174-605: Arisaig / ˈ æ r ɪ s eɪ ɡ / ( Scottish Gaelic : Àrasaig ) is a village in Lochaber , Inverness-shire. It lies 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Mallaig on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands , within the Rough Bounds . Arisaig is also the traditional name for part of the surrounding peninsula south of Loch Morar , extending east to Moidart . Etymologically, Arisaig means "safe bay". It lies in
348-527: A Norse-Gael of uncertain origin, became owner of Arisaig and the surrounding region. No reliable record explains how this happened, but by some point in the 1140s, David I of Scotland 's control of the region had been eroded. In the middle of that century, Somerled launched a coup in the Kingdom of the Isles, which led to it joining his other possessions as a single state. On Somerled's death, Norwegian authority
522-442: 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
696-561: A Gaelic poet". During the Highland Clearances , many of the local population emigrated to Canada, where in 1785 they founded the town of Arisaig , in Antigonish County , Nova Scotia . Due to his financial extravagance, Ranald George , the 20th Chief of Clan Ranald sold almost all the traditional Clan properties, including Arisaig, in the 1820s. Archaeological excavations of a croft by CFA Archaeology, during
870-564: 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,
1044-403: A campaign of political alienation of Albany and his family. The king's bitterness, directed at Duke Murdoch, had its roots in the past—Duke Robert was responsible for his brother David's death. Moreover, neither Robert nor Murdoch exerted themselves in negotiating James's release and must have left the king with the suspicion that they held aspirations for the throne. Buchan's lands did not fall to
1218-472: 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
1392-823: 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
1566-458: A chance to work, which he begrudgingly accepted, however, refused to provide tools for the job. The economic downturn and potato blight caused estate owners to focus their attention towards pasture lands for sheep and deer hunting grounds, predominantly for the very wealthy, causing many people to be evicted or emigrate, with the unoccupied houses falling into ruin in and around Arisaig. Even so, according to Dom Odo Blundell of Fort Augustus Abbey ,
1740-625: A change in the Black Douglas predominance vis-a-vis the crown and other nobles. Important Douglas allies died in France and some of their heirs realigned with rival nobles through blood ties, while at the same time, Douglas experienced a loosening of allegiances in the Lothians and, with the loss of his command over Edinburgh Castle, this all served to improve James's position. James continued to retain Black Douglas support, allowing him to begin
1914-456: A condition of James's release and had died there in 1434; his younger son Alan died in the king's service at the Battle of Inverlochy in 1431. David's son Robert was now Atholl's heir and both were now in line to the throne after the young Prince James. James continued to show favour to Atholl and appointed his grandson Robert as his personal chamberlain, but by 1437 after a series of setbacks at
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#17327724133562088-551: 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
2262-459: A failed coup by his uncle Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl . Queen Joan, though wounded, escaped the attackers and reached Edinburgh Castle to be reunited with her son, the new King James II . James was probably born in late July 1394 at Dunfermline Abbey , 27 years after the marriage of his parents, Robert III and Annabella Drummond . It was also at Dunfermline under his mother's care that James would have spent most of his early childhood. He
2436-461: A fire in the castle of Linlithgow in 1425, funds were also diverted to the building of Linlithgow Palace , which continued until James died in 1437, and absorbed an estimated one-tenth of royal income. James asserted his authority over the Church as well as the nobility and regretted that King David I 's benevolence towards the Church proved costly to his successors and that he was "a sair sanct to
2610-489: 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
2784-588: A general council in August 1423, where it was agreed that a mission should be sent to England to negotiate James's release. James's relationship with the House of Lancaster changed in February 1424 when he married Joan Beaufort , a cousin of Henry VI and the niece of Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter and Henry, Bishop of Winchester . A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks )
2958-624: A hostage and more of a guest. James's value to Henry became apparent in 1420 when he accompanied Henry to France where his presence was used against the Scottish troops fighting alongside the French. Following the English victory at the siege of Melun , a town southeast of Paris , Scottish prisoners of war captured after the siege were hanged for treason against their king. James attended the coronation of Catherine of Valois on 23 February 1421 and
3132-586: 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
3306-462: A large army to lay siege to the English enclave of Roxburgh Castle . The campaign was to prove pivotal, the Book of Pluscarden describes ' a detestable split and most unworthy difference arising from jealosy ' within the Scottish camp and the historian Michael Brown explains that a contemporary source has James appointing his young and inexperienced cousin, Robert Stewart of Atholl, as the constable of
3480-465: A much more non-aligned position with England, France and Burgundy while at the same time opening up diplomatic contacts with Aragon , Austria , Castile , Denmark , Milan , Naples and the Vatican . Generally, Anglo-Scottish relations were relatively amicable and the truce, extended until 1436, helped the English position in France. Promises made in 1428 of a Scottish army to help Charles VII and
3654-805: 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
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#17327724133563828-603: A place called Long Hermiston Muir, engaged with and killed Fleming while Orkney and James escaped to the comparative safety of the Bass Rock islet in the Firth of Forth. They endured more than a month there before boarding the France-bound Maryenknyght , a ship from Danzig . On 22 March 1406, the ship was captured by an English vessel that was under the partial ownership of English politician Hugh Fenn ;
4002-549: 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
4176-610: 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
