142-506: James Macpherson ( Gaelic : Seumas MacMhuirich or Seumas Mac a' Phearsain ; 27 October 1736 – 17 February 1796) was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector, and politician. He is known for the Ossian cycle of epic poems, which he claimed to have discovered and translated from Gaelic. Macpherson was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie in Badenoch , Inverness-shire . This
284-442: 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
426-795: A Deas , [ˈɯ.ɪʃtʲ ə ˈtʲes̪] ; Scots : Sooth Uist ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland . At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Gaelic language in Scotland. South Uist's inhabitants are known in Gaelic as Deasaich (Southerners). The population
568-739: A National Nature Reserve, the Cladh Hallan Roundhouses archaeological site, Ormacleit Castle (completed in 1708 and destroyed by fire in 1715), Uist Sculpture Trail "of seven commissioned works by artists", the Statue of Our Lady of the Isles, the Askernish Golf Course, Flora MacDonald's Monument, Kildonan Museum and Crafts and some Standing Stones. The community group owner of South Uist, the Stòras Uibhist, owns
710-508: 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,
852-416: 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
994-823: 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
1136-529: A cull of hedgehogs in the area. Following a campaign and concerns over animal welfare, this cull was called off in 2007; instead, hedgehogs are being captured and moved to mainland Scotland. Along with the island's situation on the North Atlantic Ocean, its machair is considered to be one of the most vulnerable coasts in Scotland due to relative sea level rise and the potential effects of climate change . Specifically, research has shown that
1278-402: A day. (Smaller settlements include Daliburgh ( Dalabrog ), Howmore ( Tobha Mòr ) and Ludag ( An Lùdag ). South Uist has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ). Mac an Tàilleir (2003) suggests that the derivation of Uist may be "corn island". However, whilst noting that the vist ending would have been familiar to speakers of Old Norse as meaning "dwelling", Gammeltoft (2007) says that
1420-492: A dedicated Local Government Act ; South Uist therefore became part of the new county of Inverness . Following late 20th-century reforms, South Uist became part of the Highland Region. The population level remained steady after the 19th-century clearances (in 2004 it was 2,285 ). Following a series of different landowners, South Uist was owned by South Uist Estates Ltd from 1960. In 2006, the local community bought all of
1562-551: 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
SECTION 10
#17327719205531704-846: A few years later, in 1498, and for reasons that are not remotely clear, his son—John of Sleat—immediately resigned, transferring all authority to the king. On 3 August that same year, king James IV awarded the central third of South Uist (traditionally known as Kilpheder ), by charter to Ranald Bane , leader of Clan Ranald . Two days later, the king gave Ranald Bane a charter for the northern third (traditionally known as Skirhough ) as well. Ranald Bane, or his heirs, built Casteal Bheagram, on Loch an Eilean in Skirhough, as their local stronghold. Some time after Ranald Bane's nephew, John Moidartach, succeeded as laird, he fell out of favour with King James V . By 1538, James had transferred lairdship of Kilpheder to John's younger half-brother, Farquhar;
1846-489: 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
1988-636: A house at Loch Eynort on a site still known as ( Scottish Gaelic : Rubha Taigh a' Mhàil ), or "The Rent House Point." During the Jacobite rising of 1745 , Ranald MacDonald, the son of the Clan Ranald leader, amassed large amounts of debt by funding the Jacobite army. In the following year, Bonnie Prince Charlie was able to hide at Calvay Castle, after fleeing from the Battle of Culloden , until he
2130-586: 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
2272-672: A leading opponent of king Charles I , the Earl's son — the Marquess of Argyll — was convicted of high treason, and his lands became forfeit. Thus, in 1673, it was the king demanding that Clan Ranald pay their outstanding rent for South Uist. In 1701, Ailean Dearg MacDonald, the Chief of Clan MacDonald of Clanranald , built Ormaclete Castle as his new main residence in South Uist. According to local Seanchaidh Angus MacLellan, Ailean Dearg
2414-752: 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
2556-580: A perpetrator of the Highland Clearances : Mr James Macpherson of Ossianic fame, who acquired Phoiness, Etterish, and Invernahaven, began this wretched business and did it so thoroughly that not much remained for his successors ... Every place James Macpherson acquired was cleared, and he also had a craze for changing and obliterating the old names ... [including] ... Raitts into Belville. Upon this point it may be noticed that Mac Ossian, in making an entail and calling four of his numerous bastards in
