93-980: GMU may refer to: Gaelic medium unit (in Scottish education) George Mason University , in Virginia, United States Georgian Mathematical Union IATA Airport Code for Greenville Downtown Airport , in South Carolina, United States Guangzhou Medical University , in China Guarded Memory Unit, a feature in Intel i960 Guglielmo Marconi University , in Italy Guizhou Medical University , in China Gulf Medical University , in
186-492: A GME background, a majority were classified as "low use." Usage was strongly correlated with language abilities. Those who came from Gaelic-speaking homes, continued studying Gaelic in university, and/or found Gaelic employment after school were more likely to use the language as adults. The attitudes towards education and the promotion of Anglicisation have been described as resulting from "confrontation of two disparate societies...Lowland Scotland made plain its anxiety concerning
279-425: A Stuart restoration, was widely felt. The British government's strategy was to estrange the clan chiefs from their kinsmen and turn their descendants into English-speaking landlords whose main concern was the revenues their estates brought rather than the welfare of those who lived on them. This may have brought peace to the islands, but in the following century it came at a terrible price. The Highland Clearances of
372-671: A combined area of 745.4 square kilometres (288 sq mi). This includes the Uists themselves and the islands linked to them by causeways and bridges. Barra is 58.75 square kilometres (23 sq mi) in extent and has a rugged interior, surrounded by machair and extensive beaches. The scenic qualities of the islands are reflected in the fact that three of Scotland's forty national scenic areas (NSAs) are located here. The national scenic areas are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development, and are considered to represent
465-610: A flower, V-rod and lunar crescent to which has been added a later and somewhat crude cross. Viking raids began on Scottish shores towards the end of the 8th century AD and the Hebrides came under Norse control and settlement during the ensuing decades, especially following the success of Harald Fairhair at the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872. In the Western Isles Ketill Flatnose was the dominant figure of
558-820: A higher than national average enrollment of students: Eilean Siar (39.1%); Highland (4.5%); Argyll & Bute (2.2%); Glasgow City (1.8%); and Edinburgh City (0.9%). The Comhairle nan Eilean Siar announced in 2020 that Gaelic-medium would become the default for primary-school entrants in the Outer Hebrides from August., and in 2021, 43% of primary school students in Na h-Eileanan Siar were in Gaelic-medium education. The strong majority of Gaelic-medium students are immersed in Gaelic only during their primary education years. 87% of all Gaelic-medium education pupils at
651-465: A more enlightened approach, investing in fishing in particular. The historian W. C. MacKenzie was moved to write: At the end of the 17th century, the picture we have of Lewis that of a people pursuing their avocation in peace, but not in plenty. The Seaforths ..., besides establishing orderly Government in the island.. had done a great deal to rescue the people from the slough of ignorance and incivility in which they found themselves immersed. But in
744-456: A more modern design. The creation of the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the discovery of substantial deposits of North Sea oil in 1965, the establishment of a unitary local authority for the islands in 1975 and more recently the renewables sector have all contributed to a degree of economic stability in recent decades. The Arnish yard has had a chequered history but has been
837-614: A more secure future for his people". The government of Britain provided some assistance, thanks to Sir Charles Trevelyan , who arranged for food distribution at Portree and Tobermory. The British Association for the Relief of Distress in Ireland and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland also helped as did donations received from North America. The blight struck again over the next two years, requiring an extra tax on landowners to help feed
930-610: A part of the Western Isles, remains a matter of international dispute. A 2018 development plan divides the Outer Hebrides settlements into four types: Stornoway Core , Main Settlements, Rural Settlements and Outwith Settlements. The Main Settlements are Tarbert , Lochmaddy , Balivanich , Lochboisdale / Daliburgh , Greater Castlebay and Greater Stornoway (excluding Stornoway core). Combining with data from
1023-608: A separate reference to Dumna , which Watson (1926) concludes is unequivocally the Outer Hebrides. Writing about 80 years later, in 140–150 AD, Ptolemy , drawing on the earlier naval expeditions of Agricola , also distinguished between the Ebudes , of which he writes there were only five (and thus possibly meaning the Inner Hebrides ) and Dumna . Dumna is cognate with the Early Celtic dumnos and means
SECTION 10
