112-533: Glen Coe ( Scottish Gaelic : Gleann Comhann pronounced [klan̪ˠˈkʰo.ən̪ˠ] ) is a glen of volcanic origins, in the Highlands of Scotland . It lies in the north of the county of Argyll , close to the border with the historic province of Lochaber , within the modern council area of Highland . Glen Coe is regarded as the home of Scottish mountaineering and is popular with hillwalkers and climbers. A 2010 review by Scottish Natural Heritage into
224-442: A 19% fall in bilingual speakers between the 1911 and 1921 Censuses. Michelle MacLeod of Aberdeen University has said that there was no other period with such a high fall in the number of monolingual Gaelic speakers: "Gaelic speakers became increasingly the exception from that point forward with bilingualism replacing monolingualism as the norm for Gaelic speakers." The Linguistic Survey of Scotland (1949–1997) surveyed both
336-733: A Macdonald in memory of clansmen who perished in the massacre. Glen Coe was once part of the lands of Clan Donald , though since the ending of the clan structure they progressively sold off their estates. Excavations in 2018-2020 conducted by the National Trust for Scotland have investigated the settlement of Achtriochtan and a reconstruction 'turf-house' was constructed at the NTS visitor centre to allow visitors to experience life in these townships. Further excavations and surveys in 2021-2022 in Gleann Leac-na-Muidhe, directed by Dr Edward Stewart of
448-549: A Pictish substrate. In 1018, after the conquest of Lothian (theretofore part of England and inhabited predominantly by speakers of Northumbrian Old English ) by the Kingdom of Scotland , Gaelic reached its social, cultural, political, and geographic zenith. Colloquial speech in Scotland had been developing independently of that in Ireland since the eighth century. For the first time,
560-515: A central feature of court life there. The semi-independent Lordship of the Isles in the Hebrides and western coastal mainland remained thoroughly Gaelic since the language's recovery there in the 12th century, providing a political foundation for cultural prestige down to the end of the 15th century. By the mid-14th century what eventually came to be called Scots (at that time termed Inglis ) emerged as
672-805: A challenge to revitalization efforts which occur outside the home. Positive engagements between language learners and native speakers of Gaelic through mentorship has proven to be productive in socializing new learners into fluency. In the 2022 census, 3,551 people claimed Gaelic as their 'main language.' Of these, 1,761 (49.6%) were in Na h-Eileanan Siar, 682 (19.2%) were in Highland, 369 were in Glasgow City and 120 were in City of Edinburgh; no other council area had as many as 80 such respondents. Gaelic has long suffered from its lack of use in educational and administrative contexts and
784-450: A complex Y-shaped hill with several lesser tops, including Stob Coire Sgreamhach (1,072 m) which also has Munro status. One way in to these tops ascends from the Pass of Glen Coe up Coire Gabhail (the "hidden valley") to the ridge. Both Buachaille Etive Beag (958 m) and Buachaille Etive Mòr (1,022 m) also offer opportunities to hillwalkers. Many walkers come to Glen Coe on
896-436: A couple of sections where the use of a rope may prove prudent. In winter, the ridge is a fine expedition, though considerably harder than in summer ( Scottish Winter Grade I/II), and many parties will go roped for some sections. Because of the short winter days, benightment on the ridge or its approaches is also not infrequent. Competent summer scramblers have plenty of time to reverse the ridge and descend Am Bodach, saving
1008-541: A dialect known as Canadian Gaelic has been spoken in Canada since the 18th century. In the 2021 census , 2,170 Canadian residents claimed knowledge of Scottish Gaelic, a decline from 3,980 speakers in the 2016 census . There exists a particular concentration of speakers in Nova Scotia , with historic communities in other parts of Canada having largely disappeared. Scottish Gaelic is classed as an indigenous language under
1120-497: A difficult outing to grade, because the technical difficulties are not great". Williams settled on grade 2, implying it is easier than the (optional) grade 2/3 approach scramble up A'Chailleach, but added a further warning (in bold type) that "there are no safe descents on the south side of the ridge". The Aonach Eagach is normally tackled from the Glen Coe (south) side in an east–west traverse. The best parking for this scrambling route
1232-489: A full range of language skills: speaking, understanding, reading and writing Gaelic. 40.2% of Scotland's Gaelic speakers said that they used Gaelic at home. To put this in context, the most common language spoken at home in Scotland after English and Scots is Polish, with about 1.1% of the population, or 54,000 people. The 2011 UK Census showed a total of 57,375 Gaelic speakers in Scotland (1.1% of population over three years old), of whom only 32,400 could also read and write
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#17328480435131344-577: A language ideology at odds with revitalization efforts on behalf of new speakers, state policies (such as the Gaelic Language Act), and family members reclaiming their lost mother tongue. New learners of Gaelic often have a positive affective stance to their language learning, and connect this learning journey towards Gaelic language revitalization. The mismatch of these language ideologies, and differences in affective stance, has led to fewer speaking opportunities for adult language learners and therefore
1456-589: A mockery of Scotland's heritage. Since 2017 Glen Coe has been designated as a national nature reserve (NNR), and is classified as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature . Glen Coe is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the south side of the glen falls within the Glen Etive and Glen Fyne Special Protection Area (SPA). The scenic beauty of
1568-786: A national centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, based in Sleat , on the Isle of Skye . This institution is the only source for higher education which is conducted entirely in Scottish Gaelic. They offer courses for Gaelic learners from beginners into fluency. They also offer regular bachelors and graduate programs delivered entirely in Gaelic. Concerns have been raised around the fluency achieved by learners within these language programs because they are disconnected from vernacular speech communities. In regard to language revitalization planning efforts, many feel that
