The Scottish Government

Gaelic has been spoken in Scotland for over 1500 years. Over this period, Gaelic has been the language of court and government, learning and the arts, education and devotion and the home and the community.

Although its use has declined over the centuries, it is still alive and an official language of Scotland, as well as a priceless part of our nation's living, diverse culture.

The Scottish Government recognises that Gaelic is an integral part of Scotland's heritage, national identity and current cultural life. The Scottish Government has taken action and has put in place the necessary structures and initiatives and to ensure that Gaelic has a sustainable future in Scotland.

The position of Gaelic is, however, extremely fragile. If Gaelic is to have a sustainable future, there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of Government, the public sector, the private sector, community bodies and individual speakers to;

• enhance the status of Gaelic.

• promote the acquisition and learning of Gaelic

• encourage the increased use of Gaelic.

Demographics[1]

The total number of people recorded as being able to speak and/or read and/or write and/or understand Gaelic in the 2001 census was 92,400 (1.9% of the Scottish Population). Of these, the total number of people who could speak Gaelic was 58,652 (1.15% of the Scottish Population).

While the number of Gaelic speakers declined overall in the last census, the number of people able to speak and also to read and write Gaelic increased between 1991 and 2001 reflecting a growth in Gaelic literacy and growing numbers of Gaelic learners. The number of children aged 5-15 able to speak Gaelic also increased between 1991 and 2001. It is a priority for this Government to stabilise the number of Gaelic speakers at their 2001 levels by the 2021 census.

Gaelic speakers are spread throughout Scotland. Of the Gaelic speakers identified in the 2001 census, just over half lived in three Council Areas (the Highland Council, Argyll & Bute Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar areas) and just under half in the Lowland areas. Gaelic is spoken by a majority of people in the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar area and in the parish of Kilmuir in the Isle of Skye within the Highland Council area. Only just over a quarter of speakers live in localities where Gaelic speakers form a majority.

There is a high degree of urbanisation within the Gaelic speech community with large concentrations of Gaelic speakers living in Greater Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. For example, 11,211 Gaelic speakers, or 19% of all Gaelic speakers, live in Greater Glasgow according to the 2001 census.[2]

There is no authoritative figure for the number of non-fluent adult learners. However, a national study in 1995 by John Galloway on behalf of Comunn na Gàidhlig, the Gaelic development agency, found that there were roughly 8,000 in Scotland.[3]

There are around 2,500 primary and secondary schoolchildren in Gaelic-medium education (GME) nationally at present, with a further 700 children in Gaelic-medium nurseries. Within English-medium education between 2,500 and 3,000 learners study Gaelic as a secondary subject each year between S1 and S6.[4]Many children in English-medium primary schools take part in the Gaelic Language in the Primary School scheme each year: around 6,500 children in the 2005/6 session.