2698-549: 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
2840-610: 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
2982-536: 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
SECTION 20
#17327719205533124-512: A student, he ostensibly wrote over 4,000 lines of verse, some of which was later published, notably The Highlander (1758), a six-canto epic poem, which he attempted to suppress sometime after its publication. On leaving college, he returned to Ruthven to teach in the school there, and then became a private tutor. At Moffat he met John Home , the author of Douglas , for whom he recited some Gaelic verses from memory. He also showed him manuscripts of Gaelic poetry, supposed to have been picked up in
3266-571: A time Macpherson had desired a seat in Parliament and he finally received it in the 1780 general election. On 11 September 1780, he became junior member for Camelford . Later he became the senior member in the results of the April 1784 election. He stayed in this position until his death. Although there is not a lot recorded about his time in parliament, his name is in a list of confidential parliamentary pensions which suggest that his undocumented work
3408-625: 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
3550-468: A wide trading network, stretching throughout the Norwegian empire, as well as adjacent lands like Ireland. However, in the mid-12th century, Somerled , a Norse-Gael of uncertain origin, launched a coup, which made Suðreyjar entirely independent. Following his death, Norwegian authority was nominally restored, but in practice the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs ( Clann Somhairle ), and
3692-483: Is a European Protected Species . Nationally important populations of breeding waders are also present, including redshank , dunlin , lapwing and ringed plover . The island is also home to greylag geese on the lochs, and in summer corncrakes on the machair. Otters and hen harriers are also seen. Loch Druidibeg in the north of the island was formerly (until 2012) a national nature reserve owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The area, which
3834-719: 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
3976-490: 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
4118-512: Is about 90% Roman Catholic . The island is home to a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in the British Isles where prehistoric mummies have been found. In the northwest, there is a missile testing range. In 2006 South Uist, together with neighbouring Benbecula and Eriskay , was involved in Scotland's biggest-ever community land buyout by Stòras Uibhist. The group also owns
4260-536: Is home to the most extensive cultivated machair system in Scotland, which is protected as protected a both a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area under the Natura 2000 programme. Over 200 species of flowering plants have been recorded on the reserve, some of which are nationally scarce. South Uist is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad ( Najas flexilis ) , which
4402-495: Is known locally has also been used to test high-altitude research rockets, Skua and Petrel . Local opposition to the range inspired the 1957 novel Rockets Galore by Compton Mackenzie . MOD Hebrides is still owned by the MoD operated by QinetiQ as a testing facility for missile systems such as the surface-to-air Rapier missile and unmanned aerial vehicles . After a protracted campaign, South Uist residents took control of
James Macpherson - Misplaced Pages Continue
4544-411: 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,
4686-765: Is now protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest , covers 1,675 hectares of machair , bog , freshwater lochs , estuary , heather moorland and hill. Ownership of the SSSI was transferred from SNH to the local community-owned company Stòras Uibhist. An area of the south west coast of the island is designated as the South Uist Machair National Scenic Area , one of 40 such areas in Scotland which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The designated area covers 13,314 ha in total, of which 6,289 ha
4828-504: Is on land, with a further 7,025 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide level ). There has been considerable controversy over hedgehogs on South Uist. The animals are not native to the islands, having been introduced in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. It is claimed that they pose a threat to the eggs of ground-nesting wading birds on the island. In 2003 the Uist Wader Project — headed by Scottish Natural Heritage — began
4970-554: Is responsible for the newly built Marina in the port of Lochboisdale"). Tourism is important to the island's economy and attractions include the Kildonan Museum, housing the 16th-century Clanranald Stone, and the ruins of the house where Flora MacDonald was born. South Uist is home to the Askernish Golf Course. The oldest course in the Outer Hebrides, Askernish was designed by Old Tom Morris , who also worked on