1680-544: A process of Gaelicisation (which may have begun generations earlier) was clearly under way during the reigns of Caustantín and his successors. By a certain point, probably during the 11th century, all the inhabitants of Alba had become fully Gaelicised Scots, and Pictish identity was forgotten. Bilingualism in Pictish and Gaelic, prior to the former's extinction, led to the presence of Pictish loanwords in Gaelic and syntactic influence which could be considered to constitute
1792-600: A proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 65% (the highest value is in Barvas , Lewis , with 64.1%). In addition, no civil parish on mainland Scotland has a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 20% (the highest is in Ardnamurchan , Highland , with 19.3%). Out of a total of 871 civil parishes in Scotland, the proportion of Gaelic speakers exceeds 50% in seven parishes, 25% in 14 parishes, and 10% in 35 parishes. Decline in traditional areas has recently been balanced by growth in
1904-536: A situation where new learners struggle to find opportunities to speak Gaelic with fluent speakers. Affect is the way people feel about something, or the emotional response to a particular situation or experience. For Gaelic speakers, there is a conditioned and socialized negative affect through a long history of negative Scottish media portrayal and public disrespect, state mandated restrictions on Gaelic usage, and highland clearances . This negative affect towards speaking openly with non-native Gaelic speakers has led to
2016-508: A successful eleventh-hour bid, and purchased the remaining lands of Lord Strathcona from his descendants. Alistair received unsecured loans from just six donors, and immediately set up the Glencoe Heritage Trust, a non-profit-making charitable trust, to secure the heritage of this part of Glen Coe. In 2017, NTS took out a trademark on the "Glencoe" name following an attempt to trademark the name of another NTS property ( St Kilda ) by
2128-466: A third party without their knowledge or consent. The Trust stated that it would not prevent local businesses from continuing to use the name; however, they were accused of heavy-handedness when an attempt was made to stop Hilltrek, a company based in Aberdeenshire , from selling a "Glencoe" waterproof jacket. The dispute ended amicably with NTS agreeing to allow Hilltrek to continue to sell the jacket with
2240-605: A translation of the New Testament. In 1798, four tracts in Gaelic were published by the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home, with 5,000 copies of each printed. Other publications followed, with a full Gaelic Bible in 1801. The influential and effective Gaelic Schools Society was founded in 1811. Their purpose was to teach Gaels to read the Bible in their own language. In the first quarter of
2352-422: A walk back up the glen. From Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, the most direct descent is to head south by southwest, down a steep zig-zag path leading by the side of Clachaig gully . This 'path' is exceptionally steep and extremely loose in places, and has many small rock steps; it approaches close to the main gully in several places and so is potentially dangerous (fatal accidents have occurred here). A gentler alternative
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#17328480435132464-694: Is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family ) native to the Gaels of Scotland . As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as both Irish and Manx , developed out of Old Irish . It became a distinct spoken language sometime in the 13th century in the Middle Irish period, although a common literary language was shared by the Gaels of both Ireland and Scotland until well into
2576-585: Is a large mountain ridge in the Scottish Highlands , marking the northern edge of Glen Coe . It stretches east–west for several miles and includes two Munro summits: Sgùrr nam Fiannaidh at 967 m (3,175 ft) high, and Meall Dearg at 952 m (3,124 ft) high. The ridge is very rocky and the route along it requires scrambling ability. The slopes to each side are extremely dangerous, with steep grass-and-scree slopes hiding even steeper slopes which end in cliffs on both north and south sides of
2688-490: Is a significant step forward for the recognition of Gaelic both at home and abroad and I look forward to addressing the council in Gaelic very soon. Seeing Gaelic spoken in such a forum raises the profile of the language as we drive forward our commitment to creating a new generation of Gaelic speakers in Scotland." Bilingual road signs, street names, business and advertisement signage (in both Gaelic and English) are gradually being introduced throughout Gaelic-speaking regions in
2800-499: Is famous for the quality, and variety of its winter climbing , most of its routes being comparatively easy to access from the main road. Noted climbing venues include Buachaille Etive Mòr (1,018 m), often called simply "The Beuchle", and various routes on the Three Sisters (shoulders of Bidean nam Bian). Other points of interest include the waterfalls at The Study in the Pass of Glen Coe. For adventurous experienced hillwalkers
2912-526: Is located just off the A82 at grid reference NN 17335674. From Allt-na-reigh near the head of Glen Coe a good path ascends Am Bodach (a subsidiary Munro top) and continues westwards along the ridge to the first Munro proper, Meall Dearg . From here the summit of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh lies only two kilometres to the west, but a number of pinnacles must be scrambled over, and it is not uncommon for parties to take more than two hours to cross this short distance. There are
3024-581: Is marked by a succession of distinct peaks: Buachaille Etive Beag at the eastern end, followed by the Three Sisters , shoulders of the Bidean nam Bian massif which are subdivided by Coire Gabhail and Coire nan Lochan. The name Coire Gabhail ( corrie of the bounty , or hollow of capture ) refers to former times when the corrie was used by members of Clan MacDonald to hide cattle and other livestock, whether their own or stolen from others. The wide flat glen
