Scottish Gaelic & The Gaelic Language - VisitScotland

Dating back centuries, Gaelic is the founding language of Scotland that is thought to originate from Ireland. It spread its way across the country as the ... Skiptocontent   WatchtheScottishGaelic:Explainedvideonow! Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings Home About UniquelyScottish Gaelic WhatisGaelicanditsorigins? Datingbackcenturies,GaelicisthefoundinglanguageofScotlandthatisthoughttooriginatefromIreland.ItspreaditswayacrossthecountryastheprincipalScottishlanguageofthemedievalKingdomofAlba,extendingfromtheBorderstoAberdeenshire,theHighlandsandIslands. Inthelate18thcentury, theGaeliclanguagewasheavilysuppressed duringthe infamousHighlandClearances followingtheturbulentJacobiteuprisings.AlthoughspeakersoftheScottishlanguagewerepersecutedoverthecenturies,Gaelic isstill spokentodayby around60,000Scots. Endowedwitharichheritageofmusic,folkloreandculturalecology,GaelicinScotlandisthrivingand enjoyingarevival!It canbeheardinLowlandpubsand atHebrideanceilidhs.It hasevencrossedovertopopularculture,havingbeenfeaturedin thephenomenallysuccessfulTVseriesOutlander. Whynot... CharmlocalnativespeakersbylearningsomeusefulGaeliclanguagephrases! CheckoutLearnGaelicforamazinglanguageresources,includingvideosand courses. Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings Previous Next TraditionalsongsandGaelicmusichavebeenattheheartofScottishcultureforcenturiesandithasneverbeenmoreimportanttosupport ourmanycreativetalents.Soputonyourdancingshoesandgetreadyforsomefoot-stompingtunesasyoutravelthroughScotlandtothesoundsofthemostexcitingcontemporaryfolkmusiciansandsingers. Listentotradmusic Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings MountainsoftheOuterHebrides,Scotland'sGaelicislands1:54 WatchasCalumMacleanprovidesaninsightintothespectacularnaturallandscapesofHarris,andhowGaelicoffersadeeperconnectiontoyoursenseofplaceontheislands. OuterHebridesScotland'sGaelicislands2:30 GetreadytocelebrateallthingsGaelic!Gaelicisattheheartofourislands,fromthefoodweeattotheclothewewearandallthatsurroundsus... ScottishGaelic:ExplainedDiscovereverythingyouneedtoknowabouttheGaeliclanguageandGaelicinScotlandwiththishandyvideo. Watchnow WhereisGaelicspoken? IsGaelicstillspoken? Yes!You'remostlikelytohearScotsGaelicspokenin TheHighlandsandislands,particularlyintheOuterHebrides,ontheIsleofSkye,andto alesserextentinArgyll&TheIsles. YoucanseetheGaeliclanguageonroadsignsacrossthecountry,hearitintheatres, onradioandtelevisionproductions,orbychattingtothelocals!ThecitiesofGlasgowandEdinburghhavelargeGaelicpopulationstoo-nearlyhalfofallGaelicspeakersliveintheLowlands. TheNovaScotiaregioninCanada,NewZealand,Australia,andotherregionsinNorthAmericaalsoboastproudGaeliccommunities- establishedafterthe18thand19thcenturywavesofemigration. OldScottishjoke Q:WhatdoyoucallapigeonthatgoestoAviemoreforitsholidays? A:Skeandhu. Clues: Aviemore-Scotland'smostpopularskiingresort Skeandhu-ceremonialdagger(pronouncedsimilarto'skiingdoo') Dhu(pronounceddoo)- anddooisthe Scotswordforadoveorpigeon Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings GaelicOrigin,HeritageandLegacy TheGaeliccommunityhassuppliedScotlandwithmanyofthecountry'snationalicons,includingthekilt,tartan,sporran,bagpipes,ceilidhs,Highlandgamesandwhisky! You'llbesurprisedhowgreatlytheGaeliclanguage hasbeenpreservedthroughliterature,artsandfolklorefromacrosstheages,despiteover200yearsofsuppressionandcondemnation.ScottishGaelicisstillvibrantinthemodernworld,withtheOuterHebridesbeingtheheartlandofit. Todayyoucanstill: HearrichGaelicsingingandfoot-stompingtraditionalmusicinpubsandonstreets. Immerseyourselfintraditionalreels,jigsandwaltzesandenjoythepartyspiritofaceilidh. AbsorbthehistoryandcustomsofGaelicmusicandsongatoneofScotland'straditionalmusicfestivalssuchastheHebrideanCelticMusicFestival,HarrisArtsFestival,BarraLive,CelticConnectionsoratvariousFèisean(festivals). DiscoverartsandcraftsproducedbypeoplewithGaelicheritage,includingHarrisTweed- aluxurious,hard-wearingfabriconlywovenintheOuterHebrides. WheredoesGaeliccomefrom? TheGaeliclanguageoriginatesfromthefifthcenturyinareasincluding NorthEasternUlster(asmall,northernprovinceinIreland),theIslandsofCaledonia,andthenorthwesterncoastlinesofIreland.SpokenbypeoplecalledGaels,theGaeliclanguagemigratedandtodaytherearesixCelticlanguagesremaining:ScottishGaelic,Irish,Welsh,Breton,Cornish,andManx. WhatisScots? WhereScottishGaelicisanancientlanguageofitsown,ScotsismoresimilartotheEnglishlanguagewithregionaldialectandphrasesmixedin.AlotofScotswordsandphrasesdifferthroughoutScotlandasyoumovethroughvariousareas;somephrasesarecommononthewestcoast,whereasothersmayonlybeheardintheverynorthHighlands. FindoutmoreaboutspeakingScotswordsandtheirmeanings Didyouknow? Youmaynotevenrealiseit,butyoualreadydospeaksomeGaelic! WHISKYShortformofwhiskybae,fromuisge-beatha,meaningthe'wateroflife'. Don'tmiss... JointhefunattheBlasfestival, with traditionalsongsandGaelicmusicoftheHighlandsandislands,anddon'tmiss the RoyalNationalMod, anannualcelebrationoftheGaeliclanguageandmore! Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings AGuideToSafeTravelsinScotland//GaelicLanguageVersion2:21 WeallknowScotlandistheperfectholidaydestination;withourswoopinglandscapes,captivatinghistory,deliciouslocalproduce,andourculture-filledcities,weknowyou'reeagertogetbackoutthereandexplore.CheckoutourvideoonhowtomakethemostoutofyourdreamtriptoScotlandwhilestayingsafe! Previous Next IsleofRum-cyclingaroundRumCuillin Opensanewwindow Aberdeenshire-historicfishingvillageofCrovie Opensanewwindow Aberdeenshire-exploringBowFiddleRock Opensanewwindow Perthshire-bungeejumpatKilliecrankie Opensanewwindow Shetland-summersolstice'night'boattrip Opensanewwindow Shetland-walkingtoStNinian'sIslealongTomboloBeach Opensanewwindow Perthshire-cyclingthroughBenLawersNNR Opensanewwindow IsleofRum-wildcampingwithhorses Opensanewwindow CourtesyofCaledoniaTVonbehalfofBBCALBA Cookiesarerequiredtoviewthiscontent.Changeyourpreferencesat ManageCookieSettings Previous Next 10GaelicPlaceNames&TheirMeanings  StAndrew&theSaltire  Kilts&tartan  Bagpipes&ceilidhs  Thistle  Scotland'scrownjewels  Nessie