5112-440: Is said to have gone into considerable debt in order to build the castle and, according to the oral tradition , once played a prank that terrified his many creditors when they visited South Uist, which resulted in his debts all being cancelled and his credit restored. In 1715, some venison caught fire in the kitchen, which led to the whole castle burning down. At the time, like many of the other Clan Donald leaders, Ailean Dearg
5254-752: The Lordship of the Isles , ruled by the MacDonalds (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader, John of Islay , but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantial dowry ). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son, Ranald , of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of Uist to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, while making Ranald Lord of
5396-641: The Archaean eon. Some show granulite facies metamorphism, but most have slightly cooler amphibolite facies . A number of metabasic bodies and metasediments occur locally in the gneiss. On the east side of the island between Lochboisdale and Ornish – part of the Outer Hebrides Thrust Zone – is the Corodale gneiss , dominated by garnet - pyroxene rock. A narrow zone of pseudotachylyte occurs along its western margin with
5538-837: 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
5680-657: The Fianna ?" He had actually said, however, "Do the Fianna owe you anything?" In reply, MacCodrum quipped, "Cha n-eil agus ge do bhiodh cha ruiginn a leas iarraidh a nis" , or in English, "No, and if they did it would be useless to ask for it now." According to Campbell, this, "dialogue... illustrates at once Macpherson's imperfect Gaelic and MacCodrum's quickness of reply." Encouraged by Home and others, Macpherson produced 15 pieces, all laments for fallen warriors, translated from
5822-544: The Isle of Mull , where he claimed to obtain other manuscripts. In 1761, Macpherson announced the discovery of an epic on the subject of Fingal supposedly written by Ossian , which he published in December. Like the 1760 Fragments of Ancient Poetry , it was written in musical measured prose . The full title of the work was Fingal, an Ancient Epic Poem in Six Books, together with Several Other Poems composed by Ossian,
James Macpherson - Misplaced Pages Continue
5964-563: The Kingdom of the Isles throughout these lands. A short Ogham inscription has been found in Bornish , inscribed on a piece of animal bone, dating from this era; it is thought that the Vikings used it as a gaming token , or perhaps for sortilege . Following Norwegian unification under King Harold Fairhair , the Kingdom of the Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to
6106-562: The MacNeils . At around this time Calvay Castle was built, guarding Lochboisdale. The remainder of South Uist remained with the Scottish crown until 1469, when James III granted Lairdship of it to John of Ross , the Lord of the Isles; in turn, John passed it to his own half-brother, Hugh of Sleat (the grant to Hugh was later confirmed by the king— James IV —in a 1493 charter). Hugh died
6248-492: 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
6390-516: The Scottish Gaelic language would not survive the influx of English-speaking Army personnel. The British Government claimed that there was an 'overriding national interest' in establishing a training range for their newly purchased Corporal, a weapon that was to be at the front line of Cold War defence. The Corporal missile was tested from 1959 to 1963, before giving way to Sergeant and Lance tactical nuclear missiles. The 'rocket range' as it
6532-618: The Scottish Gaelic , despite his limitations in that tongue, which he was induced to publish at Edinburgh in 1760, including the Death of Oscar, in a pamphlet: Fragments of Ancient Poetry collected in the Highlands of Scotland . Extracts were then published in The Scots Magazine and The Gentleman's Magazine which were popular and the notion of these fragments as glimpses of an unrecorded Gaelic epic began. Hugh Blair , who
6674-784: The Scottish Highlands and the Western Isles ; one was called The Death of Oscar . In 1760, Macpherson visited North Uist and met with John MacCodrum , the official Bard to the Chief of Clan MacDonald of Sleat . As a result of their encounter, MacCodrum made, according to John Lorne Campbell , "a brief appearance in the Ossianic controversy which is not without its humorous side." When Macpherson met MacCodrum, he asked, "A bheil dad agaibh air an Fheinne?" Macpherson believed himself to have asked, "Do you know anything of
6816-688: 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,