#17327804408521116-452: A small population who grew grain and raised cattle, Sula Sgeir is an inhospitable rock. Thousands of northern gannets nest here, and by special arrangement some of their young, known as gugas , are harvested annually by the men of Ness . The status of Rockall , which is 367 kilometres (228 mi) to the west of North Uist and which the Island of Rockall Act 1972 decreed to be
1209-409: A specific subject in the higher classes of both elementary and secondary schools. Grants to aid the supply of Gaelic-speaking teachers were also introduced. Despite these small measures towards the reintroduction of Gaelic into the classroom the manner in which the language was taught is thought to have contributed to its decline with the language being taught not as the native tongue of the pupils, via
1302-531: A succession of measures taken by the Scottish government specifically aimed at the extirpation of the Gaelic language, the destruction of its traditional culture and the suppression of its bearers." This was followed in 1616 by an act of the privy council which included a requirement that the children of the Highland nobility must be capable of speaking, reading and writing English if they were to be recognised as heirs. The history of Gaelic language schools (in
1395-401: A transition from these places being perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies to a view becoming held by both island residents and outsiders alike that they lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy. There were gradual economic improvements, among the most visible of which was the replacement of the traditional thatched blackhouse with accommodation of
1488-506: Is 11 kilometres (7 mi) long, and has several large islands in its midst, including Eilean Mòr . Although Loch Suaineabhal has only 25% of Loch Langavat's surface area, it has a mean depth of 33 metres (108 ft) and is the most voluminous on the island. Of Loch Sgadabhagh on North Uist it has been said that "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline." Loch Bì
1581-452: Is South Uist's largest loch and at 8 kilometres (5 mi) long it all but cuts the island in two. Much of the western coastline of the islands is machair , a fertile low-lying dune pastureland. Lewis is comparatively flat, and largely consists of treeless moors of blanket peat . The highest eminence is Mealisval at 574 m (1,883 ft) in the south west. Most of Harris is mountainous, with large areas of exposed rock and Clisham ,
1674-476: Is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad , which is a European Protected Species . There has been considerable controversy over hedgehogs on the Uists. Hedgehogs are not native to the islands but were introduced in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. Their spread posed a threat to the eggs of ground-nesting wading birds. In 2003 Scottish Natural Heritage undertook culls of hedgehogs in
1767-486: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Gaelic medium unit Scottish Gaelic-medium education ( Scottish Gaelic : Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig ; FTG), also known as Gaelic-medium education ( GME ), is a form of education in Scotland that allows pupils to be taught primarily through the medium of Scottish Gaelic , with English being taught as
1860-417: Is only in recent years that population levels have ceased to decline. Much of the land is now under local control, and commercial activity is based on tourism, crofting , fishing, and weaving. Sea transport is crucial for those who live and work in the Outer Hebrides, and a variety of ferry services operate between the islands and to mainland Scotland. Modern navigation systems now minimise the dangers, but in
1953-514: Is the driest period. Winds are a key feature of the climate and even in summer there are almost constant breezes. According to the writer W. H. Murray if a visitor asks an islander for a weather forecast "he will not, like a mainlander answer dry, wet or sunny, but quote you a figure from the Beaufort Scale ." There are gales one day in six at the Butt of Lewis and small fish are blown onto
SECTION 20
#17327804408522046-551: Is the largest island in Scotland and the third-largest in the British Isles , after Great Britain and Ireland. It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are connected by land. The island does not have a single name in either English or Gaelic, and is referred to as "Lewis and Harris", "Lewis with Harris", "Harris with Lewis" etc. The largest islands are deeply indented by arms of
2139-804: The Suðr-eyjar or South Isles encompassing the Hebrides and the Isle of Man ; and the Norðr-eyjar or North Isles of Orkney and Shetland . This situation lasted until the partitioning of the Western Isles in 1156, at which time the Outer Hebrides remained under Norwegian control while the Inner Hebrides broke out under Somerled , the Norse-Celtic kinsman of the Manx royal house. Following
2232-452: The Earl of Huntly besieged and captured Stornoway Castle using cannon. In 1540 James V himself conducted a royal tour, forcing the clan chiefs to accompany him. There followed a period of peace, but all too soon the clans were at loggerheads again. In 1598 King James VI authorised some " Gentleman Adventurers" from Fife to civilise the "most barbarous Isle of Lewis". Initially successful,
