113-575: North Uist ( Scottish Gaelic : Uibhist a Tuath ; Scots : North Uise ) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland . In Donald Munro's A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are described as one island of Ywst (Uist). Starting in the south of this 'island', he described the division between South Uist and Benbecula where "the end heirof
226-578: A "commission of fire and sword" against Donald Gormson and Clan Ranald, instructing the earls to pursue their "utter extermination". However, the forces of the Earl of Huntly had previously been defeated by Clan Ranald at the Battle of the Shirts , which made them reluctant to enter Clan Ranald territory; the Earl abandoned the pursuit, but was promptly imprisoned by Mary of Guise for doing so. Three years later,
339-442: 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
452-564: A Pictish substrate. In 1018, after the conquest of Lothian (theretofore part of England and inhabited predominantly by speakers of Northumbrian Old English ) by the Kingdom of Scotland , Gaelic reached its social, cultural, political, and geographic zenith. Colloquial speech in Scotland had been developing independently of that in Ireland since the eighth century. For the first time,
565-600: A camera obscura. On the Northern and western side of the island are several white sandy beaches such as Clachan Sands. Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic , is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family ) native to
678-524: 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
791-823: 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
904-585: 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 the Uists to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, and made Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran. However, on Ranald's death, his sons were still children, and Godfrey took
1017-552: A dedicated Local Government Act ; North Uist, therefore, became part of the new county of Inverness . Following late 20th century reforms, it became part of the Highland Region. In 1944, the Campbell-Orde family sold North Uist to Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton , who in 1960 sold it in turn to the 5th Earl Granville , and the current laird is Fergus Leveson-Gower, 6th Earl Granville , who lives on
1130-489: 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
1243-586: 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
SECTION 10
#17327796583731356-805: A national centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, based in Sleat , on the Isle of Skye . This institution is the only source for higher education which is conducted entirely in Scottish Gaelic. They offer courses for Gaelic learners from beginners into fluency. They also offer regular bachelors and graduate programs delivered entirely in Gaelic. Concerns have been raised around the fluency achieved by learners within these language programs because they are disconnected from vernacular speech communities. In regard to language revitalization planning efforts, many feel that
1469-549: 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
1582-610: 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
1695-536: 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
1808-625: 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
1921-548: A woman on North Uist; outraged by this, an armed party made up of men from the Siol Gorrie (to which the woman belonged) and Clan Ranald (to which her husband belonged) captured Angus and drowned him at sea. According to these accounts, Black Archibald now took revenge, killing large numbers of Siol Gorrie. Despite his behaviour, Black Archibald managed to ingratiate himself with James IV, by capturing and handing over two pirates – distant relations from Clan MacAlister ; in 1511,
2034-490: 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
2147-519: Is also possible, with I-fheirste meaning "Crossings-island" or "Fords-island", derived from I meaning "island" and fearsad meaning "estuary, sand-bank, passage across at ebb-tide". Place-names derived from fearsad include Fersit , and Belfast . Mac an Tàilleir (2003) suggests that a Gaelic 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
2260-411: 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,
2373-472: Is the largest loch by area on North Uist although Loch Obisary has about twice the volume of water. The northern part of the island is part of the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area , one of 40 in Scotland. The main settlement on the island is Lochmaddy , a fishing port and home to a museum , an arts centre and a camera obscura . Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from
SECTION 20
#17327796583732486-455: 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 the number of speakers of the language under age 20 did not decrease between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. In
2599-538: 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 the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , which
2712-468: 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, a dialect known as Canadian Gaelic has been spoken in Canada since the 18th century. In
2825-567: The Archaean eon. A zone running west from Lochmaddy to Baleshare has abundant metasediments and metavolcanics . The direction of inclination of layered textures or foliation in this metamorphic rock is typically to the north but varies widely across the island. Pockets of metabasic rocks equivalent to the Scourie dyke suite are developed in certain areas, particularly in the north. Banded metabasic rocks and Archaean granites are found in
2938-700: The Bronze Age ; a burial from this period was found on the Udal peninsula (near Sollas ). For the Iron Age , in addition to the wheelhouses typical of the Outer Hebrides, the remains of a broch (fort), from the late Iron Age, can be found at Dun an Sticir ; there was formerly another broch near Scolpaig , but it was replaced by Scolpaig Tower in the 19th century. In the 3rd century, stone houses came into use which were shaped like Jelly Babies . Whoever
3051-835: The Fir Bhreige standing stones , Eilean Dòmhnuill (which may be the earliest crannog site in Scotland), and the Baile Sear roundhouses , which were exposed by storms in January 2005. The Vikings arrived in the Hebrides in AD 800 and developed large settlements. Newer sites of interest are the Uist sculpture trail with two art installations in Lochmaddy. Close by is the Hut of Shadows,
3164-638: 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 the 17th century. Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names. In
3277-634: The Jacobite Uprising of 1745 , but they were included in the repression of Highland dress and culture that followed the Battle of Culloden . However, North Uist bard Iain Mac Fhearchair (John MacCodrum), the official poet to the chief, wrote the satirical poem "Òran an Aghaidh an Eididh Ghallda" ("A Song Against the Lowland Garb"), which "shows clearly where his own sympathies lay". MacCodrum also composed poetry criticizing both
