue 20% 23% 27% 36% 42% The Town Centre 10% 10% 12% 20% 59% Accommodation 20% 19% 17% 18% 33% The Food Offer 12% 10% 24% 21% 47% Local Shopping 7% 11% 15% 18% 60%

In terms of satisfaction with particular activities pursued the highest rating was given to Stornoway as the host area and the competition venues as well as local accommodation. Perhaps paradoxically, the Fringe appears to have been more highly rated than its Oban equivalent despite the fact that less appear to have attended Fringe performances in 2016 (although we have not had access to actual figures on this). Pubs and catering were broadly on a par with each other over the two years. We have paid particular attention to those factors that are central to the actual event itself (highlighted in emboldened purple), our findings being shown in Table 11 below

Table 11: Satisfaction with Particular Features

Top % Rating in Top % Rating in Feature W’tern Isles in 2016 Oban 2015 Competition Venues 20% 30% The Host area “experience” 20% 27% Overall Mòd “buzz” 12% 21% Accommodation in the area 20% 17% Mòd Fringe events 17% 15% The Town Centre 10% 12% Pubs and restaurants (combined) 21% 33% Totals 120 155

Oban is a hard act to follow and to achieve an overall rating of 77% (120 divided by 155) on these main features against them is good. The four features that fell below the 77% rating are highlighted in purple: perhaps the most important was the relative lack of “buzz” at the 2016 event compared to Oban in 2015.

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Table 12: Respondent Likelihood of Returning to the Western Isles for a Holiday/Short Break

Western Isles 2016 Oban 2015 Return for Return for General Number General Number Holiday % Holiday % Definitely 34% 68 71% 121 Possibly 19% 38 15% 33 Probably Not 6% 11 1% 6 Definitely Not 1% 1 0% 2 Other (e.g. home) 41% 82 13% 42

Over the years we have come to view this table with some caution. It is easy to express a positive - and sometimes even a negative - view in the heat of the moment. It is a lot less likely that the intention will be pursued with the apparent vigour shown at the time. Nevertheless, with this caveat in mind It is interesting to note that considerably less stated that they would return for a general holiday in the Western Isles than had been the case in respect of Oban last year. Those saying that they possibly would were on a par with each other, but slightly more were positive in their intention not to return to the Western Isles for a future holiday or short break.

Comparative Analysis

Our comparative analysis has been a feature of our research findings in recent years. It is focused on the following four key questions.

1. Reasons for attending the Mòd 2. Alternative to Attending the Mòd 3. Likelihood of Returning for a Holiday Trip 4. Mòd Influence on the Desire to Learn Gaelic

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Table 13: Reasons for attending the Mòd (Comparative table)

Reasons for attending the Mòd

Isles Isles

Oban

Paisley

Dunoon

Western Western

Inverness Caithness

Away from home specifically to 51% 69% 70% 42% 63% 45% 54% attend the Mòd

On a day trip within the host area 26% 10% 26% 50% 9% 45% 15%

On a general day trip from outside 1% 0% 2% 3% 10% 4% 15% the host area

On a specific day trip from outside 14% 16% 2% 4% 6% 8% 16% the area to attend the Mòd Other 9% 5% 1% 1% 11% - -

As Table 13 shows, the Western Isles was around the middle against the above comparisons. These comparisons are interesting but they make little contribution to the evaluation analysis.

Table 14: Alternative to Attending the Mòd (Comparative table)

Alternative to attending the Mòd if Isles

event not held Isles

Oban

Paisley

Dunoon

Western Western

Inverness Caithness Take alternative holiday in host 11% 6% 3% 4% 6% 8% 3% area Take alternative holiday elsewhere 23% 16% 17% 25% 19% 18% 19% in Scotland Take alternative holiday elsewhere 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% n/a in the UK Take alternative holiday overseas 7% 11% 4% 4% 5% - n/a

No alternative holiday/leisure trip 22% 63% 74% 64% 76% 71% 78% Other 0% 0% 1% 1% - - -

Responses in Table 14 are generally much more positive than any of the other previous host areas over the past seven years. Again, however, the caveat that intentions can be quite divorced from actions has to be inserted. That said, the relatively high Western Isles percentage could well be an indicator of mainland Gaels returning home for the Mòd in 2016 in the knowledge that they would make

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further return trips in the future to see friends and family. This positivity is carried through in Table 15 below and it is on a par with the 2011 finding.

