Resources to help you learn Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

The following was first published in my Scottish GENES Newsletter on Sunday 11th January 2025.

I've been asked by a couple of readers about advice on how to start learing Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), following the recent positive 2022 census results showing a reversal of its decline. So here goes!

A good starting point is the free to access Duolingo course at www.duolingo.com, which can allow you to pick up some basic phrases and words at just 15 minutes a day study.

Once you have made a start on this, there are other courses available online with a bit more structure that can begin to help you understand some basic grammar, including the BBC's SpeakGaelic course and TV series - see https://speakgaelic.scot. The programmes can be watched on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakGaelic, including Gaelic subtitles for all the Gaelic spoken, to help you put the words to the sounds.

The Ceumannan series of lessons are used by schools across the country to teach Gaelic from National 5 to Advanced Higher levels - these are freely available at https://storlann.co.uk/ceumannan/ 

e-Sgoil (https://www.e-sgoil.com) offers access to adult learners wishing to study the National 5, Higher or Advanced Highers in Gaelic for Learners. Having achieved both the Higher and Advanced Higher through e-Sgoil, I can thoroughly recommend it! 

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (https://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/?lang=en) on the Isle of Skye (pictured below) also offers distance learning options, including its Cùrsa Inntrigidh, and also short courses in the summer where you can attend and learn with like-minded students and gain confidence in speaking the language.

As with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Ceòlas centre (https://www.ceolas.co.uk) on South Uist also offers residential options for Gaelic study.  

There are many courses available as books also, and my favourite has always been Teach Yourself Gaelic by Boyd Robertson, now being printed as Complete Gaelic (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Gaelic-Beginner-Intermediate-Course/dp/1444102362/). The audio files to accompany this are freely available at https://library.teachyourself.com/id004325766/Complete-Gaelic-Free-resources.

The LearnGaelic platform has an absolute tonne of useful resources for learners at all levels, including content from the old STV series Speaking Our Language, and a brilliant online dictionary. You can freely access the site at https://learngaelic.scot/.

Around the country are various Gaelic learning community and conversation hubs, including Culturlann Inbhir Nis at Inverness (https://culturlann.scot/en), An Lòchran in Partick, Glasgow (https://www.anlochran.com), Edinburgh's Ionad Gàidhlig Dhùn Èidinn (https://ionaddhuneideann.org), and Stornoway's An Taigh Cèilidh (https://www.taighceilidh.com).

Bringing it back to the genealogy world, you may be interested in this article on ScotlandsPeope about the Gaelic will of Donald MacSwain (Dòmhnall MacSuain) - https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/news-and-articles/our-records-domhnall-macsuains-gaelic-will.

Finally, for genealogists, my free guide to useful words for family history is available at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/p/gaelic-genealogy.html.

I hope that helps!

Chris

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