2325-414: The Highland council area in third at 8.8%. On the reverse side, fourteen council areas had no students at all receiving any education in Gaelic. There are an increasing number of dedicated Gaelic-medium schools in Scotland. The largest is Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic School), established in 2006 and catering to pupils aged three to eighteen, the country's first 3–18 Gaelic-medium school. At
2418-555: The National Records of Scotland , the principal settlements are: 4,800 1,610 870 510 The dispersed settlements consisting of Rural Settlements and Outwith Settlements account for ca. two thirds of the population of the council area, since the total population of the table is about 9,000. Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from Lewisian gneiss . These are amongst the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in
2511-680: The Norse kingdom of the Suðreyjar , which lasted for over 400 years, until sovereignty over the Outer Hebrides was transferred to Scotland by the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Control of the islands was then held by clan chiefs, principal amongst whom were the MacLeods , MacDonalds , and the MacNeils . The Highland Clearances of the 19th century had a devastating effect on many communities, and it
2604-557: The Precambrian period up to three billion years ago. In addition to the Outer Hebrides, they form basement deposits on the Scottish mainland west of the Moine Thrust and on the islands of Coll and Tiree . These rocks are largely igneous in origin, mixed with metamorphosed marble , quartzite and mica schist and intruded by later basaltic dykes and granite magma. The gneiss's delicate pink colours are exposed throughout
2697-709: The secondary language . Gaelic-medium education is increasingly popular throughout Scotland, and the number of pupils who are in Gaelic-medium education has risen from 24 in 1985 (its first year) to 5,066 in 2021. The current figure is the highest number of Gaelic-medium education pupils in Scotland since the 2005 passage of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act by the Scottish Parliament . Not included in this figure are university students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig , Lews Castle College , or Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle who are taking their degrees through
2790-415: The "deep-sea isle". Pliny probably took his information from Pytheas of Massilia who visited Britain sometime between 322 and 285 BC. It is possible that Ptolemy did as well, as Agricola's information about the west coast of Scotland was of poor quality. Breeze also suggests that Dumna might be Lewis and Harris , the largest island of the Outer Hebrides although he conflates this single island with
2883-404: The "raiders" but the visiting judge took the view that she had neglected her duties as a landowner and that "long indifference to the necessities of the cottars had gone far to drive them to exasperation". Millennia of continuous occupation notwithstanding, many of the remoter islands were abandoned — Mingulay in 1912, Hirta in 1930, and Ceann Iar in 1942 among them. This process involved
GMU - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-451: The 19th century destroyed communities throughout the Highlands and Islands as the human populations were evicted and replaced with sheep farms. For example, Colonel Gordon of Cluny , owner of Barra, South Uist and Benbecula, evicted thousands of islanders using trickery and cruelty, and even offered to sell Barra to the government as a penal colony. Islands such as Fuaigh Mòr were completely cleared of their populations and even today
3069-457: The European population. The bumblebee Bombus jonellus var. hebridensis is endemic to the Hebrides and there are local variants of the dark green fritillary and green-veined white butterflies. The St Kilda wren is a subspecies of wren whose range is confined to the islands whose name it bears. The islands' total population was 26,502 at the 2001 census, and the 2011 figure
3162-748: The Highlands by the British Army in the ensuing decades. The change in political atmosphere following the Disarming Act , as well as campaigning by the likes of Samuel Johnson – who was aghast at the fact the SSPCK was actively preventing the publication of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic — led to the change in attitudes within the Society. Johnson had to say of the matter: Johnson, despite being commonly viewed as both anti-Scottish and anti-Gaelic,
3255-586: The Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered Orkney , the Hebrides and the Isle of Man in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of the various islands‘ petty kingdoms. By capturing the islands Magnus imposed a more direct royal control, although at a price. His skald Bjorn Cripplehand recorded that in Lewis "fire played high in the heaven" as "flame spouted from
3348-512: The Picts in the sixth century AD: "As for Shetland, Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles, their inhabitants, most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time, are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence." The island of Pabbay is the site of the Pabbay Stone, the only extant Pictish symbol stone in the Outer Hebrides. This 6th century stele shows