6958-587: The Scottish reformation , Moidartach and his family took the side of the Queen during the Chaseabout Raid , and were consequently back in royal favour; the Queen prohibited them from being punished for Farquhar's murder. By the last decades of the century, John Moidartach had obtained a practical hold on Farquhar's former lands, though seemingly as a tenant of James MacDonald's heirs. In 1584 John died, and
7100-722: 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 ,
7242-435: The "biggest community wind farm in Scotland", Lochcarnan, on South Uist which opened in 2013. In common with the rest of the Western Isles , South Uist is formed from the oldest rocks in Britain, Lewisian gneiss brought to the surface by old tectonic movements. They bear the scars of the last glaciation which has exposed many of them. The rocks had high-grade regional metamorphism around 2,900 million years ago: in
SECTION 50
#17327719205537384-421: 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
7526-437: 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
7668-404: 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
7810-407: 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
7952-494: 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
8094-407: The British Isles. Towards the end of the Bronze Age, the mummies were buried, and a row of roundhouses built on top of them. Burials underneath buildings during this time are seen elsewhere on South Uist. At Hornish Point ( Cnoc Mòr ) a burial was found under a roundhouse, consisting of an individual, likely male and aged 12. The skeleton had been dismembered, probably some time after death when
8236-418: The Dun Vulan broch was converted into a three-roomed house. At a similar time, a wheelhouse was constructed at Kilpheder ; within a cupboard (in the wheelhouse) was found an enameled bronze brooch , of a style fashionable in the Roman Britain of 150 AD. In the 9th century, Vikings invaded South Uist, along with the rest of the Hebrides, and the gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata to the south, and established
8378-498: 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
8520-484: 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
8662-415: 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
SECTION 60
#17327719205538804-582: 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
8946-442: 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
9088-416: 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
9230-459: The House of Hanover , to which are prefixed Extracts from the Life of James II , as written by himself (1775). He enjoyed a salary for defending the policy of Lord North 's government, and held the lucrative post of London agent to the Nawab of Arcot . He entered parliament in 1780, as Member of Parliament for Camelford and continued to sit for the remainder of his life. Despite his Jacobite roots, and in line with his Hanovarian sympathies, for
9372-426: 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
9514-410: 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
9656-468: The Lochcarnan 6.9MW wind farm project which began operation in 2013. It is composed of three Enercon E-70 2.3MW turbines. In 2019, the operation required re-financing which was easily obtained. A spokesperson for Stòras Uibhist said that the wind farm is important because it "generates income we can reinvest back into the communities ... to boost the economy, protect local crofting practices and generate employment opportunities". The west coast of South Uist
9798-437: The MacNeils did not submit to the 1609 Statutes of Iona . Using this as justification, Clan Ranald drove the MacNeils out of Lochboisdale, and were subsequently awarded a charter for it, in 1610. In 1622, Donald Gorm Mòr's successor, Donald Gorm Òg, is found requesting that the Privy Council physically punish the Clan Ranald leadership for not removing their families and tenants from Skirhough; presumably they hadn't been paying
9940-419: The Norse longhouses were gradually abandoned, in favour of new Blackhouses and a new parish church was built at Howmore for South Uist. At the turn of the century, William I had created the position of Sheriff of Inverness , to be responsible for the Scottish highlands, which theoretically now extended to Garmoran. In 1293, however, king John Balliol established the Sheriffdom of Skye , which included
10082-423: The Norwegians it was Suðreyjar (meaning southern isles ). Malcolm III of Scotland acknowledged in writing that Suðreyjar was not Scottish, and King Edgar quitclaimed any residual doubts. At Kilpheder, the roundhouses were abandoned in favour of Norse longhouses ; at Bornish, a few miles to the north, a more substantial Norse settlement was built. As indicated by archaeological finds, residents had access to
10224-464: The Old Course at St Andrews. Morris was commissioned by Lady Gordon Cathcart in 1891. The Askernish course existed intact until the 1930s, but was partly destroyed to make way for an aircraft runway, then abandoned, and ultimately lost. Its identity remained hidden for many years before its apparent discovery, a claim disputed by some locals. Restoration of the course to Morris's original design
