115-783: Tarskavaig ( Tarsgabhaig in Scottish Gaelic ) is a crofting village on the west coast of Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland . It sits in a glen which meets Tarskavaig Bay and lies opposite the Isles of Eigg , Rum and Canna . It is often said that Tarskavaig has the best view of the Cuillin in Skye. Tarskavaig is a traditional crofting village, with a high number of Gaelic speakers, several families with children, and active crofters. It has an SSSI related to
230-708: A Celtic -Norwegian population was quickly established. The name of the village reflects the long and mixed history of the village, being an Old Norse name, þorskavágr (or þorskavík ), modern Norwegian Torskavåg (alternatively Torskavik ), which translates as "Cod Bay" in English. This connection between the Vikings and the Gaels can be seen by the inclusion of tarsk as a loan word in Gaelic, from torsk in Norwegian. The recent discovery of
345-442: 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
460-415: A Gaelic playgroup, night classes for Gaelic learners, and events for Gaelic-speaking schoolchildren. The Scottish Arts Council sponsored a Gaelic writer-in-residence, Catrìona Montgomery from Roag near Dunvegan . In November 1974 the charitable Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation offered Sabhal Mòr a three-year grant towards the cost of a full-time director. Farquhar MacLennan, a teacher from Raasay accepted
575-467: 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
690-805: 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
805-585: A crucial role in the linguistic and cultural renaissance of Gaelic in Scotland . The college enjoys an international reputation for the study of the history and literature of the Gàidhealtachd , past and present; for research into political, educational, and community aspects of minority language maintenance and revitalisation ; and for its engagement with Gaelic creative arts, as well as with broadcast and online media. Sabhal Mòr's research base has been further strengthened to take in sociolinguistics , through
920-565: 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 North America , including North Carolina and Glengarry County, Ontario having largely disappeared. Scottish Gaelic
1035-500: A drama artist-in-residence. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig offers the following degrees and diplomas: Distance Learning: Undergraduate: Postgraduate: In addition, research staff at the college are presently supervising PhD theses concerning Gaelic language, culture, history, and sociolinguistics. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig also offers a growing number of short courses, well-established programmes in Gaelic language and music as well as more recent ones in history, culture, and crofting. Most are based at
1150-540: 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
1265-568: A further BA course, Gàidhlig agus na Meadhanan (Gaelic and Media Studies), was introduced. Another BA (Hons) course, Gàidhlig agus Ceòl Traidiseanta (Gaelic and Traditional Music), began in 2006, while the following year the teacher-training MA (Hons) course in Gàidhlig agus Foghlam (Gaelic and Education) began, in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen . These were complemented by highly successful distance learning language courses: from 2000,
SECTION 10
#17328547555761380-509: A glazed drum and lantern viewing platform. Designed by George Mulvagh of Gillespie Architects, the buildings were awarded a Regeneration of Scotland architectural award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland . Adjoining them is the later Ionad Fàs (2008), the centre for creative and cultural industries, again designed by Gillespie Architects. The college's associate campus Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, situated beside Bowmore on
1495-577: 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
1610-468: A lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Dundee . Barr was to take a year's sabbatical, from June 1973 to September 1974, as the college's first fear-stiùiridh or director. A two-week summer course for Gaelic learners, attended by 22 students from Scotland, Britain, and further afield, was held in September 1973 in association with An Comunn Gàidhealach . Other activities included a lecture series,
1725-570: A major recovery in the population of the area in recent years. In 2022, a woman was injured by a stabbing at a property in Tarskavaig during the Skye and Lochalsh attacks . Achnacloich, Tokavaig and Ord are all situated on or near the minor road that serves Tarskavaig. Original School - the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) set up the first school at Tarskavaig in 1815 because of
1840-441: A massive increase in summer courses and short courses. The introduction in 1994 of a new HNC in Gaelic and Communications, a diploma designed to boost the supply of teachers to the growing number of Gaelic medium units in primary schools across the country, further underlined the shift in the college's position in response to the increasing need for qualified Gaelic speakers in the media and education throughout Scotland. During
1955-691: 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
2070-600: 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
2185-536: 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
2300-653: A sizeable collection of historic 78-rpm recordings of Gaelic singers and musicians, donated from the archives of the BBC in Glasgow . Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Library is a member of the Consortium of European Research Libraries , and the Ligue des Bibliothèques Européenes de Recherche . The following have been College Principals and Directors of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: The college hosts regular concerts, plays, cèilidhs , dances, films, and gigs open to