Table 15: Likelihood of Returning for a Holiday Trip (Comparative table)

Likelihood of returning for a Isles

holiday trip Isles

Oban

Paisley

Dunoon

Western Western

Inverness Caithness

Definitely 58% 71% 59% 16% 26% 56% 23% Possibly 32% 15% 16% 36% 49% 42% 53% Probably not 9% 1% 3% 28% 16% 2% 19% Definitely not 1% 0 1% 20% 8% 1% 4% Other 0% 13% 21% 7 1% 1 4

Table 16 below is an important one in that it tests the contribution that the Mòd makes to the Scottish Government Gaelic Language policies. Not surprisingly the results are less dramatic this year compared to last which is hardly surprising when one considers that Gaelic is much more widely used in the Western Isles when compared to Oban last year.

This is followed through in Tables 16 and 17 with the clear message that Gaels are firmly of the view that learning to speak the language and then using it are far more important than the Mòd contribution to the Gaelic language speaking cause. We would be very surprised to see this view expounded to the same extent next year in Lochaber.

Table 16: Mòd Influence on the Desire to Learn Gaelic (Comparative table)

Mòd influence on the desire to Isles

learn Gaelic Isles

Oban

Paisley

Dunoon

Western Western

Inverness Caithness None but would like to learn 19% 11% 12% 19% 10% 17% 17% Not interested in learning 6% 14% 8% 10% 9% - - language Speak and use Gaelic regularly 42% 29% 40% 32% 38% 39% 17% Currently learning to speak Gaelic 13% 19% 25% 18% 16% 30% 48% Lapsed Gaelic learner 13% 12% 6% 10% 13% 9% 7% Speak Gaelic but do not have the 4% 12% 6% 4% 10% 4% 7% opportunity to use it Speak Gaelic, rarely use it, would 5% 2% 3% 7% 5% 1% 4% like to speak it more and improve it

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Table 17: To what extent you think the Royal National Mòd contributes to the Scottish Government objectives of:

: Having the Having the Learning to Learning to opportunity opportunity speak speak to use to use Gaelic Gaelic Gaelic Gaelic (Total) (%) (Total) (%) It makes a very 14 56% 14 56% significant contribution It makes a significant 7 28% 9 38% contribution It makes little or no 4 16% 2 8% contribution

This concludes our presentation of the field research findings undertaken at the 2016 Mòd in the Western Isles. As ever, it is essential to the assessment of impact, this being presented in Chapter 3. Before that however we have included the WIRE report on media coverage before, during and after the event.

Media Exposure

We bring this chapter to a close with the WIRE public relations report on the media coverage associated with the 2016 Western Isles Mòd

There were a total of 261 pieces of coverage secured in total across 38 different media outlets including; newspapers, online news sites, radio stations and TV.

Highlights included:

 Stornoway Gazette - 38  The Press and Journal – 37  Oban Times – 34  The Scotsman – 27  The Herald – 13  West Highland Free Press - 13

The campaign objectives were met through a quality of spread of articles including:

 Content that appealed to both Mòd regulars, local families and beyond.

 The ‘Month to go’ announcement generated coverage in The Herald, The Oban Times, Isles FM, North Star, Press and Journal, West Highland Free Press, Oban Times, Inverness Courier, Ross-Shire Journal, Hebrides News, Island News and Advertiser, Stornoway Gazette, BBC ALBA’s An

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La, BBC Online and BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal.

 The ‘Opening Day’ announcement secured coverage in The Herald, Scotsman, BBC Online, The Press and Journal (front page), STV News, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC ALBA’s An La, The National and a host of online news sites.

 Engaged local media throughout, including Oban Times, Stornoway Gazette, Hebrides News, West Highland Free Press, North Star and Dunoon Community Radio.