3136-513: Is named after the River Coe which runs through it. The name of the river may predate the Gaelic language, as its meaning is not known. It is possible that the name stems from an individual personal name, Comhan ( genitive Comhain). The glen is U-shaped , formed by an ice age glacier , about 12.5 kilometres ( 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 mi) long with the floor of the glen being less than 700 metres ( 3 ⁄ 8 mi) wide, narrowing sharply at
3248-411: Is no evidence that Gaelic was ever widely spoken. Many historians mark the reign of King Malcolm Canmore ( Malcolm III ) between 1058 and 1093 as the beginning of Gaelic's eclipse in Scotland. His wife Margaret of Wessex spoke no Gaelic, gave her children Anglo-Saxon rather than Gaelic names, and brought many English bishops, priests, and monastics to Scotland. When Malcolm and Margaret died in 1093,
3360-528: Is to continue along the ridge, until reaching the bealach between Sgorr nam Fiannaidh and the Pap of Glencoe . From here a track heads down the hillside, ending on the road just outside Glencoe village . It is also possible to retreat approximately 200 m east from the summit of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh and descend directly down the scree slope to Loch Achtriochtan, taking care to avoid being drawn into gullies further down. This descent also requires care, particularly near
3472-506: Is to the south-east. The famous Clachaig Inn , a pub much favoured by climbers and hillwalkers, is sited at the bend in the glen about 3 km (1.9 mi) from Glencoe village. A Scottish Youth Hostels Association hostel is sited about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village, on the way to the inn, close to an independent hostel (Glencoe Independent Hostel) and the Red Squirrel campsite. The Kings House Hotel , lying about 2 km to
Glen Coe - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-505: Is well suited for this purpose since from Glen Coe it appears to be a normal v-shaped glen approached only by a steep narrow gorge. Summits in the Bidean nam Bian massif include Stob Coire Sgreamhach , Stob Coire nan Lochan and Aonach Dubh (the third "sister"). By contrast the north side of the glen is a stark wall of mountain, the Aonach Eagach ridge. The ridge is crossed at the eastern end by
3696-429: The Aonach Eagach offers one of the finest mainland scrambles in Scotland. This extended scramble boasts two of Scotland's trickiest Munro hills, Sgorr nam Fiannaidh (996 m [3,268 ft]) and Meall Dearg (951 m [3,120 ft]). The Aonach Eagach ridge terminates at the Pap of Glencoe (741 m [2,431 ft]). There are also routes on the Bidean nam Bian (1,150 m) massif which forms
3808-701: The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform told the Scottish Parliament that the Government had no plans to designate new national parks in Scotland and instead planned to focus on the two existing national parks. Glen Coe is a very popular tourist destination, partly because of its scenic qualities and historical associations, partly because it is on the main road north (the A82 ), and also because of its attraction for walkers and climbers. It
3920-506: The Devil's Staircase , an old military road opposite Buachaille Etive Mòr. The western end terminates with the conical Pap of Glencoe ( Sgùrr na Cìche ), above Glencoe village , at the point where the glen opens out to Loch Leven. Other than a few scattered farms, the only settlement in Glen Coe is the village of Glencoe, which lies at the western end of the glen close to Invercoe where the river joins Loch Leven . About 2 km (1.2 mi) to
4032-810: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , which the UK Government has ratified, and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 established a language-development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig . The Scottish Parliament is considering a Scottish Languages Bill which proposes to give the Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland. Aside from "Scottish Gaelic", the language may also be referred to simply as "Gaelic", pronounced / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / GAL -ik in English . However, "Gaelic" / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik also refers to
4144-453: The Jacobite uprising of 1689–92. An estimated thirty-eight members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by government forces billeted with them, with others later alleged to have died of exposure, on the grounds they had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, William III of England and II of Scotland and Mary II . The Iona cross was erected in 1883 by
4256-627: The James Bond film Skyfall (which was mainly set in Glen Etive ), although the majority of the filming for Bond's Scottish home was in Southern England . There is a folk museum in Glencoe village. Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
4368-548: The Outer Hebrides , accommodation ethics exist amongst native or local Gaelic speakers when engaging with new learners or non-locals. Accommodation ethics, or ethics of accommodation, is a social practice where local or native speakers of Gaelic shift to speaking English when in the presence of non-Gaelic speakers out of a sense of courtesy or politeness. This accommodation ethic persists even in situations where new learners attempt to speak Gaelic with native speakers. This creates
4480-604: The Scottish Lowlands . Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, the number of Gaelic speakers rose in nineteen of the country's 32 council areas. The largest absolute gains were in Aberdeenshire (+526), North Lanarkshire (+305), the Aberdeen City council area (+216), and East Ayrshire (+208). The largest relative gains were in Aberdeenshire (+0.19%), East Ayrshire (+0.18%), Moray (+0.16%), and Orkney (+0.13%). In 2018,
4592-735: The West Highland Way following the old military road over Rannoch Moor which crosses the River Etive at the Kings House Hotel . From there it is about 2 km (1.2 mi) to the head of the glen, then about 2 km into the glen the Way ascends the Devil's Staircase, a steep, boulder-strewn "cut" (352 m high) which is part of the old military road and drove road north across the hills to Kinlochleven . The Glencoe ski centre , also known as