2415-583: A television studio. Àrainn Ostaig opened in the autumn of 1993. The same year, the college launched what would prove a remarkably popular postgraduate diploma in Gaelic Broadcasting. The early 1990s saw a series of significant developments at Sabhal Mòr, including the establishment in 1992 of the Lèirsinn Research Centre and the Cànan creative agency. The growth of college accommodation allowed
SECTION 20
#17328547555762530-605: 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
2645-540: A very significant Viking boatyard at Rubha an Dùnain , located only 13 miles (21 kilometres) from this crofting/fishing community, indicates the possibility of a Viking maritime link between the two sites. Up until the 16th century, the area around Tarskavaig was subject to feuds between the MacLeod and MacDonald clans. However, it was not until the 17th century (Charter of 1617) that the MacDonalds finally established control of
2760-537: A view of the remains of Dunscaith Castle , which was the principal seat of the MacDonald Clan in the 15th century. The Tarskavaig Moine Thrust SSSI is located in the adjacent crofting township of Achnacloich. [REDACTED] Media related to Tarskavaig at Wikimedia Commons Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
2875-599: A £900,000 end-of-year surplus wrangled from the Scottish Office by the then Minister for Industry, Education and Gaelic, Brian Wilson . In 1997 the college commenced its first BA courses, Cànan is Cultar na Gàidhlig (Gaelic Language and Culture), and Gàidhlig agus Iomall a’ Chuain Siar (Gaelic and the Atlantic Rim), later Gàidhlig is Leasachadh (Gaelic and Development). These were upgraded into Honours courses in 2002, when
2990-647: 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
3105-476: Is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye , Scotland with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay . Sabhal Mòr is an independent Academic Partner in the federal University of the Highlands and Islands . Its sole medium of instruction on degree courses is Scottish Gaelic . Since its foundation in 1973 Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has played
3220-490: 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
3335-607: Is classed as an indigenous language under 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",
3450-411: 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,
3565-459: Is virtually nothing that could not be achieved in the Highlands. Noble set about putting his ideals into practice. Gaelic speakers were recruited and employed in running new fishing and textile enterprises; a bar was set up beside the estate headquarters as a Gaelic-oriented social and cultural focus for the district; and he was soon involved in a series of wrangles with Inverness County Council over bilingual Gaelic roadsigns on his land. Noble
Tarskavaig - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-548: 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
3795-659: 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,
3910-777: The Soillse initiative; corpus planning and historical lexicography , through the Stòrdata Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig/Gaelic Terminology Database and the Faclair na Gàidhlig/Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic projects; and toponomy , through the Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba/Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland advisory partnership, all based at the college. Research capacity is underpinned by the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Library with its internationally important collections of material related to Gaelic and to
4025-759: 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 ,
4140-472: 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
4255-601: The 1980s the full-time student body at Sabhal Mòr numbered on average ten a year. Prospects for future development, however, remained restricted as long as the college focused solely on recruiting business students with fluent Gaelic. Opportunities for significant expansion arose at the end of the decade with the establishment of Comataidh Telebhisein Gàidhlig , endowed by the government with an annual grant of £9.5 million. With its business focus, and existing expertise in ICT , Sabhal Mòr
4370-535: 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
4485-404: 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
4600-559: 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
4715-588: 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
Tarskavaig - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-538: 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
4945-652: 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
5060-744: 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
5175-551: 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
5290-416: 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
5405-663: The Highlands, and further complemented by the proximity of two major Highland archives: those of MacDonald of Sleat in the Museum of the Isles by Armadale Castle , and the MacLeod papers in Dunvegan Castle . Through academic collaboration and student exchanges, the college maintains links with partner institutions in Scotland, Ireland , Wales , and Nova Scotia . With residencies for writers, artists, musicians, and dramatists; its degree courses in media and traditional music; its hosting of
5520-695: 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
5635-672: The Tarskavaig Moine Thrust , which is located at Achnacloich. The crofting township of Achnacloich or Achadh na Cloiche (Scottish Gaelic: "Stonefield") is located on the outskirts of Tarskavaig by the Gillean Burn watercourse. The small coastal crofting community of Tarskavaig is located within Lord MacDonald's old estate, on the Sleat peninsula of Skye. The first Norwegian settlers arrived on Skye around 875 AD and with inter-marriage
5750-428: 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