 Features on the run up to the festival were secured in The Sunday Post, The Herald’s Checklist, double page in The Herald’s Saturday magazine, Daily Mail and the Inverness Courier.

 Daily coverage ran from the 14-22nd October in The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday, The Herald and Press and Journal, including a mix of front page and double page spreads.

 Weekly Coverage was secured in Oban Times, West Highland Free Press, Stornoway Gazette and North Star, key titles for The Mod.

This is a useful introduction to the evaluation of economic impact which follows in the penultimate chapter.

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3. ECONOMIC IMPACT AND OTHER ANALYSES

 Impact Analysis inputs  The Calculation of Impacts

Impact Analysis Inputs

Economic impact is generated by the creation of expenditure in a local economy that does not displace existing expenditure. On this basis, the impact of the 2016 Royal National Mòd in the Western Isles has involved the following steps:

 estimating the numbers of visitors, competitors and others attending the Mòd, and the expenditure associated with not only them travelling to and from the event but also what they spent in the Western Isles. In addition we have included the amount taken by An Comunn in direct sales and the total staging costs.

 and calculating the impact of on and off-site spending on Return on Investment (ROI).

This year we felt that there was bias towards competitors in the survey sample through focussing on the Main Hall in the Nicolson Institute to the possible “detriment” of the Lewis Sports Hall and An Lanntair. As a result too many competitors were interviewed as opposed to randomly interviewing audiences leaving events held in a range of venues. We therefore looked carefully at competitor numbers in the Western Isles during this and the previous three years and found that there were more competitors at the 2016 Western Isles Mòd in 2016 than there had ever been in recent years, as shown in the table below.

Number of Year Ranking Index Competitors 2001 2936 102 2005 2606 90 2011 2898 100 2016 3029 108 Average 2867 100

As noted earlier we felt unable to accept the research figure of 44% for competitors and after careful consideration and appreciation of why the error in the figure occurred we instead took the average competitor figure for 2011 and 2016 which produced 40% for competitors. Although this was high by historical standards it was also credible when one sees that the 2016 competitor number was higher than in any of the other three most recent Western Isles Mòds. It also produced a total estimated total number of 7573 total attendees which was some 4% less than

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numbers attending in 2011. This drop is in in line with An Comunn’s own evidence of 2016 sales.

Other information that is required in assessing the impact of the event is as follows.

 Day visitors made up an estimated 41% of the total number of visitors which equated to 2950 people.

 Average number of days spent at the 2016 Mòd was 3.23.

 Average day visitors party size was 3.72 persons.

 Overall average day visitor spend per person was £76.56.

 Average day visitors spend per day was £23.70.

The equivalent information for Overnight Visitors was as follows.

 Overnight visitors made up 59% of the total number of visitors, which equated to 4468.

 Average time spent in the Western Isles was 3.56 days.

 Average time spent elsewhere in Scotland was 1.00 days.

 Average spend/person for overnight visitors was £77.00.

The costs of staging the Mòd have been provided to us by An Commun. Direct An Comunn staging costs amounted to £211,500. However, it is our custom to add another 60% of An Comunn’s running costs, given that the organisation of this major annual event is its prime task and responsibility. These amounted to £235,340 in total, 60% of which amounts to £140,204. The total amount of £351,704 was mainly spent in Scotland and has therefore been added at the national level.

In practical terms we have taken all day trippers as being Western Isles residents whilst 97% of overnight visitors were from elsewhere in Scotland. Given a total visitor number of 7093 the split between day and overnight visitors was as follows.

Day trippers = 41% of 7573 which equates to 3105 Overnight visitors = 59% of 7093 which equates to 4468

The next step in taking us towards the calculation of economic impact is to apply the respective overnight and day visitor expenditure figures of £77.00 per day (3.56 in the Western Isles and 1.00 in Scotland) per head and £45.99 per party to the day visitor numbers, taking account of average party size of 3.72 and 3.23 days spent at

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the event. This produces the following on-site expenditure figures for those competing in and/or attending the 2016 western Isles Mòd.