Glen Coe - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-759: The significant increase in pupils in Gaelic-medium education since that time is unknown. Gaelic Medium Education is one of the primary ways that the Scottish Government is addressing Gaelic language shift. Along with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig policies, preschool and daycare environments are also being used to create more opportunities for intergenerational language transmission in the Outer Hebrides. However, revitalization efforts are not unified within Scotland or Nova Scotia, Canada. One can attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ,
4816-545: The "Pass of Glen Coe". The entrance to the glen from the east is below the foot of Buachaille Etive Beag just west of Lochan na Fola, from where waters run west to Loch Leven via the River Coe. The river— Ossian 's "dark Cona"—passes over waterfalls at the Pass of Glen Coe before flowing down to the small Loch Achtriochtan. Loch Achtriochtan is Loch Trychardan ( loch of the three friends or relatives) in Timothy Pont 's map of
4928-457: The "White Corries", is on the hill of Meall a' Bhuiridh (1,108 m [3,635 ft]) which is on the east side of Glen Etive, outside Glen Coe proper. This centre is popular with locals and is used by many skiers from the Glasgow area as the nearest ski resort at under 80 mi (130 km) from the city centre. It forms part of the "Black Mount" estate, which is based on Loch Tulla which
5040-472: The 17th century. Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names. In the 2011 census of Scotland , 57,375 people (1.1% of the Scottish population aged over three years old) reported being able to speak Gaelic, 1,275 fewer than in 2001. The highest percentages of Gaelic speakers were in the Outer Hebrides . Nevertheless, there is a language revival , and
5152-587: The 19th century, the SSPCK (despite their anti-Gaelic attitude in prior years) and the British and Foreign Bible Society distributed 60,000 Gaelic Bibles and 80,000 New Testaments. It is estimated that this overall schooling and publishing effort gave about 300,000 people in the Highlands some basic literacy. Very few European languages have made the transition to a modern literary language without an early modern translation of
5264-404: The 2011 Census. The 2011 total population figure comes from table KS101SC. The numbers of Gaelic speakers relate to the numbers aged 3 and over, and the percentages are calculated using those and the number of the total population aged 3 and over. Across the whole of Scotland, the 2011 census showed that 25,000 people (0.49% of the population) used Gaelic at home. Of these, 63.3% said that they had
5376-407: The 4th–5th centuries CE, by settlers from Ireland who founded the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata on Scotland's west coast in present-day Argyll . An alternative view has been voiced by archaeologist Ewan Campbell , who has argued that the putative migration or takeover is not reflected in archaeological or placename data (as pointed out earlier by Leslie Alcock ). Campbell has also questioned
5488-559: The Bible; the lack of a well known translation may have contributed to the decline of Scottish Gaelic. Counterintuitively, access to schooling in Gaelic increased knowledge of English. In 1829, the Gaelic Schools Society reported that parents were unconcerned about their children learning Gaelic, but were anxious to have them taught English. The SSPCK also found Highlanders to have significant prejudice against Gaelic. T. M. Devine attributes this to an association between English and
5600-569: The Canadian Pacific Railway, owned land near Glencoe and when made a lord, invented the name Strathcona to represent Glencoe. Many places in Canada now bear the name Strathcona after Lord Strathcona. The Pass of Glen Coe was used as the location for "The Bridge of Death" and "The Gorge of Eternal Peril" in filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail , attracting Monty Python pilgrims. Sets for
5712-588: The EU's institutions. The Scottish government had to pay for the translation from Gaelic to other European languages . The deal was received positively in Scotland; Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy said the move was a strong sign of the UK government's support for Gaelic. He said; "Allowing Gaelic speakers to communicate with European institutions in their mother tongue is a progressive step forward and one which should be welcomed". Culture Minister Mike Russell said; "this
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#17328480435135824-538: The Forth–Clyde line and along the northeastern coastal plain as far north as Moray. Norman French completely displaced Gaelic at court. The establishment of royal burghs throughout the same area, particularly under David I , attracted large numbers of foreigners speaking Old English. This was the beginning of Gaelic's status as a predominantly rural language in Scotland. Clan chiefs in the northern and western parts of Scotland continued to support Gaelic bards who remained
5936-652: The Gaelic Act falls so far short of the status accorded to Welsh that one would be foolish or naïve to believe that any substantial change will occur in the fortunes of the language as a result of Bòrd na Gàidhlig 's efforts. On 10 December 2008, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the Scottish Human Rights Commission had the UDHR translated into Gaelic for
6048-744: The Gaelic aristocracy rejected their anglicised sons and instead backed Malcolm's brother Domnall Bán ( Donald III ). Donald had spent 17 years in Gaelic Ireland and his power base was in the thoroughly Gaelic west of Scotland. He was the last Scottish monarch to be buried on Iona , the traditional burial place of the Gaelic Kings of Dàl Riada and the Kingdom of Alba. However, during the reigns of Malcolm Canmore's sons, Edgar, Alexander I and David I (their successive reigns lasting 1097–1153), Anglo-Norman names and practices spread throughout Scotland south of
6160-621: The Glen, in accordance with the Scottish outdoor access code and the principles specified by Percy Unna. However, environmental concerns and increasing pollution of the River Coe in the mid-1990s led to a decision to exclude a specific area and prohibit wild camping within that area. The area is to the east of the Clachaig Hotel , from the River Coe to the Aonach Eagach, and east as far as the junction of