3441-636: The Scottish Education Department in the years immediately following the act of 1872 saw the gradual reintroduction of certain measures providing for the use of Gaelic in schools. This pressure led to the undertaking by the department of a survey in 1876 which revealed a "distinct majority" of school boards within the Highlands in favour of the inclusion of Gaelic within the curriculum although it also revealed that some of those in Gaelic-speaking areas were against this. However,
3534-499: The Scottish crown led to the forcible dissolution of the Lordship of the Isles by James IV in 1493, but although the king had the power to subdue the organised military might of the Hebrides, he and his immediate successors lacked the will or ability to provide an alternative form of governance. The House of Stuart 's attempts to control the Outer Hebrides were then at first desultory and little more than punitive expeditions. In 1506
3627-647: The Sgoil na Coille Nuaidh opened in Kilmarnock . Apart from such schools , Gaelic-medium education is also provided through Gaelic-medium units within English-speaking schools. Bun-sgoil Shlèite on the Isle of Skye is the exception in that it is a Gaelic school with an English-medium unit. The largest Gaelic unit is at Mount Cameron Primary School in East Kilbride which enrolled 70 pupils at
3720-731: The Strangers';; Scots : Waster Isles ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Fada ), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland . The islands form part of the archipelago of the Hebrides , separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch , the Little Minch , and the Sea of the Hebrides . The Outer Hebrides are considered to be
3813-533: The UAE ISO language code for Gumalu language Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title GMU . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GMU&oldid=1240646192 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
GMU - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-407: The archipelago's only Corbett , reaches 799 m (2,621 ft) in height. North and South Uist and Benbecula (sometimes collectively referred to as The Uists ) have sandy beaches and wide cultivated areas of machair to the west and virtually uninhabited mountainous areas to the east. The highest peak here is Beinn Mhòr at 620 metres (2,034 ft). The Uists and their immediate outliers have
3999-470: The area, but these were halted in 2007; trapped animals are now relocated to the mainland. Nationally important populations of breeding waders are present in the Outer Hebrides, including common redshank , dunlin , lapwing and ringed plover . The islands also provide a habitat for other important species such as corncrake , hen harrier , golden eagle and otter . Offshore, basking shark and various species of whale and dolphin can often be seen, and
4092-615: The beginning of the 2020/21 academic year the school enrolled 391 students at the secondary level and 440 students at the primary level. The country's only other dedicated Gaelic-medium secondary school is Sgoil Lionacleit on the island of Benbecula in Na h-Eileanan Siar which enrolled 277 students in 2020/21. Several Gaelic language primary schools exist in the Western Isles. Outside that region, Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis opened in 2007 in Inverness and serves pupils in class 1–7, as does Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce which opened in 2013 in
4185-723: The capital city of Edinburgh. Apart from the primary unit at Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, Glasgow City operates two other GME primary schools: Bunsgoil Ghaidhlig Ghleann Dail (Glendale Gaelic Primary School) and Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Bhaile a' Ghobhainn (Govan Gaelic Primary School). In 2024 the city is expected to open a fourth Gaelic primary school in the Calton district. A new Gaelic-medium primary school, Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar , opened in Caol near Fort William in 2015, and Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Righ opened in Portree in 2018. Also in 2018
4278-680: The choice of many and the archipelago's populations continued to dwindle throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. By 2001 the population of North Uist was only 1,271. The work of the Napier Commission and the Congested Districts Board , and the passing of the Crofting Act of 1886 helped, but social unrest continued. In July 1906 grazing land on Vatersay was raided by landless men from Barra and its isles. Lady Gordon Cathcart took legal action against
4371-443: The classroom and individual interviews." In her 2013 thesis, Julia Landgraf found that the few GME students exhibiting fully bilingual abilities came from Gaelic-speaking households. And it is now apparent that GME students from cities and from Gaelic-speaking areas are increasingly exhibiting English-influenced phonology . Furthermore, not all graduates end up using the language much as adults. In Dunmore's study of 46 adults from