Average Average Average Total Number Spend/Head Party Size Days Spent Expenditure Staying Visitors 4468 £77.00 n/a 4.56 £1,568,804 Day Visitors 3105 £23.70 3.72 3.23 £884,210 Totals 7573 £2,453,014

The vast majority of this expenditure was in the Western Isles and we will return to this point later in this chapter. By the same token the vast majority of the overnight staying expenditure would have been in Stornoway.

This is evidence of the economic contribution that the Mòd makes to island and rural communities in particular which is often overlooked by the many who see An Comunn as a purely Gaelic language organisation which runs a cultural event for Gaels. That is certainly true but it is equally true that the Mòd and An Comunn do a great deal more as well which should perhaps be more fully acknowledged.

The Calculation of Impacts

Our first step in the evaluation process is to calculate the number of “unique visitors” attending the Western Isles Mòd. This has already been done in the previous section in which we assessed the total number of visitors to the event in 2016. This amounted to 7573 which is a substantial number of spending visitors brought into islands at the end of the summer season. It is below the attendance figure in 2011 when the Mòd was previously held in the Western Isles but we believe that the Western Isles Authority and other funding agencies will be pleased with this result in the current economic climate, especially since spending levels held up well

However, this is but a starting point in that various categories of visitor next have to be excluded in order to determine the number of “eligible” visitors which can be used in the evaluation of the 2016 event. The steps in the process are as follows.

1. The calculation of total attendees, broken down by competitors and non-competitors and eliminating double counting of repeat visitors to produce unique visitors to the event. This was done in the last chapter. Displacement has also been taken into account.

2. Spending by local residents outwith the Mòd (which generates additional day visitor expenditure, perhaps at the expense of an off island holiday elsewhere) is not taken into account in calculating the respective impacts in each of the Western Isles and Scotland.

3. Casual visitors are also omitted. That is, visitors in the Western Isles, or Scotland who did not come because of the event. This is

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understandable - but with an important caveat. That is, if the event - in this case the Royal National Mòd - contributed to the overall enjoyment of the visit and as a consequence encouraged more repeat visits to the Western Isles or Scotland in the future it will have had some form of economic impact. In addition, if the event raised the host area profile within holiday and leisure markets it could also have a beneficial impact on that area. Nevertheless, in accordance with the defined methodology casual visitors have also been excluded.

4. This produces the number of “eligible visitors” who are then broken down into overnight visitors and day visitors, the former in turn normally being further broken down according to whether or not they are commercial or non-commercial visitors - although in this instance no commercial visitors were interviewed, as is the case every year.

Mòd impact was therefore generated by the spending of visitors in the Western Isles and Scotland by day and staying visitors because of the 2016 Mòd. The research survey indicated that the split between overnight and day visitors was 41/59 in percentage terms in favour of the former. The 3105 day visitors who came to the event spent £27.05 per day (but the average party size of 3.72 and 3.23 visits to the event also have to be taken into account). This produced £1,009,193 of total day visitor spending.

As far as overnight visitors are concerned we have found that there were 4468 people who stayed overnight at the Western Isles Mòd and that their spend per head was an estimated £77.00 per person per day. On average they stayed for 3.56 days in the Western Isles and another day in Scotland travelling to and from the event. In total they spent £1,568,804 in the process with £1,224,768 of this being in the Western Isles and £695,740 (including staging costs) being spent in Scotland.

The significant amount of day visitor expenditure – which was all in the Western Isles - - also has to be added. This amounted to £1,009,193 to give total spending on the islands of £2,233,961. The daily equivalent spend in the Western Isles over the eight days of the event was therefore a substantial £2,233,961. The spending in the rest of Scotland was very much less, our estimate being £344,036 plus the staging costs of £351,704. This produces an off site expenditure figure of £695,370.

These are the figures we will use in calculating the various Returns on Investment associated with the 2016 Mòd.

Impact analyses are provided for various purposes. The host area Local Authority and business community are obviously interested in the return on the former’s investment in the event and the amount brought into local businesses. EventScotland requires the ROI to be provided as a condition of funding and other public agencies are also interested in this figure as well as the wider impact analysis

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which is undertaken. In addition, the evaluation results are always of keen interest to the media.