4350-533: A realignment of the combatants. The breakdown of the talks between England and France in 1435 precipitated an alliance between Burgundy and France, a request from France for Scottish involvement in the war, and for the fulfilment of the promised marriage of Princess Margaret to the Dauphin . In the spring of 1436 Princess Margaret sailed to France, and in August Scotland entered the war, with James leading
4524-463: A serious reversal in September 1402 when English troops defeated their large army at the Battle of Homildon Hill . Numerous Scottish nobles and their followers were captured included Douglas himself, Albany's son Murdoch, and the earls of Moray, Angus and Orkney. 1402 also saw, as well as the death of Rothesay, that of Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross and Malcolm Drummond, Lord of Mar. This power vacuum
4698-578: A servant of the king — were in attendance in November and December 1432. In 1433 James, this time in response to a summons by the pope, appointed two bishops, two abbots and four dignitaries to attend the council. Twenty-eight Scottish ecclesiastics attended at intervals from 1434 to 1437, but the majority of the higher-ranking churchmen sent proxy attendees; Bishops John Cameron of Glasgow and John de Crannach of Brechin , however, attended in person, as did Abbot Patrick Wotherspoon of Holyrood . Even in
4872-464: A sitting of parliament in Inverness . Of those assembled the king arrested around 50 of them including Alexander , the third Lord of the Isles, and his mother, Mariota, Countess of Ross , around 24 August. A few were executed but the remainder, except Alexander and his mother, were quickly released. During Alexander's captivity, James attempted to split Clann Dòmhnall — Alexander's uncle John Mór
5046-536: 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
5220-545: A street name, such as Ouston, County Durham . A fictionalized Ardnish peninsula and Arisaig provide the setting for most of the "Ian and Sovra" series of children's novels by Elinor Lyon . Arisaig is the title of a song by popular Scottish neo-trad band Project Smok . It features as the third track on their 2020 debut LP, Bayview. Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
5394-625: 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
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5568-408: A tyrant... ... Yet I do not doubt but that you shall see the day and time that you shall pray for my soul, for the great good that I have done to you, and to all in this realm of Scotland, that I have thus slain and delivered you of so cruel a tyrant... – Sir Robert Graham Despite this, by the middle of March, both Angus and Crichton had probably mobilised to move against Atholl. It
5742-719: 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
5916-490: 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
6090-460: Is equally likely that Atholl had gathered his forces to resist incursions into his heartlands — on 7 March the queen and the council entreated the burgess ' of Perth to resist the forces of the "feloune traitors". The position of Atholl and his circle of close supporters only collapsed after Earl Walter's heir Robert Stewart had been captured and who, in Shirley's account, confessed to his part in
6264-411: 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,
6438-570: The Lordship of the Isles , ruled by the MacDonalds , whose leader, John of Islay , married Amy. After the birth of three sons, he divorced Amy and married the king's niece, in return for a substantial dowry . As part of the arrangement, John deprived his eldest son, Ranald , of the right to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, he made Ranald
6612-500: The Battle of Verneuil in August 1424 and his army was crushed. The loss of Buchan, Douglas and the large fighting force left Murdoch exposed politically. The death of Douglas at Verneuil would also weaken his son Archibald , the fifth earl. On 12 October 1424, the king and Archibald met at Melrose Abbey , ostensibly to agree to the appointment of John Fogo , a monk of Melrose, to the abbacy. The meeting may also have been intended as an official acceptance of Douglas, but it signalled
6786-837: 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
6960-555: 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
7134-800: The Road to the Isles . Work on widening it into a double-lane road was completed in 2008. The village is also connected to Mallaig and Fort William by the West Highland Line . Arisaig railway station is the most westerly on the British mainland. A small passenger ferry sails from Arisaig to the Small Isles of Eigg , Muck and Rùm . The main CalMac service to the Small Isles operates from Mallaig. Several areas of England have Arisaig as
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7308-688: 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,
7482-761: The Second World War , Arisaig House became the headquarters for the Scottish section of the Special Operations Executive , which ran paramilitary training courses to prepare field agents for missions in Occupied Europe . The remote and challenging landscape of the Rough Bounds made it an ideal site for this. On 11 November 2009 a memorial to the Czechoslovak SOE field agents who trained locally in 1943–1945
7656-532: The Tower of London along with the other Scottish prisoners. One of these prisoners was James's cousin, Murdoch Stewart, Albany's son, who had been captured in 1402 at the Battle of Homildon Hill . Initially held apart, from 1413 until Murdoch's release in 1415, they were together in the Tower and at Windsor Castle . By 1420, James's standing at Henry V of England's court improved greatly; he ceased to be regarded as
7830-492: The chapter of Dunkeld Cathedral whose nominee was replaced by the king's nephew and firm supporter, James Kennedy. The reaction against the king at the general council had shown Atholl that not only was James on the back foot but his political standing had received a huge setback and may have convinced the earl that James's killing was now a viable course of action. Atholl had seen how assertive action by two of his brothers at different times had allowed them to take control of
8004-569: The dauphin of France , and a gift of the province of Saintonge to James. The ratification of the treaty by Charles took place in October 1428 and James, now with the intended marriage of his daughter into the French royal family and the possession of French lands, had his political importance in Europe boosted. The effectiveness of the alliance with France had virtually ceased after Verneuil and its renewal in 1428 did not alter that — James adopted
8178-786: 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 ,
8352-421: 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
8526-546: 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
8700-404: 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
8874-407: 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