10366-570: The Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the Skye sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned, and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist) was confirmed to the MacRory leader . In 1343, King David II issued a further charter for this to the latter's son . Just three years later the sole surviving MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran . The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become
10508-512: The Scottish mainland (some sailings to Oban in winter when the only large vessel able to dock at Mallaig, MV Lord of the Isles, is covering elsewhere on the Calmac network for vessels in drydock, or in drydock herself). The company previously operated services to Castlebay ( Bàgh a' Chaisteil ) on Barra , however as of the 2016 fleet reshuffle these have been removed. There is a separate service to Ardmhòr (Barra) operating from Eriskay numerous times
10650-598: The Son of Fingal, translated from the Gaelic Language . The narrative was related to the Irish mythological character Fionn mac Cumhaill /Finn McCool. The figure of Ossian was based on Fionn's son Oisín . Fingal takes his name from Fionnghall , meaning "white stranger". Another related poem, Temora , followed in 1763, and a collected edition, The Works of Ossian , in 1765. The authenticity of these translations from
10792-610: 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
10934-527: The Western Islands of Scotland , 1775) that Macpherson had found fragments of poems and stories, and then woven them into a romance of his own composition. Further challenges and defences were made well into the nineteenth century, but the issue was moot by then. Macpherson's manuscript Gaelic "originals" were published posthumously in 1807; Ludwig Christian Stern was sure they were in fact back-translations from his English version. In 1764 Macpherson
11076-826: 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
11218-589: 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
11360-522: 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
11502-456: 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
11644-603: 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
11786-413: The body was partly decomposed. Cannibalism was ruled out as there were none of the marks of skinning, filleting and butchering which would be expected if it was cannibalism. Cladh Hallan was not abandoned until the late Iron Age . At around that time, in the 2nd century BC, a broch was built at Dun Vulan ; archeological investigation suggests the inhabitants often ate pork . After the 2nd century AD,
11928-625: 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
12070-467: The charters for their land. As neither John Moidartach's heirs, nor those of James MacDonald, did so, Skirhough and Kilpheder became forfeit, by the corresponding Act of Parliament. Consequently, the king awarded them to Donald Gorm Mòr, the heir of Hugh of Sleat, as a reward; he had been one of the few Highland leaders who obeyed the king's summons. Donald Gorm Mòr subinfeudated Skirhough and Kilpheder back to Clan Ranald, for £46 per annum. The leader of
12212-568: 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,
12354-503: The company's shares, via the special purpose vehicle Sealladh na Beinne Mòire . In the north west of the island at ( 57°20′N 07°20′W / 57.333°N 7.333°W / 57.333; -7.333 ), a missile testing range was built in 1957–58 to launch the Corporal missile , Britain and America's first guided nuclear weapon. This development went ahead despite significant protests, some locals expressing concern that
12496-450: 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
12638-499: 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
12780-544: The dynasty that Somerled had deposed (the Crovan dynasty ). The MacRory , a branch of Somerled's heirs, ruled Uist, as well as Barra , Eigg , Rùm , the Rough Bounds , Bute , Arran and northern Jura . A small monastery was established at Howmore . In the 13th century, despite Edgar's quitclaim , Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in the indecisive Battle of Largs . In 1266,
12922-582: 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
13064-469: The faltering warriors of Clan Donald by throwing up his blue bonnet and crying ( Scottish Gaelic : "Buillean an-diugh, tuiream a-màireach"! ) ("Blows today, mourning tomorrow!"). After these events, the Chiefs of Clan Ranald moved their main residence back to Benbecula . During the time when the Chiefs of Clanranald were absentee landlords , the estate Factor lived, according to Angus MacLellan, in
