Alasdair was born and brought up in Stepps, Lanarkshire. He learned Gaelic as an adult at Glasgow University and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. He has been working as Gaelic Officer at the Scottish Parliament for the past six years and before that he was Gaelic Development Officer at Perth and Kinross Council.

Alasdair takes a keen interest in language policy and planning. He obtained a PhD from the University of Edinburgh Celtic Department, on Gaelic learners and the role they play and ought to play in reversing language shift in Scotland. This research has now been published as a book. He has written academic papers both on Gaelic learners and on Gaelic development in urban settings. Before he became a public servant, Alasdair was deeply involved in Gaelic activism.

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