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#17327724133569048-545: The A830, led to excavations, again by CFA, in 2005 of a burnt mound , the first such feature to have been excavated in this part of the Highlands. The mound was radiocarbon dated to period from 2550 to 1900 BC, the early Bronze Age . The purpose of burnt mounds are unknown and they have been hypothesized to have been used as cooking places, saunas or breweries and, unfortunately, the Arisiag burnt mound did not provide an answer to
9222-638: The Albany Stewarts but were forfeited to the crown, Albany's father-in-law, Duncan, Earl of Lennox , was imprisoned, and in December, the duke's main ally, Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Mar , settled his differences with the king. An acrimonious sitting of parliament in March 1425 precipitated the arrest of Murdoch, Isabella, his wife, and his son Alexander — of Albany's other sons, Walter was already in prison and James, his youngest, also known as James
9396-420: The Albany Stewarts guilty of rebellion — their executions followed swiftly. James granted Atholl the positions of Sheriff of Perth and Justiciar, as well as the earldom of Strathearn, but this, significantly, in life-use only, acts that confirmed Earl Walter's policing remit given by Albany, and his already effective grip on Strathearn. Atholl's elder son, David, had been one of the hostages sent to England as
9570-518: The Bass Rock—a move likely favourable both for Murdoch’s interests as well as James’s. Although hesitant about taking action against other members of the Albany Stewarts while Murdoch's brother, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan , and Archibald, 4th Earl of Douglas , were fighting against English forces in France. Buchan was a leader with an international reputation and commanded the large Scottish army, but both he and Douglas were killed by English troops at
9744-569: 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
9918-698: The Bishop's disposal for his visits to the Hebrides . In his Report of the Visitation, Bishop Nicholson later commented about the region, "Kilmarui, i.e. the Cell or Church of St. Maelrubber , is close to Keppoch in Arisaig. In this chapel there are several tombs of hard bluish stone, on which there are some ancient figures very well carved, but without inscription for the most part. One would not have thought that
10092-498: 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
10266-698: The Earl of Douglas and his brother James to withdraw funds from the customs. James's coronation at Scone on 21 May 1424 occurred against this backdrop. The coronation parliament of the Three Estates witnessed the king perform a knighthood ceremony for eighteen prominent nobles, including Alexander Stewart, Murdoch's son, likely aimed at fostering loyalty to the crown within the political community. The parliament convened primarily to discuss issues related to ransom payments and heard James emphasize his authority as monarch. He successfully enabled legislation aimed at boosting crown income by revoking royal predecessors' and guardians' patronage. This move immediately impacted
10440-419: The Earl's renewed involvement in Strathearn as ward to Graham's son, despite strong opposition from Albany, hinted at Atholl's possible involvement in the murder. The bad blood now existing between Albany and Atholl led James on his return to Scotland in 1424 to ally himself with Earl Walter, his uncle. Atholl participated at the assize that sat over the 24/25 May 1425 trials which found the prominent members of
10614-476: The Fat died suddenly, releasing James to prepare for decisive action against the Lordship. The armies met on 21 June in Lochaber and Alexander, suffering the defection of Clan Chattan (the MacKintoshes) and Clan Cameron, was heavily defeated. Alexander escaped probably to Islay but James continued his assault on the Lordship by taking the strongholds of Dingwall and Urquhart castles in July. The king pushed home his advantage when an army reinforced with artillery
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#173277241335610788-423: The Fat , escaped into the Lennox. James the Fat led the men of Lennox and Argyll in open rebellion against the crown and may have been what the king needed to bring a charge of treason against the Albany Stewarts. Murdoch, his sons Walter and Alexander, and Duncan, Earl of Lennox were in Stirling Castle for their trial on 18 May at a specially convened parliament. An assize of seven earls and fourteen lesser nobles
10962-484: 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
11136-440: The French crown. Henry appointed the Duke of Bedford and James as the joint commanders of the siege of Dreux on 18 July 1421 and, on 20 August, they received the surrender of the garrison. Henry died of dysentery on 31 August 1422 and, in September, James was part of the escort taking Henry's body back to London. The regency council of the infant Henry VI of England was inclined to have James released as soon as possible. In
11310-415: 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
11484-582: 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
11658-452: The Gaels of the north was not the king's intention, James had resolved to use a degree of force to strengthen royal authority. He told the assembly: I shall go and see whether they have fulfilled the required service; I shall go I say and I will not return while they default. I will chain them so that they are unable to stand and lie beneath my feet. The leaders of the Gaelic kindreds in the north and west were summoned by James ostensibly to
11832-442: 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
12006-448: The Highland clans to a sitting of parliament in Inverness, and they came in great numbers. There, James unscrupulously had some murdered and imprisoned others, including Alexander , Lord of the Isles , along with his mother, Mariota, Countess of Ross . This betrayal effectively destroyed any peace he might have had with them. Archibald, 5th Earl of Douglas , was arrested in 1431, followed by George, Earl of March , in 1434. The fate of
12180-416: 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
12354-426: 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
12528-631: 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
12702-574: The Lord of Garmoran. However, Ranald's sons were still children at the end of the 14th century, and his younger brother Godfrey seized the Lordship of Garmoran in their stead. Furthermore, the heirs of Ranald's other brother Murdoch now made their own claim. This led to much violent conflict involving Godfrey's family (the Siol Gorrie ) and those of his brothers, although this is not described in much detail in surviving records. By 1427, King James I
12876-481: The Lordship. Four summer campaigns against the Lordship were now officially at an end with James's wishes having effectively been blocked by parliament. James's release in 1424 did not herald a new phase relationship in Anglo-Scottish relations. Contrary to the English council's hopes, the king emerged as a confident and independently-minded European monarch. The only substantive matters of contention between
