A fourth Gaelic language school is set to be created in Glasgow following a surge in demand for bilingual education.

The new facility will join Glendale Primary in Pollokshields, the Glasgow Gaelic School in Berkeley Street and the annexe at Cartvale Scool in Govan in offering Gaelic Medium Education (GME) as part of a £2 million investment.

Deputy first minister John Swinney made the announcement as he launched the 2019 Royal National Mòd - the national celebration of Gaelic language and culture - in the city on Friday.

READ MORE: Gaelic school for Glasgow gets £1.9 million of Scottish Government funding

He said: “GME is central to our efforts to support the language and we must ensure it also has strong links to Gaelic in the home, the community, or the workplace."

“We want to ensure those who wish to learn and use the Gaelic language are given every opportunity to do so, and I believe we are at a crucial turning point for promoting Gaelic education in Scotland."

He added: “In the 20 years since the first Gaelic primary opened, Gaelic education has been highly valued by children, parents and carers."

"The new Gaelic Primary School in Glasgow would undoubtedly allow more children to access the benefits of such an education.”

READ MORE: Glasgow's Gaelic School to create new annexe to cope with soaring demand for places

More than 3,000 pupils were educated at GME schools across the country in the 2018/19 academic year, according to figures released by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Cllr Chris Cunningham, convener for education, skills and early years said: “GME in the city has never been so popular and this demand is a testament to the commitment of the council to preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture."

“More and more parents are choosing GME for their children and young people and the benefits that this brings to a child’s learning."

He added: "We are proud to now be in a position to engage with families across the city about a fourth primary school in the city to meet the growing demand for GME."

“We’ve been engaging with the parent bodies over the last couple of years and a formal consultation will be launched for all stakeholders to make their views known by the end of this year.”