The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 200S received the unanimous support of the Scottish Parliament in April 200S and came into effect in February 2006. This legislation, which followed a long campaign by Gaelic organisations and a drawn-out process of recommendatio ns, reports and consultations, is a milestone in the institutionalised provision for the language. The Act promises to bring significant changes in the way public bodies in Scotland deal with the Gaelic language and the Gaelic community, and should go some way towards achieving its stated objective of 'securing the status of Gaelic as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect with the English language'. Nevertheless, it remains far from clear how the Act will be interpreted and implemented, and what its practical impact will actually be. The fact that the Act was passed unanimously might actually be considered a warning sign, for Scotland is by no means united in its view of Gaelic: for a small minority Gaelic is a central feature of daily life and personal and community identity, but for many the language is remote, little-understood and rarely thoughtabout, and for some it is irritating, anachronistic or pointless. Much of the real controversy concerning public provision for Gaelic has effectively been deferred, for the Act is deliberately vague in key respects. In particular, it remains to be seen how Scotland's public bodies will interpret their responsibilities under the Act, and whether the Gaelic community and Gaelic organisations, especially Bord na Gaidhlig, the new statutory language development body, will be satisfied by their response.