13050-710: The North of Scotland." On 20 September 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland for France from a place near the village after the collapse of the Jacobite rising of 1745 . The site of his departure is marked by the Prince's Cairn at Loch nan Uamh , to the east of Arisaig. Just a few decades later, Arisaig also became very important to Scottish Gaelic literature . The Scottish Gaelic national poet and Gaelic tutor to Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair , died at Arisaig in 1770. A gale then raging along
13224-528: The Scottish council area of Highland and has a population of about 300. Realignment of a 6 km section of the A830 road in Arisaig led to archaeological investigations in 2000–2001 by the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA), the University of Edinburgh , and Headland Archaeology Ltd, which found a Bronze Age kerb cairn , turf buildings and shieling huts. The shielings were repeatedly reused through
13398-610: 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
13572-826: 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
13746-589: 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
13920-522: 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
14094-478: The ambitions of the Lord of the Isles. Douglas's absence allowed King Robert's allies Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney , and Sir David Fleming of Biggar to become the main political force in the Lothians and Scottish Marches . In December 1404 the king granted the royal Stewart lands in the west ( Ayrshire and around the Firth of Clyde ), to James in regality , protecting them from outside interference and providing
14268-511: 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
14442-603: 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
14616-433: The bishoprics of Dunblane, Dunkeld, Glasgow and Moray. In March 1425, James's parliament directed that all bishops must instruct their clerics to offer up prayers for the king and his family; a year later, parliament toughened up this edict, insisting that the prayers be given at every mass, under the sanction of a fine and severe rebuke. This same parliament legislated that every person in Scotland should "be governed under
14790-437: The building. James was alerted to the men's presence, giving the king time to hide in a sewer tunnel, but with its exit recently blocked off to prevent tennis balls from getting lost, James was trapped and murdered. The assassins had achieved their priority in killing the king, but the queen — although wounded — had escaped. Importantly, the six-year-old prince, now King James II , had been safeguarded from Atholl's control by
14964-622: The castle and burgh of Inverness in the spring of 1429. The crisis deepened when a fleet from the Lordship was dispatched to bring James the Fat back from Ulster 'to convey him home that he might be king'. With James's intention to form an alliance with the Ulster O'Donnells of Tyreconnell against the MacDonalds, the English distrusted the Scottish king's motives and tried to bring James the Fat to England. Before he could become an active player, James
15138-461: The castle of the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth after his escort was attacked by supporters of Archibald, 4th Earl of Douglas . He remained there until mid-March when he boarded a vessel bound for France. On 22 March, an English vessel captured the ship and delivered James to Henry IV of England . The ailing Robert III died on 4 April and the 11-year-old James, now the uncrowned King of Scotland, would remain in captivity for eighteen years. James
15312-625: 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
15486-409: The charter. After Hugh of Sleat's death in 1498, and for reasons that are not remotely clear, his son John of Sleat immediately resigned, transferring all authority to the king. By this time John of Ross's conspiratorial ambition had caused the Lordship of the Isles to be forfeited, but in 1501, his heir, Black Donald , launched an insurrection aimed at restoring it. Ranald Bane , leader of Clan Ranald,
15660-568: 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,
15834-734: The coast prevented his body from being taken for burial beside his parents at Eilean Finnan in Loch Shiel , the Bard was instead buried beside the ruins of Kil-Mael-Rubha Church in Airsaig. Although the exact location of the Bard's grave is no longer known, a wall plaque was erected in 1927 in St. Maelrubha 's Roman Catholic cemetery in Arisaig "by a few Jacobite admirers in New Zealand and some fellow clansmen at home, in recognition of his greatness as
16008-450: 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
16182-456: The country and James acted to reduce the unrest by freeing the earl on 29 September — it was quite likely that the king made the earl's release conditional on support at the forthcoming parliament at Perth at which James intended to push for further funding for the campaign against the Lordship. Parliament was in no mood to allow James unconditional backing — he was allowed a tax to fund his Highland campaign but parliament retained full control over
16356-502: The crime. Walter was taken prisoner by Angus and held at the Edinburgh Tolbooth where he was tried and beheaded on 26 March 1437, the day after the coronation of the young James II. Sir Robert Graham, the leader of the band of assassins, was captured by former Atholl allies and was tried at a session of the council sitting at Stirling Castle and subsequently executed sometime shortly after 9 April. Queen Joan's pursuit of
16530-479: The croun". James also considered that the monastic institutions in particular needed improvement and that they should return to being strictly ordered communities. Part of James's solution was to create an assembly of overseeing abbots and followed this up by establishing a Carthusian priory at Perth to provide other religious houses with an example of internal conduct. He also sought to influence church attitudes to his policies by having his own clerics appointed to
16704-499: 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
16878-405: The dispersal of crown estates since the reign of Robert I exposed legal defects in several transactions where the earldoms of Mar, March and Strathearn, together with the Black Douglas lordships of Selkirk and Wigtown, were found to be problematic. Strathearn and March were forfeited in 1427 and 1435, respectively. Mar was forfeited in 1435 on the earl's death without an heir, which also meant that