4464-438: The climate is mild and oceanic. The 15 inhabited islands had a total population of 26,120 in 2022 and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The distance from Barra Head to the Butt of Lewis is roughly 210 kilometres (130 mi). There are various important prehistoric structures, many of which pre-date the first written references to the islands by Roman and Greek authors. The Western Isles became part of
4557-574: The colonists were driven out by local forces commanded by Murdoch and Neil MacLeod, who based their forces on Bearasaigh in Loch Ròg . The colonists tried again in 1605 with the same result but a third attempt in 1607 was more successful, and in due course Stornoway became a Burgh of Barony . By this time Lewis was held by the Mackenzies of Kintail, (later the Earls of Seaforth ), who pursued
4650-555: The continuing reluctance of school boards to take full advantages of the limited provisions made for Gaelic within the school curriculum as well as the problems of financing the Education Act generally saw little use of the limited provisions for Gaelic within the schools. The severe financial difficulties suffered by Highland schools at this time saw the introduction of the " Highland Minute " in 1887 which aimed at aiding designated boards financially while also recognising Gaelic as
4743-624: The finest example of a stone circle in Scotland, the 13 primary monoliths of between one and five metres high creating a circle about 13 metres (43 ft) in diameter. Cladh Hallan on South Uist , the only site in the UK where prehistoric mummies have been found, and the impressive ruins of Dun Carloway broch on Lewis both date from the Iron Age . In Scotland, the Celtic Iron Age way of life, often troubled but never extinguished by Rome, re-asserted itself when
SECTION 50
#17327804408524836-486: The flight of the Nemed people from Ireland to Domon , which is mentioned in the 12th-century Lebor Gabála Érenn and a 13th-century poem concerning Raghnall mac Gofraidh , then the heir to the throne of Mann and the Isles , who is said to have "broken the gate of Magh Domhna ". Magh Domhna means "the plain of Domhna (or Domon)", but the precise meaning of the text is not clear. In Irish mythology
4929-559: The grass on top of 190 metre (620 ft) high cliffs at Barra Head during winter storms. The Hebrides were originally settled in the Mesolithic era and have a diversity of important prehistoric sites. Eilean Dòmhnuill in Loch Olabhat on North Uist was constructed around 3200–2800 BC and may be Scotland's earliest crannog (a type of artificial island). The Callanish Stones , dating from about 2900 BC, are
5022-472: The houses" and that in the Uists "the king dyed his sword red in blood". Thompson (1968) provides a more literal translation: "Fire played in the fig-trees of Liodhus; it mounted up to heaven. Far and wide the people were driven to flight. The fire gushed out of the houses". The Hebrides were now part of Kingdom of the Isles, whose rulers were themselves vassals of the Kings of Norway. The Kingdom had two parts:
5115-621: The ill-fated 1263 expedition of Haakon IV of Norway , the Outer Hebrides along with the Isle of Man, were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth . Although their contribution to the islands can still be found in personal and placenames, the archaeological record of the Norse period is very limited. The best known find from this time is the Lewis chessmen , which date from
5208-514: The insistence on teaching children in a language which was (in almost all cases) entirely foreign to them resulted in very little progress with regards to establishing literacy in the English language. This situation persisted until the collapse of the Jacobite cause in 1746 with the Battle of Culloden and the consequent collapse of the Gaelic-speaking political structures and the pacification of
5301-570: The island in 1938 and Taransay hosted the BBC television series Castaway 2000 . Others have played a part in Scottish history. On 4 May 1746, the "Young Pretender" Charles Edward Stuart hid on Eilean Liubhaird with some of his men for four days whilst Royal Navy vessels patrolled the Minch. Smaller isles and skerries and other island groups pepper the North Atlantic surrounding
5394-416: The island, the majority being of a pre-medieval date. In the 18th century, the population was over fifty, but the last native islanders had left by 1931. The island became completely uninhabited by 1980 with the automation of the lighthouse. Some of the smaller islands continue to contribute to modern culture. The " Mingulay Boat Song ", although evocative of island life, was written after the abandonment of
5487-572: The islands and it is sometimes referred to by geologists as "The Old Boy". Granite intrusions are found in the parish of Barvas in west Lewis, and another forms the summit plateau of the mountain Roineabhal in Harris. The granite here is anorthosite , and is similar in composition to rocks found in the mountains of the Moon . There are relatively small outcrops of Triassic sandstone at Broad Bay near Stornoway. The Shiant Islands and St Kilda are formed from much later tertiary basalt and basalt and gabbros respectively. The sandstone at Broad Bay