In the case of events - which are essentially a marketing tool (although they also improve the short-term experience of visitors as well) - it is more relevant to calculate the return earned on the public sector investment (the ROI) in the event rather than full-time equivalent jobs (FTEs).

We have provided various ROIs, including two for EventScotland in the past. This is because we calculate the ROI for the Western Isles Authority but we have then in the past calculated the national ROI for EventScotland on the basis of omitting the host area from the national calculation. We believe this is harsh and quite possibly paints a false picture in that the host area (in this case the Western Isles) is very much a part of Scotland. This year we have therefore only provided the national ROI for EventScotland which includes the host area. However we have also introduced a combined ROI for all the national funding agencies in addition to their individual ones.

Western Isles Council = £2,233,961 divided by £150,000 = 15 to1

We believe it is justifiable to assume that the impact should be calculated on all the income left in the Western Isles by the event. he Local Authority’s £150,000 contribution is outstanding in the current economic climate but in return An Comunn can be equally happy that for every £ of investment in the event by the Council a return of £15 was earned in return.

EventScotland = £2,929,701 divided by £25,000 = 117 to 1

It may seem harsh to allocate the whole amount of income generated by the event to the calculation of this ROI but as is obvious and previously mentioned the Western Isles are an integral part of Scotland and EventScotland is a national organisation.

Creative Scotland £2,929,701 divided by £10,000 = 293 to 1

The same argument applies but the ROI is even higher than that for EventScotland because the assistance given was less. This could perhaps suggest that the Creative Scotland contribution should be on at least a par with that given by EventScotland.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise = £976,567 divided by £30,000 = 33 to 1

We always think of the HIE area as around one third of Scotland. In this instance the ROI is a respectable 33 to 1.

Bord na Gaidhlig = £1,464,887 divided by £60,000 = 24 to 1

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We have taken 50% of the total cash benefit associated with the Mòd simply because of the importance of the Gaelic language and the significance of BnG to its preservation. BnG has a vital leadership and co-ordination role to play in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Gaelic language objectives and we believe that the Mòd and An Comunn make an excellent contribution to these objectives. . It is against this backdrop that the ROI of 24 to 1 should be seen.

Local Organising Committee = £2,233,961 divided by £30,500 = 73 to1

The Local Organising Committees (LOCs) always do a tremendous amount of work and make a significant contribution to the annual Mòd and 2016 was no exception. The local fund raising effort allowed it to enjoy a fourth place ranking in this rather simplistic and even crude “league table”. We have added the LOC contribution to that of the Local authority in our calculation of the National and Regional ROIs that follow below.

National ROI = £2,929,701 divided by £125,000 = 23 to 1 (includes Regional Organisations)

Local ROI = £2,233,961 divided by £180,500 = 12 to 1

Both these ROIs are very respectable and justify the overall public sector investment in an event that brings economic as well as cultural and heritage benefits to its various host areas. Few other events can achieve this as consistently as An Comunn and the Royal National Mòd manages to do year on year.

Other Impacts

In previous years we have developed an approach to measurement that involves calculating the “Payback Period” for the Mòd which, as the aforementioned would suggest, involved assessing how long the event took to repay its public sector support. We did this through assessing the potential jobs generated by it. The analysis is rather more theoretical than a precise definition of economic forecasting (if such a thing exists!!) but it did suggest that the event always paid its public sector support back through the tax system as a result of the economic benefits generated by the jobs that it created through visitor expenditure. Mostly, the time taken was around three months and never any longer than eight months. That is the Mòd always manged (through its various impacts) to repay its public sector contributions in comfortably less than a year.

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4. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

 Key Points Summary  Main Conclusions

Key Points Summary

Despite the surrounding turmoil in what is currently a rather uncertain world the Royal National Mòd and An Comunn are pillars of stability. Both produce success without too much fuss or bother year after year – and they bring immense enjoyment to many in the process. Some things remain constant - and the annual holding of the Royal National Mòd is a prime example of sustainability and the retention of quality whilst at one and the same time managing to combine fun and pleasure with healthy competition every year, regardless of politics, economics or the machinations of world powers. The Mòd goes on in all circumstances: it is an event that only World Wars have thwarted and barring this happening in 2017 it will return to Lochaber next year and its other welcoming hosts in the following years.

