AN INTRODUCTION TO SCOTLAND’S LANGUAGES
Waverley Gate 2–4 Waterloo Place Edinburgh EH1 3EG Scotland UK 249 West George Street Glasgow G2 4QE Scotland UK Reception +44 (0) 330 333 2000 Enquiries +44 (0) 845 603 6000 [email protected] www.creativescotland.com The Languages of Scotland
The indigenous languages of Scotland are Gaelic and Scots. Both languages are part of our history and culture with rich oral traditions still very much alive in song, drama and storytelling. The literature of both languages goes back hundreds of years and, in the 21st century, talented writers are producing excellent new books for adults and children. Both languages are protected under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
Cover: Aurora Borealis over Ness, Isle of Lewis. www.foldingimages.com Gaelic Arts and Culture Gaelic is one of Europe’s oldest You can access Gaelic cultural written languages. It came to activity at many festivals and events Scotland from Ireland in the fifth throughout the year. century. With the expansion of the Fèisean nan Gàidheal Celtic church, it spread throughout www.feisean.org Scotland. Its dominance in the South The Royal National Mod and East began to decline during the www.acgmod.org late 11th and early 12th centuries, as a result of Southern influences on the Celtic Connections Scottish court. Today, its stronghold www.celticconnections.com is in the Western Isles but its use is Blas Festival growing in many cities. www.blas-festival.com Hebridean Celtic Festival Education www.hebceltfest.com
Gaelic-medium education is growing. In accordance with Part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages there is provision at pre-school, primary and secondary levels. Gaelic is taught at universities and there are Gaelic classes offered in communities throughout the country.
Image courtesy of Celtic Connections Resources for Gaelic Scots Education Bòrd na Gàidhlig encourages greater BBC Alba is a Gaelic language digital Scots, at least compared with Gaelic, There is no requirement for the use and understanding of the Gaelic TV channel and features news, is a young language. It is descended provision of Scots-medium education language, and aims to increase sport, drama, documentary and mainly from Northern Middle English under Part II of the European Charter access to Gaelic culture. entertainment, as well as children’s with its many Old Norse words. Latin, for Regional and Minority Languages www.gaidhlig.org.uk programmes. Radio nan Gàidheal is French, Dutch and Gaelic words were and it is often under-represented in also available on BBC iPlayer. the classroom, but the development LearnGaelic is a website for anyone added and, by the 12th century, it of ‘Scottish Studies’ will do much interested in learning Scottish Gaelic, www.bbc.co.uk/alba was the language of the Scottish to support the Scots and Gaelic offering help for all ages and all Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) is a court. After the Union of the Crowns Languages: stages of learning. social enterprise providing Gaelic (1603), its status began to decline, www.educationscotland.gov.uk/ www.learngaelic.net services throughout Scotland, although this trend is now being covering different areas including reversed. Its use remains widespread studyingscotland Clì Gàidhlig is the Gaelic learners young people and events, Gaelic today. association and aims to enable adult initiatives, education and funding. learners to achieve fluency in the www.cnag.org Arts and Culture language by providing a wide range Faclair na Gàidhlig is The Dictionary of learning resources. www.cli.org.uk Lowland Scotland and the Northern of the Scottish Gaelic Language, Isles have their own distinctive Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is internationally an inter-university initiative by the styles in literature, dance and music recognised as a National Centre for Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, from Border ballads to Shetland the Gaelic language and culture. Glasgow, Strathclyde and Sabhal fiddle. Scots poets, novelists and The College is an academic partner Mòr Ostaig. playwrights receive international within UHI (University of the www.faclair.ac.uk acclaim. Highlands and Islands) and provides Gaelic Books Council provides high quality education and research assistance for publishers wishing to opportunities through the medium publish Scottish Gaelic books and of Scottish Gaelic. supports a wide variety of titles. www.smo.uhi.ac.uk www.gaelicbooks.org Resources for Scots
Scottish Language Dictionaries The Elphinstone Institute within are the nation’s resource for the University of Aberdeen Scots lexicography. They maintain researches and celebrates the A Dictionary of the Older Scottish traditions and culture of the Tongue and the Scottish National North East. Dictionary with their supplements www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone available online. They also produce Shetland ForWirds celebrates paper publications and have an Shetland Dialect in literary and oral education and outreach programme. material. It has a Shetland Dialect www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk Dictionary and teaching resources. www.dsl.ac.uk www.shetlanddialect.org.uk www.scuilwab.org.uk The Scots Language Centre is a hub for everything happening in the Scots-language community, with audio material, texts, news and discussion. www.scotslanguage.com
The Chair performing at Shetland Folk Festival (photo: Lieve Boussauw) Resources for both Gaelic and Scots
Creative Scotland is the national The Scottish Storytelling Centre agency for the arts and creativity. (Traditional Arts and Culture Part of its remit is to support the Scotland) offers live storytelling, indigenous languages, and the theatre and literature, visual arts, artists and organisations whose workshops and training events. work is delivered in Gaelic and Scots. www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk In 2012 Creative Scotland published The Association for Scottish Literary their Gaelic Language plan. Studies publishes works of Scottish www.creativescotland.com literature, the Scottish Literary The National Library of Scotland has Review, ScotLit, Scottish Language, extensive collections of Gaelic and New Writing Scotland, and the Scots in published and manuscript Scotnotes study guides. form. www.nls.uk www.arts.gla.ac.uk/scotlit/asls Kist o Riches – Tobar an Dualchais All of Scotland’s national Literature provides a wealth of Gaelic and Scots Agencies include responsibility for recordings including folklore, songs, the Gaelic and Scots languages in music, history, poetry, traditions and their remits. stories. www.tobarandualchais.co.uk www.literatureforumscotland.org.uk All literature festivals in Scotland represent Gaelic and Scots writing in their programming. www.bookfestivalscotland.com