13206-404: The financial advantages to livestock farming, Gordon was ruthless, evicting the population with short notice. On 11 August 1851, he demanded that everyone in South Uist attend a public meeting at Lochboisdale; according to an eyewitness, he dragged the attendees from the meeting, sometimes in handcuffs, and threw then onto waiting ships, like cattle. Having "cleared" much of the land, he replaced
13348-594: The first instance to the succession, declares an irritancy if any of the heirs uses any other designation than that of Macpherson of Belville. Fraser-Mackintosh then asserts that Macpherson bought the right to be buried in Westminster Abbey. A recent commentator suggests Macpherson has become known as "a descendant of a Jacobite clan who became a sycophantic Hanovarian [sic] toady, a man for the main chance". After Macpherson's death, Malcolm Laing , in an appendix to his History of Scotland (1800), concluded that
13490-560: 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,
13632-479: 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
13774-407: The island of Staffa . The original Gaelic name is "An Uamh Bhin" ("the melodious cave"), but it was renamed by Sir Joseph Banks in 1772 at the height of Macpherson's popularity. [REDACTED] Category Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
13916-488: The island on 30 November 2006 in Scotland's biggest community land buyout to date. The previous landowners, a sporting syndicate, sold the assets of the 92,000-acre (370 km ) estate for £4.5 million to a Community Company known as Stòras Uibhist , which was set up to purchase the land and to manage it. The buyout resulted in most of South Uist, and neighbouring Benbecula, and all of Eriskay coming under community control. The proposal for community ownership received
14058-542: The island, at the northern edge of Beinn A' Charra . Occupation continued into the Chalcolithic , as evidenced by a number of Beaker finds throughout the island. Later in the Bronze Age , a man was mummified , and placed on display at Cladh Hallan , parts occasionally being replaced over the centuries; he was joined by a woman three hundred years later. Together they are the only known prehistoric mummies in
14200-403: The island-naming prefix *’y , acknowledging the possibility of a name transfer and the name being subject to the influence of Norse ívist . South Uist was clearly home to a thriving Neolithic community. The island is covered in several neolithic remains, such as burial cairns , and a small number of standing stones, of which the largest—standing 17 feet (5.2 m) tall—is in the centre of
14342-414: The island: quartz-dolerite, camptonite and monchiquite dykes of Permo- Carboniferous age and later Palaeogene tholeiitic dykes. More recent geological deposits include blown sand along the northern and western coasts and peat inland along with some (glacial) till . The west is machair (fertile low-lying coastal plain) with a continuous sandy beach , whilst the east coast is mountainous with
14484-406: The king gave him Skirhough shortly afterwards. In 1563, Farquhar sold his portion of South Uist to a distant relation, James MacDonald (heir of the second son of John of Islay); that same year, Mary, Queen of Scots , issued a charter confirming James MacDonald as laird of these lands. In the following year, Farquhar was murdered by John Moidartach's sons. The year after that, as opponents of
14626-502: 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
14768-497: 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. South Uist South Uist ( Scottish Gaelic : Uibhist
14910-532: 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
15052-509: The matter was settled by the Treaty of Perth , which transferred the whole of Suðreyjar to Scotland, in exchange for a very large sum of money. The Treaty expressly preserved the status of the rulers of Suðreyjar; the MacRory lands, excepting Bute, Arran, and Jura, became the Lordship of Garmoran , a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland. Following this,
15194-459: 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
15336-734: 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
15478-532: 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
15620-483: The name Belville or Balavil, in his native Inverness-shire, where he died at the age of 59. Macpherson's remains were carried from Scotland and interred in Westminster Abbey . The Crofters Party MP and antiquarian Charles Fraser-Mackintosh commented on the success of James Macpherson in his second series of Antiquarian Notes (Inverness 1897, pp 369 et seq, public domain), accusing the famous poet of being
15762-434: 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,
15904-695: 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
16046-459: 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
16188-560: 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