6272-434: The Glencoe name. Hamish MacInnes , veteran of Mount Everest expeditions, climbing consultant for such films as The Eiger Sanction and a mountain rescue pioneer, was a well-known resident of Glencoe. MacInnes developed a new design of mountain rescue stretcher whilst living at Allt-na-reigh cottage near the head of the glen; the cottage later belonged to DJ Jimmy Savile . Following the posthumous revelation that Savile
6384-442: The Highland and Island region. In 1616, the Privy Council proclaimed that schools teaching in English should be established. Gaelic was seen, at this time, as one of the causes of the instability of the region. It was also associated with Catholicism. The Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) was founded in 1709. They met in 1716, immediately after the failed Jacobite rising of 1715 , to consider
6496-416: The Highlands and Islands, including Argyll. In many cases, this has simply meant re-adopting the traditional spelling of a name (such as Ràtagan or Loch Ailleart rather than the anglicised forms Ratagan or Lochailort respectively). Some monolingual Gaelic road signs, particularly direction signs, are used on the Outer Hebrides , where a majority of the population can have a working knowledge of
6608-426: The Inner Hebridean dialects of Tiree and Islay, and even a few native speakers from Western Highland areas including Wester Ross , northwest Sutherland , Lochaber and Argyll . Dialects on both sides of the Straits of Moyle (the North Channel ) linking Scottish Gaelic with Irish are now extinct, though native speakers were still to be found on the Mull of Kintyre , on Rathlin and in North East Ireland as late as
6720-410: The Irish language ( Gaeilge ) and the Manx language ( Gaelg ). Scottish Gaelic is distinct from Scots , the Middle English -derived language which had come to be spoken in most of the Lowlands of Scotland by the early modern era . Prior to the 15th century, this language was known as Inglis ("English") by its own speakers, with Gaelic being called Scottis ("Scottish"). Beginning in
6832-406: The NTS uncovered further evidence both of the events of the Massacre of Glencoe , and of daily life, subsistence practices and long-distance connections in Glencoe. This site is linked to the settlement of Achnacon, excavated in 2024, by the new Glencoe Greenway Path. Recent work by Lizzie Robertson of the University of Glasgow has explored the creation of soundscapes and audio-installations exploring
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#17328480435136944-401: The Old Military Road and the modern A82. The exclusion has led to improvements being observed in the river and the Clachaig area. Glencoe is supposed to have been the birthplace of Ossian according to John Cameron (1822–1898), a local bard who was also Bard to the Ossianic Society. "In the middle of the vale runs 'the roaring stream of Cona', the mountain of Malmor rises on the south side, and
7056-446: The Scottish Mountaineering Club. It was later found out that most of the money came from the SMC's then chair, Percy Unna. He laid out a number of conditions, known as the "Unna Principles" regarding how the NTS should manage the estate with regard to access and maintaining the wild nature of the land. The building of a visitor centre caused some controversy, as some felt this to be a contravention of Unna's "Principles". The original centre
7168-428: The UK Government as Welsh . With the advent of devolution , however, Scottish matters have begun to receive greater attention, and it achieved a degree of official recognition when the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was enacted by the Scottish Parliament on 21 April 2005. The key provisions of the Act are: After its creation, Bòrd na Gàidhlig required a Gaelic Language Plan from the Scottish Government. This plan
7280-423: The University of Glasgow, investigated this shieling landscape, and uncovered features including charcoal burning plaftorms, peat cuttings, shieling huts, a whisky stilling site and a chiefly hunting lodge. The hunting lodge site was investigated in 2023 by a University of Glasgow Field School directed by Dr Stewart. In 2024 excavations around the settlement of Achnacon, co-directed by Dr Stewart and Derek Alexander of
7392-581: The Western Isles (−1,745), Argyll & Bute (−694), and Highland (−634). The drop in Stornoway , the largest parish in the Western Isles by population, was especially acute, from 57.5% of the population in 1991 to 43.4% in 2011. The only parish outside the Western Isles over 40% Gaelic-speaking is Kilmuir in Northern Skye at 46%. The islands in the Inner Hebrides with significant percentages of Gaelic speakers are Tiree (38.3%), Raasay (30.4%), Skye (29.4%), Lismore (26.9%), Colonsay (20.2%), and Islay (19.0%). Today, no civil parish in Scotland has
7504-589: The Western Isles. The Scottish Qualifications Authority offer two streams of Gaelic examination across all levels of the syllabus: Gaelic for learners (equivalent to the modern foreign languages syllabus) and Gaelic for native speakers (equivalent to the English syllabus). An Comunn Gàidhealach performs assessment of spoken Gaelic, resulting in the issue of a Bronze Card, Silver Card or Gold Card. Syllabus details are available on An Comunn's website. These are not widely recognised as qualifications, but are required for those taking part in certain competitions at
7616-466: The age and reliability of the medieval historical sources speaking of a conquest. Instead, he has inferred that Argyll formed part of a common Q-Celtic -speaking area with Ireland, connected rather than divided by the sea, since the Iron Age. These arguments have been opposed by some scholars defending the early dating of the traditional accounts and arguing for other interpretations of the archaeological evidence. Regardless of how it came to be spoken in
7728-408: The annual mods . In October 2009, a new agreement allowed Scottish Gaelic to be formally used between Scottish Government ministers and European Union officials. The deal was signed by Britain's representative to the EU, Sir Kim Darroch , and the Scottish government . This did not give Scottish Gaelic official status in the EU but gave it the right to be a means of formal communications in
7840-400: The area. After the loch the river turns north-west, passing through Glencoe village , before flowing into the sea loch of Loch Leven (a salt-water arm of Loch Linnhe ) at Invercoe. The area to east of Lochan na Fola is often classed as part of Glen Coe (see for example the location of Glencoe ski centre ), but is in fact part of the upper reaches of Glen Etive . The south side of the glen