5580-733: The islands for further education or employment purposes". Of the total population, 6,953 people reside in the "Stornoway settlement Laxdale (Lacasdal), Sandwick (Sanndabhaig) and Newmarket" with the balance distributed over 280 townships. In addition to the major North Ford ( Oitir Mhòr ) and South Ford causeways that connect North Uist to Benbecula via the northern of the Grimsays , and another causeway from Benbecula to South Uist, several other islands are linked by smaller causeways or bridges. Great Bernera and Scalpay have bridge connections to Lewis and Harris respectively, with causeways linking Baleshare and Berneray to North Uist; Eriskay to South Uist; Flodaigh , Fraoch-Eilean and
5673-420: The islands of Loch Ròg . In common with the other main island chains of Scotland, many of the more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after continuous habitation since the prehistoric period. More than 35 such islands have been identified in the Outer Hebrides alone. On Barra Head, for example, Historic Scotland have identified eighty-three archaeological sites on
SECTION 60
#17327804408525766-510: The islands were the home of the Fomorians , described as "huge and ugly" and "ship men of the sea". They were pirates, extracting tribute from the coasts of Ireland and one of their kings was Indech mac Dé Domnand (i.e. Indech, son of the goddess Domnu, who ruled over the deep seas). The islands form an archipelago whose major islands are Lewis and Harris , North Uist , Benbecula , South Uist , and Barra . Lewis and Harris has an area of 2,178.98 square kilometres (841 sq mi) and
5859-507: The legions abandoned any permanent occupation in 211 AD. Hanson (2003) writes: "For many years it has been almost axiomatic in studies of the period that the Roman conquest must have had some major medium or long-term impact on Scotland. On present evidence that cannot be substantiated either in terms of environment, economy, or, indeed, society. The impact appears to have been very limited. The general picture remains one of broad continuity, not of disruption ... The Roman presence in Scotland
5952-420: The main islands. Some are not geologically part of the Outer Hebrides, but are administratively and in most cases culturally, part of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar . 73 kilometres (45 mi) to the west of Lewis lies St Kilda , now uninhabited except for a small military base. A similar distance to the north of Lewis are North Rona and Sula Sgeir , two small and remote islands. While Rona used to support
6045-497: The medium of Gaelic. In 2021, 11,874 pupils in Scotland were receiving some kind of education in Gaelic representing 1.7% of the country's student population. This figure is higher than Scotland's overall proportion of Gaelic speakers which stood at 1.1% in 2011. Nearly 5,100 students in Scotland were enrolled in Gaelic-medium education in 2021, a 92% increase over 2009 figures. Fifteen of Scotland's thirty-two council areas offer Gaelic-medium education. Five of those fifteen have
6138-492: The medium of the language itself, but as an academic subject to be studied only through the English language with ever decreasing numbers of students studying the language. Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( / ˈ h ɛ b r ɪ d iː z / HEB -rid-eez ) or Western Isles ( Scottish Gaelic : na h-Eileanan Siar [nə ˈhelanən ˈʃiəɾ] , na h-Eileanan an Iar [nə ˈhelanən əɲ ˈiəɾ] or na h-Innse Gall , 'Islands of
6231-538: The mid 12th century. As the Norse era drew to a close the Norse-speaking princes were gradually replaced by Gaelic-speaking clan chiefs including the MacLeods of Lewis and Harris, the MacDonalds of the Uists and MacNeil of Barra . This transition did little to relieve the islands of internecine strife although by the early 14th century the MacDonald Lords of the Isles , based on Islay , were in theory these chiefs' feudal superiors and managed to exert some control. The growing threat that Clan Donald posed to
6324-461: The mid 9th century, by which time he had amassed a substantial island realm and made a variety of alliances with other Norse leaders. These princelings nominally owed allegiance to the Norwegian crown, although in practice the latter's control was fairly limited. Norse control of the Hebrides was formalised in 1098 when Edgar, King of Scotland formally signed the islands over to Magnus III of Norway . The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as King of
6417-405: The modern sense) in Scotland can be traced back to the early 18th century and the schools of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge or SSPCK. Ironically, one of the primary aims of the society was the de- Gaelicisation of the Highlands, and initially its schools taught exclusively through the medium of the English language with the equivalent use of Gaelic prohibited. However,
6510-456: The most significant role in famine relief. Some landowners also provided a great deal of assistance, according to one history of the region: "MacLeod of Dunvegan bought in food for his people, some eight thousand of them" ... MacLean of Ardgour provided food, and introduced new crops into the area - peas, cabbages and carrots ... Sir James Matheson on Lewis spent £329,000 (Equivalent to £37,000,000 in 2024 ) on improving his lands, hoping to provide
