The Scottish Languages Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026

Made: 5th March 2026

Laid before the Scottish Parliament: 9th March 2026

Coming into force: 21st March 2026

The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 48(2) and (3) of the Scottish Languages Act 2025[^f00001] and all other powers enabling them to do so.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Scottish Languages Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 21 March 2026.

• (2) In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Scottish Languages Act 2025.

Appointed days: section 4 of the Act

2

• (1) 21 March 2026 is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 4 of the Act, for the local government area of Na h-Eileanan an Iar[^f00002].

• (2) 1 September 2026 is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 4 of the Act, for the local government areas of Highland and Argyll and Bute.

• (3) Subject to paragraphs (1) and (2), 1 January 2027 is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 4 of the Act, for all other local government areas specified in column 1 of Part I of schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994[^f00003].

Appointed day: section 32 of the Act

3

15 September 2026 is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 32(2), (3), (4), (6) and (7) of the Act.

Signed

KATE FORBES — A member of the Scottish Government — 5th March 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations bring provisions of the Scottish Languages Act 2025 (“the Act”) into force.

They bring section 4 of the Act into force, to enable local authorities to designate all or part of their areas as areas of linguistic significance, for the following local government areas on the dates specified—

• Na h-Eileanan an Iar on 21 March 2026

• Highland on 1 September 2026

• Argyll and Bute on 1 September 2026

• All other local government areas in Scotland on 1 January 2027

These Regulations also bring section 32(2), (3), (4), (6) and (7) of the Act into force, requiring the Scottish Ministers to take such action as they consider appropriate to support the development of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig as the national centre for Gaelic language, education and culture in Scotland, on 15 September 2026.

The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 31 July 2025. Section 48(1) of the Act brought into force Part 3 of the Act on the day after Royal Assent.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2025 asp 10.

[^f00002]: Section 48(3) of the Act provides that regulations under section 48(2) may make different provision for different areas. Section 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) provides that Scotland shall be divided into the local government areas named in schedule 1 of that Act. The name of the local government area of Western Isles was changed into Gaelic by the council for that area in exercise of their powers under section 23 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65).

[^f00003]: 1994c. 39.