16330-575: The overwhelming support of the people of the islands, who "look forward to regenerating the local economy, reversing decline and depopulation, and reducing dependency, while remaining aware of the environmental needs, culture and history of the islands". The company claims its name— Stòras Uibhist (meaning 'Uist Resource')—symbolises hope for the future wealth and prosperity of the islands. The organisation's website states that Stòras Uibhist comprises South Uist Estates Ltd, South Uist Renewable Energy (the wind farm) and Lochboisdale Development Limited ("which
16472-424: The peaks of Beinn Mhòr (Gèideabhal) at 620 metres (2,030 ft) and Hecla at 606 metres (1,988 ft). The island is linked to Eriskay and Benbecula by causeways . The landscape is characterised by numerous lochs and lochans, the largest of which is Loch Bì . The main village on the island is Lochboisdale ( Loch Baghasdail ), from which Caledonian MacBrayne operates ferries to Mallaig ( Malaig) on
16614-517: The population with flocks of Blackface sheep, bringing in Lowland farmers to care for them. The former population largely moved to Canada; the remaining populace of South Uist represented less than half of the 1841 total. Meanwhile, as both Col. Gordon and his Factors considered the nearby island of Eriskay "agriculturally worthless", accordingly used the island as a dumping ground for evicted tenants from his many other island estates throughout
16756-451: The production of soda ash by burning kelp into a highly profitable activity. Kelp harvesting (and burning) became one of the principle economic activities of the population of South Uist, but when the wars ended, competition from imported barilla resulted in the kelp price collapsing. In 1837, facing bankruptcy, Ranald sold South Uist to Lt. Colonel John Gordon of Cluny . Already accustomed to treating people as slaves , and seeing
16898-466: 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
17040-460: 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
17182-587: 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,
17324-471: The regular gneiss. The Usinish peninsula is formed from ‘mashed gneiss’, within which the banding has mainly been destroyed. Between these two gneisses is a band of mylonite (as offshore on Stuley). Mashed gneiss occurs again in the extreme southeast. Small occurrences of Archaean granites are found in the centre of the island. The island is traversed by many normal faults : E to W, to NNW to SSE, many being NW to SE. Numerous NW to SE dykes cut through
17466-433: The remainder of Garmoran. However, on Ranald's death, disputes between Godfrey and his nephews (the elder of whom founded Clan Ranald ) led to an enormous amount of violent feuding. In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence in the Highlands, King James I demanded that Highland leaders should attend a meeting at Inverness . On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned; Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey,
17608-458: The rent. By way of settlement of the dispute, Donald Gorm Og was granted lairdship over Lochboisdale as well; thus Donald Gorm Og became laird of the whole of South Uist, while Clan Ranald held it as his feudal vassals. In 1633, Donald Gorm Òg decided to simply sell lairdship of South Uist to the Earl of Argyll ; in January 1634, this arrangement was confirmed by a crown charter. In 1661, as
17750-568: The so-called Ossianic poems were altogether modern in origin, and that Macpherson's authorities were practically non-existent. Despite the above, some critics claim that Macpherson nonetheless produced a work of art which by its deep appreciation of natural beauty and the melancholy tenderness of its treatment of the ancient legend did more than any single work to bring about the romantic movement in European, and especially in German, literature. It
17892-507: The southern Outer Hebrides . For the most part, however, the newly arrived islanders of Eriskay, which drastically multiplied the island's population, belonged overwhelmingly to the once strictly illegal Catholic Church in Scotland and had their family roots across the Sound of Barra in South Uist. Lochboisdale became a major herring port later in the 19th century. In 1889, counties were formally created in Scotland, on shrieval boundaries, by
18034-640: The word is "of non-Gaelic origin" and that it reveals itself as one of a number of "foreign place-names having undergone adaptation in Old Norse". In contrast, Clancy (2018) has argued that Ívist itself is an Old Norse calque on an earlier Gaelic name, *Ibuid or Ibdaig , which corresponds to Ptolemy ’s Eboudai . Coates (2006) linked the names Uist and Ibiza , an island in the Mediterranean, arguing for an origin in Semitic *bšm ("balsam") with
18176-404: The works of a 3rd-century bard was immediately challenged by Irish historians, especially Charles O'Conor , who noted technical errors in chronology and in the forming of Gaelic names, and commented on the implausibility of many of Macpherson's claims, none of which Macpherson was able to substantiate. More forceful denunciations were later made by Samuel Johnson , who asserted (in A Journey to