6603-414: The name "Long Island". Watson (1926) states that the meaning of Ptolemy's Eboudai is unknown and that the root may be pre-Celtic. Murray (1966) claims that Ptolemy's Ebudae was originally derived from the Old Norse Havbredey , meaning "isles on the edge of the sea". This idea is often repeated but no firm evidence of this derivation has emerged. Other early written references include
6696-481: The past the stormy seas in the region have claimed many ships. The Gaelic language, religion, music and sport are important aspects of local culture, and there are numerous designated conservation areas to protect the natural environment. The earliest surviving written references relating to the islands were made by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History , in which he states that there are 30 Hebudes , and makes
6789-488: The population. The British government began encouraging mass emigration. For those who remained new economic opportunities emerged through the export of cattle, commercial fishing and tourism. During the summer season in the 1860s and 1870s five thousand inhabitants of Lewis could be found in Wick on the mainland of Scotland, employed on the fishing boats and at the quaysides. Nonetheless emigration and military service became
6882-466: The remoter islands' seabird populations are of international significance. St Kilda has 60,000 northern gannets , amounting to 24% of the world population; 49,000 breeding pairs of Leach's petrel , up to 90% of the European population; and 136,000 pairs of puffin and 67,000 northern fulmar pairs, about 30% and 13% of the respective UK totals. Mingulay is an important breeding ground for razorbills , with 9,514 pairs, 6.3% of
6975-430: The sea such as Loch Ròg , Loch Seaforth and Loch nam Madadh . There are also more than 7,500 freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides, about 24% of the total for the whole of Scotland. North and South Uist and Lewis, in particular, have landscapes with a high percentage of fresh water and a maze and complexity of loch shapes. Harris has fewer large bodies of water but has innumerable small lochans. Loch Langavat on Lewis
7068-406: The secondary level are located in just three council areas: Glasgow City (409 pupils); Na h-Eileanan Siar (386); and Highland (294). Over 6,800 other pupils in Scotland were receiving instruction in Gaelic language courses in 2021. In Na h-Eileanan Siar , nearly 100% of all pupils were receiving some form of Gaelic-language education in 2021. In second place was Argyll & Bute at 17.5%, with
7161-605: The southern Grimsay to Benbecula; and the Vatersay Causeway linking Vatersay to Barra. This means that all the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route. There are more than fifty uninhabited islands greater in size than 40 hectares (99 acres) in the Outer Hebrides, including the Barra Isles , Flannan Isles , Monach Islands , the Shiant Islands and
7254-584: The sphere of economics their policy apparently was of little service to the community. The Seaforth's royalist inclinations led to Lewis becoming garrisoned during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms by Cromwell's troops, who destroyed the old castle in Stornoway and in 1645 Lewismen fought on the royalist side at the Battle of Auldearn . A new era of Hebridean involvement in the affairs of the wider world
7347-853: The start of the 2015/16 school year. Two separate studies have confirmed that the academic performance of Gaelic-medium educated children equals – and in some cases even exceeds – the performance of English-medium educated children, including when controlling for the economic class of the children studied. However, several other studies have found that few Gaelic-medium educated children demonstrate native-like, or fully bilingual, abilities in Gaelic: "researchers in these studies [(cf. Landgraf 2013; Nance 2013; MacLeod et al. 2014). Landgraf (2013) and Macleod et al. (2014)] observed frequent and unmarked use of non-native-like features in GME students' syntax, morphology and phonology, both through ethnographic observations in
7440-521: The subject is recalled with bitterness and resentment in some areas. The position was exacerbated by the failure of the islands' kelp industry, which thrived from the 18th century until the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and large scale emigration became endemic. For example, hundreds left North Uist for Cape Breton , Nova Scotia . The pre-clearance population of the island had been almost 5,000, although by 1841 it had fallen to 3,870 and
7533-447: The traditional heartland of the Gaelic language. The islands form one of the 32 council areas of Scotland , which since 1998 has used only the Gaelic form of its name, including in English language contexts. The council area is called Na h-Eileanan an Iar ('the Western Isles') and its council is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ('Council of the Western Isles'). Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient metamorphic rocks, and