17052-612: The earls of Douglas and Mar by preventing them from withdrawing large sums from customs. Despite this action, James still relied on noble support—especially from Douglas—and initially took a less confrontational approach. Walter Stewart, Albany's son, was an early exception to this. Walter was heir to the earldom of Lennox and had been in open revolt against his father in 1423 for not giving way to his younger brother Alexander for this title. He also made no secret of his disagreement with his father's allowing James's return to Scotland. James had Walter arrested on 13 May 1424 and imprisoned on
17226-636: The early months of 1423, their attempts to resolve the issue met with little response from the Scots, clearly influenced by the Albany Stewarts and adherents. Archibald, Earl of Douglas was an astute and adaptable power in Southern Scotland whose influence even eclipsed that of the Albany Stewarts. Despite his complicity in James's brother's death in Albany's castle in 1402, Douglas could still engage with
17400-582: 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
17574-560: 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,
17748-405: The first week of March, neither side seemed to have the ascendancy and the Bishop of Urbino, the pope's envoy, called for the council to pursue a peaceful outcome. ... Yitte dowte I nott but theat yee schulle see the daye and tyme that ye schulle pray for my sowle, for the grete good that I have done to yow, and to all this reume of Scotteland, that I have thus slayne and deliverde yow of so crewell
17922-406: The fortress, the Scots swiftly retreated—a chronicle written a year later said that the Scots 'had fled wretchedly and ignominiously' — but what is certain is that the effects and manner of the defeat, together with the loss of their expensive artillery, was a major reversal for James both in terms of foreign policy and internal authority. Walter Stewart was the youngest of Robert II 's sons and
18096-488: The general council of the Church convened in Basel , but the initial full meeting did not take place until 14 December 1431, by which time Pope Eugene IV and the council were in complete disagreement. It was the council and not the pope who requested that James send representatives of the Scottish church, and it is known that two delegates — Abbot Thomas Livingston of Dundrenanan and John de Winchester , canon of Moray and
18270-461: The hands of James, the earl and Robert probably viewed the king's actions as a prelude to further acquisitions at Atholl's expense. Atholl's authority over the wealthy earldom of Strathearn was tenuous, and both he and Robert would have realised that Strathearn would have returned to the crown upon Atholl's death. This meant that Robert's holdings would have been the relatively impoverished earldoms of Caithness and Atholl and amounted to no more than what
18444-455: The host ahead of the experienced march wardens, the earls of Douglas and Angus. Brown explains that both earls possessed considerable local interests and that the effects of such a large army living off the land may have created resentment and hostility in the area. When the militant prelates of York and Durham, together with the Earl of Northumberland, took their forces into the marches to relieve
18618-511: The hostages in England was ignored by Scotland's ruling elite and the repayment money was diverted into the construction of Linlithgow Palace and other schemes. In August 1436, James's siege of Roxburgh Castle failed, and he subsequently faced an ineffective attempt by Sir Robert Graham to arrest him at a general council. On the night of 20/21 February 1437, James was assassinated in Perth during
18792-479: 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
18966-519: The king and queen had remained in the town at their lodgings in the Blackfriars monastery. In the evening of 20 February 1437 the king and queen were in their rooms and separated from most of their servants. Atholl's grandson and heir Robert Stewart, the king's chamberlain, allowed his co-conspirators — thought to number about thirty and led by Robert Graham and the Chambers brothers — access to
19140-471: The king of income and any of the regalia of his position, and was referred to in records as 'the son of the late king'. The king had a small household of Scots that included Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, Alexander Seaton, the nephew of Sir David Fleming, and Orkney's brother John Sinclair, following the earl's return to Scotland. In time, James's household — now paid for by the English — changed from high-ranking individuals to less notable men. Henry IV treated
19314-481: The king's laws and statutes of this realm only". From this, laws were enacted in 1426 to restrict the actions of prelates whether it was to regulate their need to travel to the Roman Curia or their ability to purchase additional ecclesiastical positions while there. In James's parliament of July 1427, it is evident that the statute being enacted was to limit the authority of church jurisdiction. On 25 July 1431,
19488-513: The king. From 1421, Douglas had been in regular contact with James and they formed an alliance that was to prove pivotal in 1423. Although Douglas was the pre-eminent Scottish magnate, his position in the borders and Lothians was jeopardised — not only did he have to forcibly retake Edinburgh Castle from his own designated warden, but was very likely under threat from the Earls of Angus and March. In return for James's endorsement of Douglas's position in
19662-519: The kingdom and that as James's nearest adult relative, the earl must have considered that decisive intervention on his part at this time could prove to be equally successful. The conspiracy against the king seems to have been heavily influenced by the Albany Stewarts' destruction in 1425. Their judicial killing and forfeiture of their lands influenced the servants who administered and depended on these estates for their living. Atholl, under whose service several of these disgruntled Albany men appear, filled
19836-431: The kingdom, the earl was able to deliver his affinity in the cause of the king's homecoming. Also, the relationship between Murdoch—now Duke of Albany following his father's death in 1420 — and his own appointee, Bishop William Lauder , seemed to be under strain, perhaps evidence of an influential grouping at odds with Murdoch's stance. Pressure from these advocates for the king almost certainly compelled Murdoch to agree to
20010-502: 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
20184-508: 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. James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437)
20358-580: The language. What is more, Fr. MacEachen, who like many Highland priests of his generation was a graduate of the Royal Scots College at Valladolid , also produced widely read literary translations into Arisaig Gaelic of the New Testament , Thomas a Kempis ' The Imitation of Christ ( Scottish Gaelic : Leanmhainn Chriosda ), and Lorenzo Scupoli 's The Spiritual Combat ( Scottish Gaelic : An cath spioradail ). Arisaig House,
