To ask the Scottish Executive what support or encouragement it has given to VisitScotland or other tourist bodies to promote Doric or Lallan Scots language tourism.

The Scottish Executive considers Scots and its regional forms to be an important part of Scotland’s distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage. VisitScotland is therefore encouraged to promote Scots language tourism where it is appropriate to do so. For example, VisitScotland supports the Doric Festival which takes place in and around Aberdeen every autumn, and EventScotland supports a number of events celebrating the work of Robert Burns. Celebrating the life and work of Burns will also be one of the themes of Year of Homecoming in 2009.