The 2016 event attracted 7573 people to the Western Isles and the headline spending at the event was £2929,701 which includes the event staging costs. This equates to a daily individual spend at the Mòd of £366,213. Whilst there was some leakage to mainland Scotland it was very low and the ROIs calculated below are all very positive.

Other key statistics associated with the 2016 Mòd are summarised below.

 An estimated 40% of attendees were competitors, many of whom came from the Western Isles

 Day visitors made up an estimated 41% of the total number of visitors against the 59% who were overnight visitors.

 Average number of days spent at the 2016 Mòd by day visitors was 3.23 and the average day visitor’s party size was 3.72 persons.

The equivalent information for Overnight Visitors was as follows.

 Overnight visitors made up 59% of the total number of visitors.  Average time spent in the Western Isles was 3.56 days.  Average time spent elsewhere in Scotland was 1.00 days.

This and other information was fed into the 2016 evaluation of the event, We are delighted to say that the 2016 Mòd was very successful, thanks not only to the hard work of the An Comunn staff, but also to the generous contributions from a variety of

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funding sources, and especially from the host area Local Authority. An Comunn relies on these bodies and is extremely grateful for the support they provide - without which it is highly unlikely that the proud An Comunn record of holding the event in every year except the World War years since 1892 would be sustained.

The evaluation outputs are detailed in Chapter 3 in the form of the Return on Investment earned on the contributions of key funders, with particular reference to the Western Isles Council. The various ROIs earned are re-presented below for ease of reference.

Western Isles Council = £2,233,961 divided by £150,000 = 15 to1

EventScotland = £2,929,701 divided by £25,000 = 117 to 1

Creative Scotland £2,929,701 divided by £10,000 = 293 to 1

Highlands and Islands Enterprise = £976,567 divided by £30,000 = 33 to 1

We always think of the HIE area as around one third of Scotland. In this instance the ROI is a respectable 33 to 1.

Bord na Gaidhlig = £1,464,850 divided by £60,000 = 24 to 1

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Local Organising Committee = £2,233,961 divided by £30,500 = 73 to1

We have added the LOC contribution to that of the Local authority in our calculation of the National and Regional ROIs that follow below.

National ROI = £2,929,701 divided by £125,000 = 23 to 1 (includes Regional Organisations)

Local ROI = £2,233,961 divided by £180,500 = 12 to 1

After another successful event the Mòd and An Comunn can confidently move forward despite the individual challenges both the organisation and the event face from the growing uncertainties in a changing world. One can but hope that the real value of the Mòd will be fully appreciated by its funders, not only in respect of the contribution it makes to Scotland’s heritage, culture and language, but also as an important generator of significant income at the end of the tourist season in its annual host area. In 2016/17 the winter months will be less bleak than the Western isles might have faced without the headline expenditure of over £2.4 million generated on the Western Isles by the event. Whilst most of this was in Stornoway such income will to some extent percolate through the islands.

Main Conclusions

The main point, which we have been at pains to make throughout this and previous evaluations is that the Royal National Mòd is more than simply an important part of Scotland’s heritage and its culture. It has an economic purpose in the sense of generating invaluable expenditure within host areas which often are badly in need of such a stimulant at the end of the tourist season. We suspect that this economic dimension to the event is often overlooked.

However, we also repeatedly make the point that ultimately everything is built from the bottom up. This means that the continuing support of the host area Local Authority and the Local Organising Committee will continue to be vital, as will the very welcome contributions from other agencies. In the longer (but not much

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longer) term, However, An Comunn knows that it has a problem with its branches in the sense that they are failing to attract new blood. This is of concern in its own right but we also believe that allowing this to happen is a lost opportunity. The fight to sustain the Gaelic language is not one that has been won with a knockout blow by any means.

