Scottish Gaelic
A rich language with a resilient heritage which is now experiencing a revival among enthusiastic new learners
By Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Image by Chris Aldridge
Uk, Scotland, Edinburgh, Dugald Stewart Monument on Calton Hill (2007-03-14) by Luke CameronGetty Images
What is Scottish Gaelic?
Scottish Gaelic is an Indo-European language and a close relative of Irish and Manx Gaelic. It was brought to Scotland from Ireland in the 4th–5th centuries AD, by settlers who founded the Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riata, on Scotland's west coast in present-day Argyle.
Old Gaelic Script (2022) by Sabhal Mòr OstaigSabhal Mòr Ostaig
Early Days in Scotland.
It was further strengthened by the Hiberno-Scottish Mission - a series of expeditions beginning in the 6th Century and undertaken by Gaelic speaking Celtic Christian missionaries originating in Ireland. From these beginnings the influence of Gaelic spread throughout Scotland.
The Book of Clanranald (2022) by Sabhal Mòr OstaigSabhal Mòr Ostaig
Despite facing persecution since the time of King James 6, whose Scottish Parliament enacted laws against it from 1616 onwards, Gaelic continued to be transmitted through oral tradition by native speakers.
Even the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872, which made English the sole language of instruction in Scottish schools, did not succeed in its aim of killing it.
Bagpipe Music and Chanter (2022) by Sabhal Mòr OstaigSabhal Mòr Ostaig
Since the rise of Gaelic Medium schools from the 1980s onwards, the Gaelic language has grown in profile once again. So much so, that the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 gave Gaelic equal respect to English as a national language of Scotland.
Stack of Gaelic Books (2022) by Sabhal Mòr OstaigSabhal Mòr Ostaig
57,600 people reported being fluent in the Gaelic language - approximately 1% of the population (Scotland’s Census 2022). Furthermore, 130,000 people reported that they “had skills in Gaelic” (Scotland’s Census 2022).
The 'An Cùrsa Adhartais' class (2025) by Sabhal Mòr OstaigSabhal Mòr Ostaig
Today, many new initiatives, including extensive online language-teaching, are bringing the language to new generations of Gaelic speakers, worldwide. To give one example, currently, over a million people are taking their first steps forward in Gaelic using Duolingo.
Written by Iain D. Urchardan
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.