5865-406: The University of the Highlands and Islands project was granted university status and thus degree-granting powers in March 2011, the college has strengthened its research base through sponsorship of a growing number of PhD studentships. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig continues its expansion in the twenty-first century. Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle , the college's associate campus in Islay, opened in 2002. The college
SECTION 50
#17328547555765980-581: 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
6095-589: 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
6210-408: 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
6325-407: The area and the clan chief settled at Armadale . Tarskavaig first appeared on Lord MacDonald's estate rental records in 1718, but it was not until 1766 that the small farming community appeared on a map. The sale of black cattle, as in other parts of Skye at the time, provided the main source of income to pay the rent. The village of Tarskavaig was developed in 1811 to allow Lord MacDonald to exploit
6440-400: The award-winning Cùrsa Inntrigidh for beginners, and six years later, the Cùrsa Adhartais for advanced learners. The college also offers an innovative master's degree, the MSc in Cultar Dùthchasach agus Eachdraidh na Gàidhealtachd (Material Culture and Gàidhealtachd History), begun in 2005 as an MA in Cultar Dùthchasach agus an Àrainneachd (Material Culture and the Environment). Since
6555-413: 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
6670-625: 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
6785-419: 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,
6900-450: 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
7015-444: 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
SECTION 60
#17328547555767130-419: The distance to the parish school at Kilmore. Croft 11 was used for the school, and can still be seen today in the middle of the village with its rusty red tin roof. Free Church – the abandoned Free Church and Schoolhouse, which sits just outside the village, was paid for and built by the villagers of Tarskavaig around 1860. The old church sits on a small bay just outside the village. Tarskavaig Community Hall –
7245-430: 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 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
7360-448: 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 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
7475-421: The efficacy of new ISDN communications technologies in linking widely dispersed colleges into a single university network. Forsyth's remarkable volte-face gave the UHI proposal the vital government support required to make a plausible submission to the lottery-funded Millennium Commission . The project bid was funded in full: an award of £33.35 million allowed construction of new college buildings throughout
7590-456: The eighth century. For the first time, 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
7705-404: The end of the Second World War . Gaelic speakers in the parish of Sleat: 1891, 89.3%; 1901, 89.7%. However, Gaelic was even more widely spoken in Tarskavaig: 1891, 97.6%; 1901, 95.2%. In 1901, around 19% of the population of Tarskavaig could only speak Gaelic. By the time of the 2001 census, 54% of the population of Tarskavaig spoke Gaelic, compared to an average of 31% for Skye. Regardless of all
7820-431: 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,
7935-429: The future – and the introduction of university-level BA courses the following year. The most significant influence on the college's long-term strategic thinking during the 1990s was the prospect of participating as a partner college in the recently proposed University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) network, and thus being able to offer full-time degree courses. The involvement of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig from 1995 onwards
8050-472: The improvements in land ownership brought about by the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 , traditional crofting continued its decline into the 20th century. Increasingly, the crofters had to derive substantial income from employment outside the village in order to keep the crofts functioning. However, following formation of the Clan Donald Lands Trust in 1971 and creation of the successful Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Gaelic college) at Kilmore in 1974, there has been
8165-479: 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
8280-466: The island of Islay and incorporating a library and lecture facilities, was opened in 2002. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is an independent charitable company and an Academic Partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands. The college itself is governed by a Board of Directors responsible for strategy and policy development. Its Cathraichean (Chairs) since 2007 have been: A college management team supervises
8395-670: 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 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
8510-495: 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
8625-565: 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. Sabhal M%C3%B2r Ostaig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ( [ˌs̪ɔɫ̪ ˌmoɾ ˈɔs̪t̪ɪkʲ] ; lit. ' Great Barn of Ostaig ' )
8740-405: The main Skye campus, but the college runs a number of courses elsewhere in the country and abroad. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Library is an internationally significant collection of material, antiquarian and contemporary, relating to Gaelic language, culture, and music, and Highland history. At present Special Collections number over 6,000 volumes, comprising six principal divisions: The Library also holds