There is a need for a new initiative that will see the branch structure strengthened and greater links forged with the many schools which produce wonderful Gaelic singers who compete joyfully in this annual event each year. Despite this, there is a feeling of this young generation being lost to the Gaelic cause as they grow up and use their natural curiosity to find other things to see and do.

An Comunn - along with others in the Gaelic community - has a role to play in bringing new hope to those who believe in sustaining and growing this very important part of Scotland’s heritage and culture. In the meantime, however, An Comunn will continue with the work that has started some time ago in preparing for the Royal National Mòd of 2017 which returns to Lochaber. This is another favourite host area with those who attend this annual event. As a native of Fort William, I and many others are confident that the town will not let itself - or An Comunn - down.

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Appendix: Survey Questionnnaire

Stornoway 2016 Mod Questionnaire

We, The market specialists in collaboration with Lowland Market Research, are undertaking a survey of visitors to this year’s Mòd on behalf of An Comunn Gàidhealach. Would you be willing to spare around ten minutes of your time to answer some questions about your visit to the Mòd? We ensure anonymity of your responses, so please answer the questions as honestly as possible. Please note that we are consultants who are not in any way involved with the organisation or running of the Mòd.

Showcard 1 1. What is your main reason for attending the Mòd? (Please tick only one answer)

Main Reason for attending Competitor Friend/family of competitor(s) Regular follower of the Mòd but not related to or friend of competitor(s) Spectator at daytime event Mòd organiser Attending social events in evening Media representative Sponsor/VIP Contractor Volunteer Other (write in)

2. Are you part of a school group, choir or other large party?

Yes 1 (if yes go to Q2a) No 2 (If no go to Q3)

2a. If yes, what type of large group are you part of?

School Group Other large party Choir

2b Please give the approximate number in the group ______.

3. We would like to know the number of competitors and non competitors/spectators in your party who are attending this year’s Mòd.

(i) How many competitors are in your party attending the event? (Do not include choir members outside your immediate friends and family) (ii) How many friends and/or family - excluding competitors - are in your party attending the event (iii) Total persons in your party

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Showcard 2 4. Where do you live? (please choose from showcard)

Stornoway and the surrounding area Elsewhere in the Western Isles Elsewhere in Scotland Elsewhere in the UK Outside the UK (state country)

(a) If from the UK please give your postcode ______

Showcard 3 5. Which previous Mòds have you attended in the last 11 years?

Oban 2015 Oban 2009 Inverness 2014 Falkirk 2008 Paisley 2013 Fort William 2007 Dunoon 2012 Dunoon 2006 Western Isles 2011 Western Isles 2005 Caithness 2010 None

6. Are you visiting this year’s Mòd …

On a day Trip (go to section 6a) Whilst staying away from home for one or more nights (go to section 6b)

Showcard 4 6a) Which of the statements on this card best describes your day trip today?

Day Trip Travelling from your home within the Stornoway area specifically to visit the Mòd? Travelling from your home elsewhere in the Western Isles specifically to visit the Mòd? Travelling from your home elsewhere in Scotland / UK specifically to visit the Mòd On a general day trip from home outside the Western Isles (which includes Stornoway)

where attending the Mòd is just one of your activities Go to Q9

Showcard 5 6b) Which of the statements on this card best describes your trip today?

Staying away from home for one or more nights Staying away from home for one or more nights specifically to attend the Mòd? Staying away from home on a more general holiday/a short break ( Mòd is incidental to

the wider trip)? Other (state) ______

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Showcard 6 7. Where are you staying? Own Home Staying with Friends/Relatives Hotel/Motel Hostel/Activity Centre Guest House/Bed & Breakfast School/Community Hall Rented Property/Hired Caravan Campground Own Caravan/Motor Van/Tent Other

7a. Where is your accommodation located (please give name of place)______

8. How many nights will you be spending away from home in the following areas on this trip? Nights None (day trip from home) Within the Stornoway area Within elsewhere in the Western Isles Elsewhere in Scotland Total Nights away from home