7952-413: The bed of the River Coe below Loch Achtriochtan. Surrounding the caldera the rocks consists of schist and quartzite with a ring of granite marking the main ring fault. The landscape was further shaped by the processes of glaciation during the last ice ages , ending 10,000 years ago. Habitats within Glen Coe include birch woodland, moorland and peatbogs . The upland parts of the glen are one of
8064-546: The best examples of a subsidence caldera , being the place where this phenomenon was first described. A caldera is a volcanic process in which a circular fault allows a section of crust to sink, leading to magma being forced to the surface at the periphery. This sinking allows layers of rock which would otherwise have been eroded to remain visible, can be seen in Glen Coe most strikingly in Devonian volcanic lavas on Bidean nam Bian, as well as at Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, An t-Sron, and in
8176-502: The best habitats for alpine and sub-alpine plants in Lochaber, due to the underlying geology and range of altitude. Typical plants found on the highest slopes of the glen include lady's mantle , Sibbaldia procumbens and areas of willow scrub and Racomitrium lanuginosum moss-heath. In the lower areas of the glen bog myrtle , cotton grass , butterwort , sundew and bladderwort are to be found. There are areas of wet woodland on
8288-581: The bill be strengthened, a revised bill was published; the main alteration was that the guidance of the Bòrd is now statutory (rather than advisory). In the committee stages in the Scottish Parliament, there was much debate over whether Gaelic should be given 'equal validity' with English. Due to executive concerns about resourcing implications if this wording was used, the Education Committee settled on
8400-591: The celebrated Dun-Fionn'—'the hill of Fingal' on the north. Several of the names referring either to the heroes of the Fingalian race, or to their general occupation, hunting, are numerous in the district. Sgur-mam-Fiann, 'the mountain of the Fingalians'; Coe, the name of the river is supposed to be the Cona of Ossian; Grianan Dearduil, 'the sunny place of Darthula'; Acha-nan-con, 'the field of the dogs'; Caolas-nan-con, 'the ferry of
8512-625: The census of pupils in Scotland showed 520 students in publicly funded schools had Gaelic as the main language at home, an increase of 5% from 497 in 2014. During the same period, Gaelic medium education in Scotland has grown, with 4,343 pupils (6.3 per 1000) being educated in a Gaelic-immersion environment in 2018, up from 3,583 pupils (5.3 per 1000) in 2014. Data collected in 2007–2008 indicated that even among pupils enrolled in Gaelic medium schools, 81% of primary students and 74% of secondary students report using English more often than Gaelic when speaking with their mothers at home. The effect on this of
8624-549: The cities and professors of Celtic from universities who sought to preserve the language. The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 provided universal education in Scotland, but completely ignored Gaelic in its plans. The mechanism for supporting Gaelic through the Education Codes issued by the Scottish Education Department were steadily used to overcome this omission, with many concessions in place by 1918. However,
8736-558: The complex history, folklore and environment of Glencoe and presenting this to new audiences. These excavations featured in an episode of History Hit, which was launched in November 2024. Most of the Glen is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), whose visitor centre has displays about both the natural and historical significance of the glen. The land was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland in 1935 using money donated by
8848-496: The concept of 'equal respect'. It is not clear what the legal force of this wording is. The Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament unanimously, with support from all sectors of the Scottish political spectrum, on 21 April 2005. Under the provisions of the Act, it will ultimately fall to BnG to secure the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland. Some commentators, such as Éamonn Ó Gribín (2006) argue that
8960-494: The dialect of the Scottish Gaelic language, and also mixed use of English and Gaelic across the Highlands and Islands. Dialects of Lowland Gaelic have been defunct since the 18th century. Gaelic in the Eastern and Southern Scottish Highlands, although alive until the mid-20th century, is now largely defunct. Although modern Scottish Gaelic is dominated by the dialects of the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Skye, there remain some speakers of
9072-512: The dogs', and the neighbouring country bear similar traces. Morven is the peculiar name of Fingal's domain; an island in Loch Etive is supposed to be named from Usnoth, the father of Nathos; and Etive itself is named from the deer of its mountains." Ossian's Cave on Bidean nam Bian is traditionally the location of his birth. Sir Donald Smith, high financier and businessman of the Hudson's Bay Company and
9184-465: The east of the head of the glen towards Rannoch Moor, is former a coaching inn , standing on the main route between Ballachulish and Tyndrum (the route of one of William Caulfeild 's military roads ). One can also stay in The Glencoe Inn, located in the heart of Glencoe village. For campers, there are three official campsites in and around the glen. Wild camping is permitted in certain areas of
9296-567: The entire region of modern-day Scotland was called Scotia in Latin, and Gaelic was the lingua Scotica . In southern Scotland , Gaelic was strong in Galloway , adjoining areas to the north and west, West Lothian , and parts of western Midlothian . It was spoken to a lesser degree in north Ayrshire , Renfrewshire , the Clyde Valley and eastern Dumfriesshire . In south-eastern Scotland, there
9408-545: The first time. However, given there are no longer any monolingual Gaelic speakers, following an appeal in the court case of Taylor v Haughney (1982), involving the status of Gaelic in judicial proceedings, the High Court ruled against a general right to use Gaelic in court proceedings. While the goal of the Gaelic Language Act was to aid in revitalization efforts through government mandated official language status,