20532-532: 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
20706-472: The leadership. In 1532, the king provided a charter confirming Alexander's son, John Moidartach , as Laird of Arisaig and Eigg. On 15 June 1700, Bishop Thomas Nicholson of the strictly illegal and underground Catholic Church in Scotland arrived at Keppoch in Arisaig and was personally received and with great courtesy by the Chief of Clan MacDonald of Clanranald , who placed a boat with experienced sailors at
20880-438: The levy. The rules parliament attached to the taxation indicated a robust stand against further conflict in the north and probably led to the turnaround that took place on 22 October when the king 'forgave the offence of each earl, namely Douglas and Ross [i.e. Alexander]'. For Douglas, this was a formal acknowledgement of his having been freed three weeks earlier, but for Alexander, this was a total reversal of crown policy towards
21054-447: The lordships of Garioch and Badenoch reverted to the crown. James sought to boost his income further through taxation and succeeded in getting parliament to pass legislation in 1424 for a tax to go towards paying off the ransom — £26,000 was raised but James sent only £12,000 to England. By 1429, James stopped the ransom payments completely and used the remainder of the taxation income on cannons and luxury goods from Flanders . Following
21228-459: The marriage of Euphemia to one of his affinity, Patrick Graham, and, by doing so, ended Walter's involvement in Strathearn. Duke Robert, possibly to make up for the loss of the benefits of Strathearn, made Walter Earl of Atholl and Lord of Methven. In 1413, Graham was killed in a quarrel with his own principal servant in the earldom, John Drummond. The Drummond kindred was close to Atholl and
21402-658: The marriage of James's eldest daughter to the French king's son Louis were unrealised. James had to balance his European responses carefully, because England's key ally, the Duke of Burgundy, was in possession of the Low Countries , a major trading partner of Scotland causing James's support for France to be muted. The truce with England expired in May 1436, but James's perception of the Anglo-French conflict changed following
21576-460: The medieval and post-medieval periods, but themselves were on top of Bronze Age remains. Analysis of peat cores has revealed a history of continuous, but gradual decline in woodland, starting in about 3200 BC and continuing to the present. The same analysis found that people were likely to have been in the area constantly from 2500 BC, but in low numbers. From 500 BC onwards the area underwent more intensive grazing activities. Further improvements to
21750-459: 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
21924-679: 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
22098-475: The midst of the Basel general council, Pope Eugenius instructed his legate, Bishop Antonio Altan of Urbino, to meet with James to raise the issue of the king's controversial anti-barratry laws of 1426. The Bishop of Urbino arrived in Scotland in December 1436 and, apparently, a reconciliation between James and the papal legate had taken place by the middle of February 1437, but the events of 21 February, when James
22272-532: 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
22446-434: 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,
22620-643: 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
22794-520: The only Scottish country house designed by architect Philip Webb (1831–1915), was built in 1863 for Francis Dukinfield Palmer-Astley (1825–1868) on the south side of the A830 Lochailort-Morar Road, 3.5 kilometres ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 mi) south-east of Arisaig, on the north shores of Loch Nan Uamh. The house was largely destroyed by fire in 1935 and remodelled in 1937 for Charlotte Gertrude Astley-Nicholson (died 1961). During
22968-637: The only one not to have been provided with an earldom during his father's lifetime. Walter's brother, David, Earl of Strathearn and Caithness, had died before 5 March 1389 when his daughter Euphemia was first recorded as Countess of Strathearn. Walter, now guardian of his niece, administered Strathearn for the next decade and a half, during which time he aided his brother Robert, Earl of Fife and Guardian of Scotland, by enforcing law and order upon another brother, Alexander, lord of Badenoch — he again supported Robert (now Duke of Albany) against their nephew, David, Duke of Rothesay in 1402. Albany most likely engineered
23142-459: 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
23316-560: 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
23490-590: The people of these countries had as much skill in sculpture as these tombs show them to have had. There are some on which a priest, wearing the ancient form of chasuble , is engraved; others have only figures of arms, such as large swords , or else figures of birds and other animals. There are similar tombs on Eilean Finnan (where the Lairds of Moidart are buried), in Eigg , in Uist , Barra , and in several other islands off
23664-477: The prince with a territorial centre should the need arise. Yet in 1405, James was under the protection and tutelage of Bishop Henry Wardlaw of St Andrews on the country's east coast. The animosity of the Douglas affinity was intensifying due to Orkney's and Fleming's expanding influence in border politics and relations with England. Although a decision to send the young prince to France and out of Albany's reach
23838-466: 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
24012-470: The question of their purpose(s). After raids by Vikings that had begun in the 8th century AD, Arisaig became part of the Kingdom of the Isles , a Norwegian dependency. In the late 11th century, however, Malcolm III of Scotland came to a written agreement with Magnus Barelegs , the Norwegian king, to move the border to the coast, so that Arisaig became Scottish. In the early 12th century, Somerled ,
24186-460: The ransom payments, and to provide family hostages as security. James, who excelled in sports, literature, and music, aimed to impose law and order on his subjects but sometimes he applied such order selectively. To secure his position in the Scottish court, James launched pre-emptive attacks on some of his nobles beginning in 1425 with his close kinsmen, the Albany Stewarts. This led to the execution of Duke Murdoch and his sons. In 1427 James summoned
24360-550: The realignment and upgrading works of the A830 in 2005, and historical research by Stirling University has found that the new landowner, Lord Cranstoun was the most notorious local Anglo-Scottish landlord for ordering the largest number of evictions in Arisaig during the Highland Potato Famine . Lord Cranstoun was certainly not a popular proprietor and was accused of having failed even to make effort to bring relief to his tenants, or even pay his own workers. It