7626-455: The type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned". The three NSA within the Outer Hebrides are: Much of the archipelago is a protected habitat, including both the islands and the surrounding waters. There are 53 Sites of Special Scientific Interest of which the largest are Loch an Duin, North Uist (151 square kilometres (37,000 acres)) and North Harris (127 square kilometres (31,000 acres)). South Uist
7719-582: The unreformed society in the north in terms of unease concerning its language, which was identified as the chief cause of barbarity, ignorance and popery" and can be seen as a continuation of such policies going back to 1609 and the Statutes of Iona which saw the Gaelic-speaking nobility of Scotland forced to send their children to be educated in English-speaking Lowland Scotland ; an act which has been described as "the first of
7812-407: Was 27,684. During the same period Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. The largest settlement in the Outer Hebrides is Stornoway on Lewis, which has a population of about 8,100. The population estimate for 2019 was 26,720 according to a Comhairle nan Eilean Siar report which added that "the population of the Outer Hebrides is ageing" and that "young adults [...] leave
7905-533: Was about to commence. With the implementation of the Treaty of Union in 1707 the Hebrides became part of the new Kingdom of Great Britain , but the clans' loyalties to a distant monarch were not strong. A considerable number of islandmen "came out" in support of the Jacobite Earl of Mar in the "15" although the response to the 1745 rising was muted. Nonetheless the aftermath of the decisive Battle of Culloden , which effectively ended Jacobite hopes of
7998-606: Was actively involved in campaigning for the production of Gaelic literature and proposed the creation of a Gaelic press in the Isle of Skye . The change in attitudes resulted in the production, by the SSPCK, of a Gaelic version of the New Testament in 1767 with the Old Testament being translated and published in 1801. 1767 also saw the SSPCK switch from English to Gaelic as the language of instruction in their Highland schools. A school in Inverness, Raining School ,
8091-649: Was also established to provide training for Gaelic-speaking teachers. The 19th century saw the establishment of the first Gaelic school society — the Edinburgh Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools – in 1811. The society stated its purpose thus: The new society attracted much support with similar organisations being founded in Glasgow and Inverness . The early success of the Edinburgh society
8184-523: Was despite the introduction of the Education (Scotland) Act 1872 which effectively put an end to non–English-medium education and led to the discouragement of Gaelic with pupils being punished by teachers for speaking the language. The effect of the education act upon the Gaelic language has been described as "disastrous" and the continuation of a general policy (by both Scottish , and post 1707 , British ) which aimed at Anglicisation . Pressure upon
8277-447: Was little more than a series of brief interludes within a longer continuum of indigenous development." The Romans' direct impact on the Highlands and Islands was scant and there is no evidence that they ever actually landed in the Outer Hebrides. The later Iron Age inhabitants of the northern and western Hebrides were probably Pictish , although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states that in relation to King Bridei I of
8370-658: Was once thought to be Torridonian or Old Red Sandstone . The Outer Hebrides have a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly latitude , due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current . The average temperature for the year is 6 °C (44 °F) in January and 14 °C (57 °F) in summer. The average annual rainfall in Lewis is 1,100 millimetres (43 in) and sunshine hours range from 1,100 to 1,200 per year. The summer days are relatively long and May to August
8463-544: Was only 2,349 by 1931. The Highland potato famine (Gaiseadh a’ bhuntàta, in Scottish Gaelic), caused by a blight, started in 1846 and had a serious impact, because many islanders were crofters; potatoes were a staple of their diet. Violent riots became common. Charities, encouraged by George Pole and others in the Commissariat (a military agency) encouraged charities to come to the rescue. The Free Church
8556-602: Was particularly helpful, "delivering oatmeal to famine-affected families all across the West Highlands and Islands", according to one report. Another report states that the Church "was prompt in organising an efficient system of private charity across the Hebrides and on the Western seaboard. It cooperated with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Relief Committees". An interdenominational charity was in place by early 1847 and took
8649-539: Was such that by 1828 it funded 85 schools in the Highlands and Islands with its sister societies enjoying similar levels of success. However, following the early period of success the groups encountered financial difficulties due to poor administration and started to decline around 1830 and by 1850 only the original Edinburgh society remained although this branch, with strong support from the Edinburgh Ladies Association , continued until 1892. This
#851148