Oban parents saved almost 2,000 dumped Gaelic books

Parents were able to save some of the books before the skip was removed

Parents managed to save almost 2,000 Gaelic books - some of the them brand new - before the skip they were found dumped in was removed, it has emerged.

Earlier this week, Argyll and Bute Council said it was investigating why the books were thrown out near an education building in Oban.

In a new statement, it has apologised for the distress and upset caused.

Parents have told BBC An Là more than 120 dictionaries they saved had been donated to Oban High School.

Some of the books, which included children's literature and educational material, were new and still in their wrapping.

Parents organisation Comann nam Pàrant has described the incident as disappointing and written to Argyll and Bute Council demanding answers.

The council said: "We apologise for any distress or upset caused and are taking the matter very seriously.

"Making the best possible use of the resources we have is always a priority. Moreover we dedicate a lot of time and effort to supporting the Gaelic language.

"We had already removed a number of Gaelic resources from the education office, for sharing among our services, and understand the concerns about why this has not happened with all resources."

The council said it was carrying out a full investigation and lessons would be learned.