Showcard 7 9. What would you have done today / this week if the Mòd was not staged in the Western Isles? Had an alternative holiday/leisure trip in Stornoway Had an alternative holiday/leisure trip elsewhere in the Western Isles Had an alternative holiday/leisure trip elsewhere in Scotland Had an alternative holiday/leisure trip elsewhere in the UK Had an alternative holiday/leisure trip Overseas Would not have taken holiday/leisure trip at this time

10(a) During your visit to this year’s Mòd, how much will you and your immediate party spend? (e.g. accommodation, food and drink, travel to and from the Western Isles and all other related items such as goods and souvenirs) (EXCLUDE all expenses paid centrally from choir funds)

Your party’s total spending at the 2016 Mod in Stornoway (excluding entrance fees)

Your party’s total spending elsewhere in the Western Isles (excluding entrance fees)

Your party’s spending elsewhere in Scotland (excluding entrance fees)

TOTAL (e.g. accommodation, food and drink, travel to and from the Western Isles and all

other related items such as goods and souvenirs)

10(b) How many people does the above spending cover? ______persons

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11. How many days will you visit the Western Isles Mòd this year? One Two Three 4 or more (write in exact number)

11a How many events (excluding Fringe events) do you expect to attend? ______

Showcard 8 12. While attending this year’s Mòd in Oban, can you tell me the extent to which you will be pursuing the following activities during your trip? Most Some Once Don’t None Days Days Only Know Attending Mòd Performances Taking part in official Mòd Fringe events in the day/evening Eating out in the Stornoway area Visiting Stornoway pubs Shopping in Stornoway Visiting attractions and/or places of interest in the Stornoway area Visiting other areas elsewhere in the Western Isles for a day/half-day trip Other (state) ______

13. Please answer the following questions about this year’s Fringe at the MOD.

(a) Have you/do you intend to go to any Fringe events at the MOD this year?

Yes 1 Go to Q13b No 2 Go to Q14

(b) If so, how many? ………………………….

Showcard 9 (c) How does this year’s Mod Fringe compare with others you have attended in the past? Much Better Better About the Same Not As Good Much Less Good

(d) What was the best Fringe event you attended this year? ……………………………………………

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Showcard 10 14. Against your prior expectations, how satisfied have you been with the following features of this year’s Mòd?

Well above Above Matched Below Well below No

Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations Comment (A) Organisation of the Mòd (B) Mòd Competition Venues (C) Information on the Mòd (D ) Stornoway as the Host Destination for the Mòd (E) Local shopping (F) The Wider “Town Centre” Experience in Stornoway (G) Local Restaurants/Cafes (H) Local Pubs (I) Your Overnight Accommodation (J) Mòd Fringe events (K) The Buzz/Overall Atmosphere of the Mòd (L) Visitor Attractions (M) The Food Offer

Showcard 11 15. How important was this event in your decision to visit the Western Isles Very Important Quite Important Neutral Not important Not at all important Live in the Western Isles

Showcard 12 16. What is the likelihood of you/your party returning to the Western Isles (which includes Stornoway) for a holiday/short break in the future? Return for General Holiday Definitely Possibly Probably Not Definitely Not

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Showcard 13 17. In relation to the Gaelic language, which of the following describes you best? I have no Gaelic but would like to learn I am not interested in learning Gaelic I speak Gaelic and use it regularly I am currently learning Gaelic (classes/self-taught) I am a lapsed Gaelic learner I can speak Gaelic but rarely use it I can speak Gaelic but rarely use it and would like more opportunities to speak the language or improve my language skills

Showcard 14 18. How has your attendance at the Royal National Mòd impacted on your aspiration to learn or improve your Gaelic ` language skills? Not at all A little Some A lot Greatly

Showcard 15 19. To what extent you think the Royal National Mòd contributes to the Scottish Government objectives of… It makes a It makes a It makes very significant little or no significant contribution contribution contribution …learning to speak Gaelic …having the opportunity to use Gaelic

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Showcard 16 20. Where did you hear about the 2016 Royal National Mòd in Stornoway? Tick all that apply and give details where possible Newspaper/Magazine

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Word of Mouth

Visitor Information Centre

TV advert

Other TV

Youtube

Radio

Other______

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP

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