24534-460: 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
24708-597: The regency ended probably at the council of June 1437 when Archibald, 5th Earl of Douglas, was appointed lieutenant-general of the kingdom. King James's embalmed heart may have been taken on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land following his interment at Perth Charterhouse , as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland for 1443 note the payment of £90 to cover the costs of a knight of the Order of St John who had returned it to
24882-535: 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,
25056-484: The remaining population of Arisaig continued to be overwhelmingly Gaelic-speaking and belonged to the once strictly illegal Catholic Church in Scotland . The region is also very important to the modern history and recent development of the Scottish Gaelic language , as early lexicographer Fr. Ewen MacEachen was a native of the region and used the Arisaig dialect as the basis for his pioneering 1842 dictionary of
25230-440: The removal of the earl's associate, John Spens, from his role as James's custodian. Spens vanished from the records following the regicide but the re-allocation of his positions and lands immediately following the murder indicate his part in the plot. Yet, in the chaos following the murder, it appeared that the queen's attempt to position herself as regent was not guaranteed. No surviving documentation exists that suggests that there
25404-461: The two kingdoms were the payments due under the terms of James's release and the renewal of the truce that would expire in 1430. In 1428 after setbacks on the battlefield Charles VII of France sent his ambassador Regnault de Chartres , Archbishop of Rheims to Scotland to persuade James to renew the Auld Alliance — the terms were to include the marriage of the princess Margaret to Louis,
25578-547: The vessel's crew delivered James to Henry IV of England , who kept him as a hostage . Robert III was at Rothesay Castle when he learned of his son's capture and he died soon after, on 4 April 1406, and was buried in the Stewart foundation abbey of Paisley . James, now the uncrowned King of Scots, began what proved to be his 18-year period as a hostage while, simultaneously, Albany transitioned from lieutenant to governor. Albany took James's lands under his control, depriving
25752-621: The violence, King James declared the Lordship forfeit. In 1469, James' grandson ( James III ) granted Lairdship of the lands of Garmoran and Uist to John of Ross , the Lord of the Isles. In turn, John passed it to his half-brother, Hugh of Sleat ; the grant to Hugh was confirmed by the king in a 1493 charter. The violence that led to Alexander's execution had brought the Siol Gorrie to the brink of extinction, and after Alexander's death they played no further part in Arisaig's history. Ranald's heirs, Clan Ranald , disputed and fought against
25926-512: The void created by this. Among them were the brothers Robert and Christopher Chambers, and Sir Robert Graham, who only three months before had tried to arrest the king at the Perth council. Even though Robert Chambers was a member of the Royal household, the old Albany ties were stronger. A general council was held in Atholl's heartland in Perth on 4 February 1437 and crucially for the conspirators,
26100-470: The young James well, providing him with a good education. James was ideally placed to observe Henry's methods of kingship and political control, having probably been admitted into the royal household upon reaching adulthood. James used personal visits from his nobles, coupled with letters to individuals, to maintain his visibility in his kingdom. Henry died in 1413 and his son, Henry V , immediately ended James's comparative freedom by initially holding him in
26274-561: Was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond . His eldest brother David, Duke of Rothesay , died under suspicious circumstances while detained by his uncle, Robert, Duke of Albany . James's other brother, Robert, died young. Concerns for James's safety deepened in the winter of 1405–1406 prompting plans to send him to France. In February 1406, James took refuge in
26448-399: 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
26622-605: Was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424, to which James attached his own seal. The king and queen, escorted by English and Scottish nobles, reached Melrose Abbey on 5 April and were met by Albany, who relinquished his governor's seal of office. Throughout the 15th century, Scottish kings were financially constrained and James's reign was no exception. The Albany regency had been similarly limited, with Duke Robert governorship fees remaining unpaid. Royal patronage ceased entirely following James's capture, leading to irregular forms of political favours, such as Albany allowing nobles like
26796-439: Was any general feeling of horror or condemnation aimed at the murderers. Possibly had the botched attempt at killing the queen succeeded and had Atholl taken control of the young king his attempted coup might have succeeded. The queen's small group of loyal supporters including the Earl of Angus and William Crichton ensured her continued hold of James. This in itself greatly reinforced her situation but Atholl still had followers. By
26970-507: Was appointed to hear the evidence that linked the prisoners to the rebellion in the Lennox. The four men were condemned, Walter on 24 May and the others on 25 May, and immediately beheaded in 'front of the castle'. James demonstrated a ruthless and avaricious side to his nature in the destruction of his close family, the Albany Stewarts, that yielded the three forfeited earldoms of Fife, Menteith and Lennox. An inquiry set up by James in 1424 into
27144-566: Was approached by an agent of the king to take the clan leadership but he refused to have any dealings with the king while his nephew was held prisoner led to John Mór's arrest and murder by the king's agent. The king's need for allies in the west and north led him to soften his approach towards the Lord of the Isles and, hoping that Alexander would now become a loyal servant of the crown, he was given his freedom. Alexander, probably under pressure from his close kinsmen Donald Balloch, John Mór's son, and Alasdair Carrach of Lochaber , led an attack on
27318-419: Was articulated by their speaker Sir Robert Graham , a former Albany attendant but now a servant of Atholl. The council then witnessed an unsuccessful attempt by Graham to arrest the king resulting in the knight's imprisonment followed by banishment but James failed to see Graham's actions as part of an extended threat. In January 1437, Atholl received yet another rebuff in his own heartlands when James overturned
