The Highland Council has earmarked a classroom in Thurso's Pennyland School to accommodate the first intake of four-year-olds.

Gaelic language activists welcomed the initiative, which follows on from the success of the Gaelic nursery run in the town. But the schedule has been hit by a failure to find a teacher to take the class.

Veda Mackay, a parent of one of the prospective pupils, yesterday bemoaned the setback. Ms Mackay is also questioning why the local authority is not to re-advertise for the post until after the summer holidays.

Her four-year-old daughter Lucy and her other would-be Gaelic classmates are now having to start their schooling in a mainstream class.

Ms Mackay, of Royal Terrace, Thurso, said: "I believe they had interest from a teacher but she's decided to go elsewhere. I can understand that but it seems odds that they are not going to re-advertise until after the start of the new school term.

"Surely, just now is when people are looking for jobs?"

She said the delay has caused a headache for her and other parents of four-year-olds who had gone to the Croileagan Inbhir Theorsa nursery, which is based in Thurso's Mount Pleasant School.

She said: "Do we go to Pennyland and hope that the unit will get up and running soon or carry on at Mount Pleasant?"

Ms Mackay has previously accused the council of dragging its feet in establishing a unit in the county.

Finlay Macleod, director of the pre-school Gaelic promotional group CNSA, yesterday said he is very disappointed to learn of the setback.

He also found it strange that the council is not re-advertising immediately.

"Why are they waiting until the schools go back?," he asked. "Now is the time when people tend to be looking for a job."

Mr Macleod added that a Gaelic trained teacher was until very recently working at Thurso's Miller Academy.

"This person was looking for a job in a Gaelic medium unit but I understand he was not even approached about the Pennyland post.

"If they were so desperate to get the unit off the ground, why was this person – who I understand has since got a post in Dingwall – not contacted?"

Mr Macleod continued: "It also seems odd to us that this all came to light on the week the schools closed. With all the machinations that have been going on, you could easily think that the council doesn't want to start the unit in Thurso.

"I hope that is not the case but it certainly looks that way."

The council had nine expressions of interest for places in the new unit though it is understood that the number has since dropped by about half.

A council spokesman yesterday confirmed that the teacher lined up for the unit had withdrawn her interest and opted to take up a post at the Gaelic medium unit based in Bonar Bridge.

He said: "We have been unable to fill the position at Pennyland and we therefore cannot go ahead with the unit at this point.

"It's not easy to attract someone qualified as a Gaelic medium education teacher – they are like hen's teeth."

The spokesman said the council does not normally advertise for teaching staff over the summer holidays.

He added that while the number of places has dropped to four or five, it still exceeds the minimum required.

The spokesman insisted the council is fully committed to commissioning the new unit, which would happen just as soon as it was able to attract a teacher. The current nearest Gaelic medium education unit is 44 miles away in Tongue.

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