9520-573: The floor of the glen: the woodlands are composed of alder and ash , and also provide a habitat for ground plants such as tufted hair-grass and marsh hawk's-beard . Glen Coe hosts several nationally scarce species of liverworts and mosses. The peaks of the glen are home to snow bunting and ptarmigan , and the area also supports buzzards and golden eagles . The region also has an abundance of Highland midges , Culicoides impunctatus . The Massacre of Glencoe ( Scottish Gaelic : Mort Ghlinne Comhann ) took place on 13 February 1692, following
9632-451: The foot of the glen. On 13 February 1692, in the aftermath of the Jacobite uprising of 1689, an incident known as the Massacre of Glencoe took place in the glen. Thirty-eight men from Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by government forces who were billeted with them on the grounds that they had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, William and Mary . The Glen
9744-464: The glen has led to its inclusion in the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area , being one of 40 such areas in Scotland , which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development. There have been several proposals for Glen Coe to be included within a national park , mostly recently in 2013. In September 2016 Roseanna Cunningham ,
9856-479: The initiatives must come from within Gaelic speaking communities, be led by Gaelic speakers, and be designed to serve and increase fluency within the vernacular communities as the first and most viable resistance to total language shift from Gaelic to English. Currently, language policies are focused on creating new language speakers through education, instead of focused on how to strengthen intergenerational transmission within existing Gaelic speaking communities. In
9968-495: The language. Compared with the 2001 Census, there has been a diminution of about 1300 people. This is the smallest drop between censuses since the Gaelic-language question was first asked in 1881. The Scottish government's language minister and Bòrd na Gàidhlig took this as evidence that Gaelic's long decline has slowed. The main stronghold of the language continues to be the Outer Hebrides ( Na h-Eileanan Siar ), where
10080-592: The language. These omit the English translation entirely. Bilingual railway station signs are now more frequent than they used to be. Practically all the stations in the Highland area use both English and Gaelic, and the use of bilingual station signs has become more frequent in the Lowlands of Scotland, including areas where Gaelic has not been spoken for a long time. Aonach Eagach#Devil's Staircase The Aonach Eagach ( Scottish Gaelic for 'notched ridge')
10192-527: The late 15th century, it became increasingly common for such speakers to refer to Scottish Gaelic as Erse ("Irish") and the Lowland vernacular as Scottis . Today, Scottish Gaelic is recognised as a separate language from Irish, so the word Erse in reference to Scottish Gaelic is no longer used. Based on medieval traditional accounts and the apparent evidence from linguistic geography, Gaelic has been commonly believed to have been brought to Scotland, in
10304-453: The members of Highland school boards tended to have anti-Gaelic attitudes and served as an obstacle to Gaelic education in the late 19th and early 20th century. Loss of life due to World War I and the 1919 sinking of the HMY Iolaire , combined with emigration, resulted in the 1910s seeing unprecedented damage to the use of Scottish Gaelic, with a 46% fall in monolingual speakers and
10416-723: The mid-20th century. Records of their speech show that Irish and Scottish Gaelic existed in a dialect chain with no clear language boundary. Some features of moribund dialects have been preserved in Nova Scotia, including the pronunciation of the broad or velarised l ( l̪ˠ ) as [w] , as in the Lochaber dialect. The Endangered Languages Project lists Gaelic's status as "threatened", with "20,000 to 30,000 active users". UNESCO classifies Gaelic as " definitely endangered ". The 1755–2001 figures are census data quoted by MacAulay. The 2011 Gaelic speakers figures come from table KS206SC of
10528-532: The modern era. Some of this was driven by policy decisions by government or other organisations, while some originated from social changes. In the last quarter of the 20th century, efforts began to encourage use of the language. The Statutes of Iona , enacted by James VI in 1609, was one piece of legislation that addressed, among other things, the Gaelic language. It required the heirs of clan chiefs to be educated in lowland, Protestant, English-speaking schools. James VI took several such measures to impose his rule on
10640-434: The number of speakers of the language under age 20 did not decrease between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. In the 2022 census of Scotland , it was found that 2.5% of the Scottish population had some skills in Gaelic, or 130,161 persons. Of these, 69,701 people reported speaking the language, with a further 46,404 people reporting that they understood the language, but did not speak, read, or write in it. Outside of Scotland,
10752-687: The official language of government and law. Scotland's emergent nationalism in the era following the conclusion of the Wars of Scottish Independence was organized using Scots as well. For example, the nation's great patriotic literature including John Barbour's The Brus (1375) and Blind Harry's The Wallace (before 1488) was written in Scots, not Gaelic. By the end of the 15th century, English/Scots speakers referred to Gaelic instead as 'Yrisch' or 'Erse', i.e. Irish and their own language as 'Scottis'. A steady shift away from Scottish Gaelic continued into and through
10864-459: The outcome of the act is distanced from the actual minority language communities. It helps to create visibility of the minority language in civil structures, but does not impact or address the lived experiences of the Gaelic speaker communities wherein the revitalization efforts may have a higher return of new Gaelic speakers. Efforts are being made to concentrate resources, language planning, and revitalization efforts towards vernacular communities in