27492-497: Was assassinated, prevented the legate from completing his commission. The king called a general council in July 1428 in Perth to raise funds for an expedition into the Highlands against the semi-autonomous Lord of the Isles . The council initially resisted granting James the funds — even with royal support from the powerful Earls of Mar and Atholl — but eventually gave in to the king's wishes. Although it seemed that an all-out attack on
27666-529: Was beaten at Inverlochy and Angus Moray's in a fierce battle near Tongue in Caithness. This was a serious setback for James and his credibility was adversely affected. In 1431, before the September uprising, the king had arrested two of his nephews, John Kennedy of Carrick and Archibald, Earl of Douglas, possibly because of a conflict between John and his uncle, Thomas Kennedy in which Douglas may have become involved. Douglas's arrest had raised tensions in
27840-423: Was dispatched to the Isles. Alexander probably realised that his position was hopeless and tried to negotiate terms of surrender but James demanded and received his total submission. From August 1429 the king delegated royal authority to Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar to keep the peace in the north and west. The Islesmen rose again in September 1431 and inflicted two important defeats on the king's men — Mar's army
28014-407: Was educated well during his imprisonment in England, where he was often kept in the Tower of London , Windsor Castle , and other English castles. He was generally well-treated and developed respect for English forms of governance. James joined Henry V of England in his military campaigns in France between 1420 and 1421. His cousin, Murdoch Stewart (Albany's son), an English prisoner since 1402,
28188-546: Was even noted within a debate in the House of Commons in 1847, that Lord Cranstoun had 17 servants on the edge of starvation, who he refused to pay or provide for (see Distress in Scotland, HC Deb, 22 February 1847, vol 90, cc310 – 6). Ellice (1847, see previous reference), noted that the state of most families in Arisaig during the time, were on the brink of starvation and destitution. Lord Cranstoun, alongside other estate owners, were encouraged to offer road expansions or drain improvements on their estates, giving destitute families
28362-517: Was frustrated with the general level of violence in the Highlands, together with an insurrection caused by his own cousin . He demanded that Highland magnates attend a meeting at Inverness . On arrival, many were seized and imprisoned. Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick show trial immediately executed. Alexander had by then inherited Godfrey's de facto position as Lord of Garmoran, and in view of Ranald's heirs being no less responsible for
28536-402: Was honoured by sitting immediately on the left of queen at the coronation banquet. In March, Henry began a circuit of the important towns in England as a show of strength, and during this tour James was knighted on Saint George's Day . By July, the two kings were back campaigning in France where James, evidently approving of Henry's methods of kingship, seemed content to endorse his claims to
28710-605: Was in Earl Walter's possession in the years between 1406 and 1416. The retreat from Roxburgh exposed the king to questions regarding his control over his subjects, his military competence and his diplomatic abilities yet he remained determined to continue with the war against England. Just two months after the Roxburgh fiasco, James called a general council in October 1436 to finance further hostilities through more taxation. The estates firmly resisted this and their opposition
28884-485: Was inevitably filled by individuals who were not involved in national politics. In the years between 1402 and 1406, the northern earldoms of Ross, Moray and Mar were without adult leadership and with Murdoch Stewart, the justiciar for the territory north of the Forth in an English prison, Albany found himself reluctantly having to ally with his brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan , and Buchan's son, Alexander, to counter
29058-491: 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
29232-459: 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
29406-470: Was one of the few MacDonald-descended clan leaders to refuse to support Donald, and so in 1505, shortly before Donald was defeated, Ranald Bane was given the Lairdship of Arisaig and Eigg as a reward. In 1520, the excessive cruelty of Ranald Bane's son, Dougall (not described in detail by surviving records) led to his assassination and the exclusion of Ranald Bane's descendants from leadership of Clan Ranald. Instead, Ranald Bane's brother, Alexander, took over
29580-405: Was restored, but in practice it remained divided; the part containing Arisaig was known as Garmoran and ruled by the MacRory , a faction among Somerled's heirs. After the 1266 Treaty of Perth , Garmoran became a Scottish crown dependency – the Lordship of Garmoran – still ruled by the MacRory, until the final MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran . Most of the remainder of the kingdom had become
29754-606: Was seven years old when his mother died in 1401, and a year later his elder brother David, Duke of Rothesay , was probably murdered by their uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany , after being held at Albany's Falkland Castle . James, now heir to the throne, was the only barrier to the Albany Stewarts' royal ambitions. In 1402 Albany and his close ally Archibald, 4th Earl of Douglas , were absolved of Rothesay's death allowing Albany's reappointment as King's Lieutenant. Albany rewarded Douglas for his support by allowing him to resume hostilities with England but their fortunes suffered
29928-452: Was taken in the winter of 1405–1406, James's departure from Scotland was unplanned. In February 1406 Bishop Wardlaw released James to Orkney and Fleming who, with their large force of Lothian adherents, proceeded into hostile Douglas east Lothian . James's custodians may have been displaying royal approval to further their interests in Douglas country. This provoked a fierce response from James Douglas of Balvenie and his supporters who, at
30102-421: Was traded for Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland , in 1416. However, Albany refused to negotiate James's release. James married Joan Beaufort , daughter of the Earl of Somerset , in February 1424, shortly before his release in April. His return to Scottish affairs was not altogether popular due to his service to Henry V in France, sometimes against Scottish forces. Noble families faced increased taxes to fund
30276-412: Was unveiled in Arisaig. Arisaig has a post office, a general store, a restaurant, a café, a hotel with a bar, and a marina. Tourism is the main industry in the area. The Land, Sea and Islands Centre offers a display on the connection between the Special Operations Executive and Arisaig. See above. Arisaig lies on the A830 to Mallaig to the north and Fort William to the east. It is also known as
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