8855-462: The main ferry terminal at Armadale, consists of two quadrangles. The renovated Ostaig steading was originally built on a U-plan in the late 1820s by Major Allan MacDonald of Belfinlay, who had the lease of Ostaig farm at the time, then subsequently extended on the south side. The adjoining modern blocks of student accommodation, lecture facilities, and offices, designed by Donald Mackillop Assocs, were opened in autumn 1993. The original buildings contain
8970-453: 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
9085-723: 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
9200-532: 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
9315-497: The national folklore digitisation project Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches ; and Fàs, its £8-million centre for creative industries, Sabhal Mòr fulfils an important cultural remit both in the Highlands and in Scotland more generally. In early 1972 Iain Noble , financier, merchant banker, and Gaelic activist, bought the northern portion of the Sleat estate, in the south of the Isle of Skye, from
9430-408: The network, in preparation for envisaged university status. Among these buildings was the £6 million second campus at Sabhal Mòr, Àrainn Chaluim Chille (Columba Campus). The site, two hundred yards along the road from the original Ostaig site, occupied part of a 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 -acre (2.6-hectare) site donated by Ellice MacDonald, chairman of Clan Donald Trust, that had previously been earmarked as
9545-579: The new college principal, Seán Ó Drisceoil, appointed on a three-year secondment from Údarás na Gaeltachta in Ireland. Seven students, all native speakers from the Western Isles , comprised the first intake. Despite continuing financial problems, the college expanded its programme to take in two new HNDs: Business and Information Studies in 1987, and Business and Secretarial Studies, subsequently Business Studies with Office Technology, in 1988. During
9660-434: 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,
9775-687: 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
9890-459: 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
10005-551: 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
10120-527: The possibilities of delivering two-year full-time diploma courses through Gaelic. Two years later the committee recommended the establishment of practically oriented business and administration courses focusing upon the situation in the Highlands, but employing comparisons with similar regions. Following a fundraising drive to pay for the necessary building improvements, the first two-year HND diploma course, in Business and Gàidhealtachd Studies, began in 1983 under
10235-417: The post the following spring. During the early years of the college's existence the trustees’ energy was directed towards fundraising, improving the dilapidated Ostaig steading, expanding summer courses in Gaelic and music, developing links with equivalent institutions in Ireland, Wales, and Canada, and hosting an annual conference. In July 1978 the trustees of the college established a committee to examine
10350-459: 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
10465-644: The public and should become a centre for students. Teachers and an academic ambience were the logical extensions of the new theme. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig was established as a charitable trust in 1973, "as an educational institute, with a special emphasis on Gaelic educational functions", with a longer-term vision of establishing a Gaelic-medium college and research centre offering vocational further education , as well as opportunities for Gaelic learners to develop their fluency. Four urrasairean or trustees were appointed: Iain Noble, poet Sorley Maclean , Donald Ruaraidh Macdonald of Portree High School, and Gordon Barr, then
10580-519: The putative migration or takeover is not reflected in archaeological or placename data (as pointed out earlier by Leslie Alcock ). Campbell has also questioned 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
10695-430: The rearing of sheep for wool. Tragically, during the course of the 19th century, these vital sources of employment and subsistence successively failed, or declined, leaving the economy of the village in ruins. It was only by finding ever more 'work in the south' that crofting families were able to survive. The 'Year of Destitution' in 1837 was the turning point in the history of Tarskavaig, as the land could no longer support
10810-454: 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
10925-526: The region as the kingdom of Alba rather than as the kingdom of the Picts. However, though the Pictish language did not disappear suddenly, 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
11040-441: The resources of the sea and the under-utilized, poorer-quality land along the coast. The village was laid out to 31 small crofts , but they were not big enough to support a family from the land alone, so the tenants were forced to earn money from kelping and fishing in order to pay the rent. The economy of Tarskavaig was dependent on five key activities: the breeding of black cattle for sale, growing potatoes, fishing, kelping, and
11155-564: The rest of the decade there would be a major expansion of the college campus and a sizeable growth in student numbers. The latter was the consequence of two new one-year HNC diplomas established in 1997 – the innovative language immersion Cùrsa Comais intended to enable Gaelic learners to attain comprehension and fluency within a year, and the HNC in Gaelic Performing Arts designed to meet an apparent need for more Gaelic television actors in
11270-464: The rising population. After reaching a peak of 250 in 1837, the number of inhabitants declined steadily. The Potato Blight of 1846 (a year after Ireland) was another massive blow to the community, as over 80% of the diet was being provided by the potato, and crofting there entered a period of decline. Gaelic was very much the natural tongue of the home, work, and church in Sleat during the 19th century, and it remained overwhelmingly Gaelic speaking until
