John MacKay described the move as "unwanted and unnecessary" at a time when teacher numbers in local schools have been cut by the Scottish Government.

Mr MacKay's concern echoes that of Thurso councillor John Rosie, who last week condemned the Gaelic post as a misuse of taxpayers' money and claimed that only a tiny percentage of the Caithness population have any interest in the language.

The announcement that the county is to have its first Gaelic development officer was made by culture minister Mike Russell at the Royal National Mod in Oban.

Mr MacKay, Labour's candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross at the next Westminster election, said this week: "It is a needless position that should not have been created and will not benefit the people of Caithness.

"In August the SNP cut teacher numbers at a number of primary schools and the two secondary schools in the county. Just a couple of months later they have decided to waste £35,000 on this unwanted and unnecessary Gaelic development officer.

"Any parent in Caithness whose child is now in a composite class at primary school, or whose child has had their subject choices in secondary school compromised, must be wondering where the SNP's priorities lie."

Mr MacKay went on: "It is actually quite a strange move by the SNP to make a decision that they know will be unpopular with voters. So far in government they have been good at being populist, but when it comes to making policy that will be less popular with the electorate they either blame the Westminster government or get local councils to take responsibility.

"But this decision has come straight from an SNP minister, so for once there is no doubt about who should take the blame.

"Elsewhere in Scotland the Nats have been obsessed with not upsetting the public by being populist. Therefore we can only assume that by imposing this decision on us and creating this new post they are taking the people of Caithness for granted.

"We are clearly not on their political radar. This misjudgement, though, will mean the SNP won't be on the Caithness electorate's radar at next year's general election."

As reported in last week's Caithness Courier, Mr Rosie – an independent member of the Highland Council – said the appointment was a further move to "impose" what the vast majority of people in Caithness regard as "an alien language, of no value to them in these modern times".

He said: "I have to wonder why the minister did not bother to consult the people of Caithness regarding this latest appointment since less than one per cent of them have any interest in the language."

Mr Rosie also warned that the Highland Council was risking "cultural apartheid" in its drive to promote Gaelic-speaking schools.

Announcing the appointment during the opening of the 2009 Mod earlier this month, Mr Russell explained that the development officer will oversee preparations for next year's Mod in Caithness as well as having a wider role in supporting Gaelic learning and development across the county.

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