10976-500: The overall proportion of speakers is 52.2%. Important pockets of the language also exist in the Highlands (5.4%) and in Argyll and Bute (4.0%) and Inverness (4.9%). The locality with the largest absolute number is Glasgow with 5,878 such persons, who make up over 10% of all of Scotland's Gaelic speakers. Gaelic continues to decline in its traditional heartland. Between 2001 and 2011, the absolute number of Gaelic speakers fell sharply in
11088-459: The prosperity of employment: the Highland economy relied greatly on seasonal migrant workers travelling outside the Gàidhealtachd . In 1863, an observer sympathetic to Gaelic stated that "knowledge of English is indispensable to any poor islander who wishes to learn a trade or to earn his bread beyond the limits of his native Isle". Generally, rather than Gaelic speakers, it was Celtic societies in
11200-454: The reform and civilisation of the Highlands, which they sought to achieve by teaching English and the Protestant religion. Initially, their teaching was entirely in English, but soon the impracticality of educating Gaelic-speaking children in this way gave rise to a modest concession: in 1723, teachers were allowed to translate English words in the Bible into Gaelic to aid comprehension, but there
11312-574: The region, Gaelic in Scotland was mostly confined to Dál Riata until the eighth century, when it began expanding into Pictish areas north of the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. During the reign of Caustantín mac Áeda (Constantine II, 900–943), outsiders began to refer to the region as the kingdom of Alba rather than as the kingdom of the Picts. However, though the Pictish language did not disappear suddenly,
11424-438: The ridge. The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Scotland , though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach ) for this title. In his book "Scrambles in Lochaber", local climber Noel Williams warns that there are no other ridges in the area that are "so narrow and so difficult to escape from once committed. Some sections are extremely exposed. This makes it
11536-407: The special qualities of Scotland's National scenic areas listed the "soaring, dramatic splendour of Glen Coe", and "the suddenness of the transition between high mountain pass and the lightly wooded strath" as being of note. The review also described the journey through the glen on the main A82 road as "one of the classic Highland journeys". The main settlement is the village of Glencoe located at
11648-787: The third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , were built near to the bottom of Clachaig Gully, north of the Clachaig Inn ; aerial shots of the glen also appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . There are some shots of the eastern glen, including Buachaille Etive Mòr in the Bollywood film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai , and in
11760-562: The top, but is still far safer than the Clachaig Gully descent. Alternatively, the two Munros may be climbed individually by simply descending by the route of ascent. However it is for the traverse that the Aonach Eagach is best known. A path known as the Devil's Staircase crosses the range about 6 km east of Meall Dearg. Today, as part of the West Highland Way , it is used primarily by walkers and mountain bikers travelling between Kinlochleven and Glencoe . The Devil's Staircase
11872-473: The west, on the southern shore of the loch, is the village of Ballachulish , known in the past for its slate quarries, which have been worked since 1693. Geologically speaking, Glen Coe is the remains of an ancient supervolcano . The caldera forming eruptions took place about 420 million years ago during the Silurian period, and the volcano has long since become extinct. The glen is considered to be one of
11984-670: Was a child abuser there were calls for the cottage to be demolished, although it remains standing but unoccupied as of February 2018. During the 2020s, several companies started offering the title of "Lord" or "Lady" of Glen Coe to anyone interested online. One such company used the Oscars to advertise themselves by giving away titles of land ownership to such celebrities as Billie Eilish , Benedict Cumberbatch and Jessica Chastain . Such titles, however, do not bestow official nobility or land to buyers. One company, which started operating in 2007, has been accused by several Scotland residents of making
12096-399: Was accepted in 2008, and some of its main commitments were: identity (signs, corporate identity); communications (reception, telephone, mailings, public meetings, complaint procedures); publications (PR and media, websites); staffing (language learning, training, recruitment). Following a consultation period, in which the government received many submissions, the majority of which asked that
12208-459: Was given its name by the soldiers who were part of the road building programme of General Wade , because of the difficulties of carrying building materials up that stretch of the road. Later, however, the road lived up to its name when workers building the Blackwater Dam chose to travel to the Kings House Hotel after they had been paid, rather than walking down to Kinlochleven. The journey to
12320-538: Was later closed, and a new one built further west, down the glen on land not part of the original purchase. The last area of Glen Coe to be owned by the MacDonalds was the area around Invercoe. In 1894, Sir Donald A. Smith (who was later, in August 1897, elevated to the peerage as The 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal ) purchased this area and built a country house , Mount Royal. In 2002, Alistair MacDonald of Glencoe made
12432-542: Was long suppressed. The UK government has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Gaelic. Gaelic, along with Irish and Welsh, is designated under Part III of the Charter, which requires the UK Government to take a range of concrete measures in the fields of education, justice, public administration, broadcasting and culture. It has not received the same degree of official recognition from
12544-506: Was no further permitted use. Other less prominent schools worked in the Highlands at the same time, also teaching in English. This process of anglicisation paused when evangelical preachers arrived in the Highlands, convinced that people should be able to read religious texts in their own language. The first well known translation of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic was made in 1767, when James Stuart of Killin and Dugald Buchanan of Rannoch produced
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