11385-586: The site for a new township, Bail’ Ùr Ostaig, the subject of an unsuccessful £15.75 million bid by Sabhal Mòr itself to the Millennium Commission. In September 1998 Àrainn Chaluim Chille, with teaching facilities, library, dining room, lecture/sports/concert hall, and 31 student bedrooms, was completed; the following year saw the opening of the iconic tower Lòchran an Dòmhnallaich (the MacDonald Beacon), containing 31 further bedrooms and partly funded from
11500-621: The student common room and the Tàlla Mòr or Great Hall, used for cèilidhs and smaller concerts, while the newer hosts the Café Ostaig. Àrainn Chaluim Chille, 300 yards to the east of Àrainn Ostaig, consists of a main building (1998) incorporating teaching facilities, the college library and dining room, the lecture/sports/concert hall Talla Dhonaidh Chaimbeul, and student accommodation, and the broch -like tower Lòchran an Dòmhnallaich (1999), containing additional student and guest bedrooms and crowned by
11615-510: The then owner, Godfrey Macdonald, 8th Baron Macdonald of Sleat . Noble's vision for his new Eilean Iarmain estate was inspired by a visit he had made to the Faroe Islands in the late 1960s. There he had been impressed by how the local linguistic and cultural renaissance had helped to create what was at the time a correspondingly dynamic economic and creative revival: When I asked the Faroese, I
11730-438: The three internal departments of Academic Provision, Arts and Development, and Finance and Planning. College staff are also involved in the governance of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and participate in relevant committees within the wider network partnership. The following projects are associated with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has a writer-in-residence, a musician-in-residence, artists in residence, and
11845-455: The wider local community, while local hotels and pubs offer weekly music sessions in a variety of styles. There are a number of local sports clubs, and a Club Coiseachd/Walking Club allows students the opportunity to enjoy the landscape of Skye and surrounding areas. As well as organising social events, the student association Comann nan Oileanach is involved in a number of campaigns, strengthening links with students in other Associate Partners in
11960-481: 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 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
12075-399: 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
12190-413: Was also inspired by the idea of renovating a semi-derelict farmhouse steading at Ostaig as a Gaelic cultural centre. Plans at first focused around the establishment of a Gaelic library, quickly growing through donations to become the largest public collection of Gaelic-related material in the Hebrides. In Noble's words, however: a library by itself is like mustard without beef. It would have to be open to
12305-474: Was amazed when they all replied that things began to happen when they decided to be Faroese and stop being Danish. This sparked the whole thing off. It gave them a sort of self-respect… I am convinced that through the revival of the language there came a pride in identity and all else followed. We mustn’t be frightened of being a small community. Instead we must create our own internal binding factors. People here have never believed that things are possible. But there
12420-511: Was built on the hill overlooking the village on the site of the old Church of Scotland. Old Post Office and Shop – closed in 1975, but the building can still be seen on croft 14, next to the road. Tarskavaig Point – best sea views, old Free Church, Bull Croft. Last School - A new school with accommodation for 80 pupils was built in 1876, but it was located over the hill and closer to Tocavaig. The renovated schoolhouse sits in Gauscavaig bay, with
12535-512: Was crucial for the credibility of the wider UHI project. Its Gaelic identity helped to lend the scheme a much needed cultural distinctiveness rooted in the region. In a more concrete sense, the surprising ‘conversion’ of the then Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth to the merit of the UHI scheme in October 1995 was primarily due to a recent visit to Sabhal Mòr during which he had been given a demonstration of
12650-578: Was finished. In 2013 the £6.7 million first phase of the Kilbeg Village scheme began, a long-term development that will result in new administration and research facilities, a conference and training centre, new college and community sports and recreation provision, a hotel, and up to 75 new houses being built in the space between the two campuses. At present Sabhal Mòr Ostaig occupies two linked campuses, Àrainn Ostaig and Àrainn Chaluim Chille. Àrainn Ostaig, situated some 2 miles (3 kilometres) north-east of
12765-663: 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 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
12880-542: 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
12995-506: 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
13110-462: Was visited by Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay in 2004; he expressed hope for the Gaelic language flourishing, stating "Scottish life is greatly enriched by the Gaelic dimension," and "If it flourishes here it sends out a message of inspiration and optimism." In 2008 the £8 million new centre for creative and cultural industries, Ionad Fàs, incorporating a television studio, offices, workshop and exhibition spaces, and Gaelic-medium childcare facilities,
13225-602: Was well placed to take advantage of the demand for a major increase in Gaelic-speaking personnel in the Scottish media. Under its new director Norman Gillies, the college was able to secure funding from the Scottish Office , Highlands and Islands Enterprise , Scottish Television , and Grampian Television for the construction of a £1.4 million accommodation block, Àrainn Ostaig (Ostaig Campus), with 36 student bedrooms, teaching and administration spaces, dining facilities, and
#575424