18318-554: Was a Scottish Gaelic -speaking area but near the Ruthven Barracks of the British Army , established in 1719 to enforce Whig rule from London after the Jacobite uprising of 1715 . Macpherson's uncle, Ewen Macpherson joined the Jacobite army in the 1745 march south, when Macpherson was nine years old and after the Battle of Culloden , had had to remain in hiding for nine years. In the 1752-3 session, Macpherson
18460-531: Was a firm believer in the authenticity of the poems, raised a subscription to allow Macpherson to pursue his Gaelic researches. In the autumn,1760, Macpherson set out to visit western Inverness-shire, the islands of Skye , North Uist , South Uist and Benbecula . Allegedly, Macpherson obtained manuscripts which he translated with the assistance of a Captain Morrison and the Rev. Gallie. Later he made an expedition to
18602-492: Was able to escape with the aid of Flora MacDonald . Though an act of attainder (and forfeit) was subsequently passed against Ranald, it had no effect, due to accidentally naming him as Donald MacDonald. Ranald's debts proved burdensome for his family, but his grandson, Ranald George MacDonald , was able to keep them at bay thanks to the Napoleonic Wars ; the wars had restricted the supply of certain minerals, turning
18744-399: 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
18886-500: Was away fighting in the Jacobite rising of 1715 . A few days after the fire, Ailean Dearg was fighting on the right wing of the Jacobite Army at the Battle of Sheriffmuir when he fell mortally wounded. Ailean Dearg was, according to John Lorne Campbell , "killed, it was popularly said, by a silver bullet that negatived the charm he used to wear". Alasdair Dubh, 11th Chief of Clan MacDonald of Glengarry then managed to rally
19028-534: Was buried at Howmore; a decorated stone from the site (the Clanranald Stone ) is thought to have been his headstone. In 1596, concerned by the active involvement of highland leaders in Irish rebellions against Queen Elizabeth of England , king James VI of Scotland (Elizabeth's heir) demanded that they send well-armed men, as well as attending themselves, to meet him at Dumbarton on 1 August, and produce
19170-400: Was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick show trial , was immediately executed. King James declared the Lordship of Uist forfeit. Following the forfeiture, and in that same year, the Lord of the Isles granted Lairdship of the southern third of South Uist (traditionally called Lochboisdale ), together with Barra , to Giolla Adhamhnáin mac Néill, leader of
19312-640: Was held up by disagreements with local crofters, but after legal challenges were resolved in the courts, the course opened in August 2008. The summer music school, Ceòlas, takes place every year from the first Sunday of July in Daliburgh School on the island. In 2019, it was estimated that the school contributed around £210,000 to the local economy. It is then followed by the local children's summer school, Fèis Tir a'Mhurain. The Explore South Uist Web site discusses attractions to tourists: Loch Druidibeg
19454-491: 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
19596-594: Was made secretary to the colonial governor George Johnstone at Pensacola, Florida . He returned to Great Britain two years later, and, despite a quarrel with Johnstone, was allowed to retain his salary as a pension. Macpherson went on to write several historical works, the most important of which was Original Papers, containing the Secret History of Great Britain from the Restoration to the Accession of
19738-453: Was more of an under-the-table government scheme. This suggestion is more or less backed by letters corresponding with other suggested government scammers of the time such as Paul Benfield. In 1783 he also held a position as an agent working with Sir Nathaniel Wraxall , and was noted since this time for being very wealthy, probably from his secret parliamentary pensions he was receiving. In his later years he bought an estate, to which he gave
19880-510: 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
20022-403: Was quickly translated into many European languages, and Herder and Goethe (in his earlier period) were among its profound admirers. Goethe incorporated his translation of a part of the work into his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther . Melchiore Cesarotti 's Italian translation was reputedly a favourite of Napoleon . Macpherson's legacy indirectly includes the naming of Fingal's Cave on
20164-479: Was sent to King's College, Aberdeen , moving two years later to Marischal College (the two institutions later became the University of Aberdeen ), reading Caesar's Commentaries on the relationships between the 'primitive' Germanic tribes and the 'enlightened' Roman imperial army; it is also believed that he attended classes at the University of Edinburgh as a divinity student in 1755–56. During his years as
#552447