3390-670: The Lords of the Congregation , the Earl of Argyll among them, emerged as an organised resistance to the Queen Regent. By 1562, the Earl of Huntly, now released, was in outright opposition to Queen Mary, and died opposing her at the Battle of Corrichel . In 1565 the tables turned when Donald Gormson took the queen's side during the Chaseabout Raid and was consequently back in royal favour. On 4 March 1567 Donald Gormson and
3503-492: 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
North Uist - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-688: 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,
3729-726: The Scottish clan chiefs and the Anglo-Scottish landlords of the Highlands and Islands for the often brutal mass evictions of the Scottish Gaels that followed the Battle of Culloden and on mundane topics such as old age and whiskey . Among MacCodrum's most popular anti-landlord poems mocks Aonghus MacDhòmhnaill, the post-Culloden tacksman of Griminish . It is believed to date from between 1769 and 1773, when overwhelming numbers of Sir Alexander MacDonald's tenants on
3842-706: 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
3955-580: The War of the One-Eyed Woman . A series of initial skirmishes led to the Battle of Carinish in North Uist, the last battle in Scotland that involved bows and arrows. It led to the Battle of Coire Na Creiche , where Donald Gorm Mor won a more decisive victory, at which point the privy council intervened, and imposed a lasting peace. Donald was succeeded by his nephew, Donald Gorm Og, whose loyalty to
4068-602: The jury added the following written comments: ...the jury unanimously recommend the pannels to the utmost leniency and mercy of the Court, in consideration of the cruel, though it may be legal, proceedings adopted in ejecting the whole people of Solas from their houses and crops without the prospect of shelter, or a footing in their fatherland, or even the means of expatriating them to a foreign one... In 1855, Sir Godfrey decided to sell North Uist to Sir John Powlett Orde . According to Bill Lawson, "The MacDonalds of Sleat possessed
4181-722: 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 ,
4294-601: 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
4407-404: 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
4520-407: 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
4633-569: The Bible; the lack of a well known translation may have contributed to the decline of Scottish Gaelic. Counterintuitively, access to schooling in Gaelic increased knowledge of English. In 1829, the Gaelic Schools Society reported that parents were unconcerned about their children learning Gaelic, but were anxious to have them taught English. The SSPCK also found Highlanders to have significant prejudice against Gaelic. T. M. Devine attributes this to an association between English and
North Uist - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-731: The Captain of Clanranald ; the reasons John had for this are not reported by surviving records. Nevertheless, Hugh's second son, Donald Gallach , opposed Clan Ranald and established his own de facto control of North Uist and Sleat. In the following year (1506), Donald was stabbed to death by his own younger brother – Black Archibald . The king authorised Ranald Bane to take the lands by force; according to traditional accounts, Ranald Bane's success led to Black Archibald resorting to piracy. Three years later, however, Black Archibald returned. Traditional accounts relate that while he had been away, Angus Collach (Archibald's other brother) attempted to rape
4859-594: 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
4972-711: The Earl of Argyll drew up a contract, according to which: In 1594, as an opponent of The Reformation , Donald Gorm Mor – Donald Gormson's grandson – sent troops to Gaelic Ireland to assist Aodh Mór Ó Néill and Red Hugh O'Donnell during the Rising of the Northern Clans against Queen Elizabeth I of England . In 1596, concerned by this, and similar action by other Scottish clan chiefs , King James VI of Scotland (Elizabeth's heir) demanded that highland leaders send well-armed men, as well as attending themselves, to meet him at Dumbarton on 1 August. Donald Gorm Mor obeyed
5085-538: 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
5198-684: 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
5311-762: 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
5424-619: 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
5537-416: 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
5650-426: 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
5763-410: 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
SECTION 50
#17327796583735876-443: The Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to 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. 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
5989-469: The Siol Tormoid lands on Skye, in an attempt to take back Sleat and North Uist. However, that same year, Donald Gorm was hit by an arrow while besieging Eilean Donan castle; in the process of removing it, he severed an artery, and died. In 1542, king James V issued a charter confirming Alastair Crotach as laird of Sleat and North Uist. After the deaths of Alastair Crotach and his son William in quick succession (1547, and 1553, respectively), Alastair's heir
6102-428: 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
6215-581: 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
6328-589: 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
6441-415: The abandoned crofts. The land was poor for farming but sufficient to sustain sheep, bringing the baron a better profit. As a result, he orchestrated one of the most notable mass evictions of the Highland Clearances . In 1849, an attempt to evict 603 crofters from Sollas caused rioting. Rocks were reportedly thrown at the police officers sent from Glasgow to quell the riot. In the convictions that followed,
6554-466: 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
6667-408: 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
6780-413: 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
6893-625: 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
SECTION 60
#17327796583737006-419: 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,
7119-450: 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
7232-444: 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
7345-428: The differing title, Òran Aimereaga ("The Song of America"). During the French Revolutionary Wars , the scarcity of external supplies of minerals to the United Kingdom led to a boom in the kelp industry, which became North Uist's main source of income. When the war ended, the availability of foreign mineral supplies led to an abrupt collapse in the demand for kelp-based products. The burning of kelp had also damaged
7458-441: The economic conditions worsened, and with reports of islanders having success overseas, the numbers of families emigrating from Scotland to North America greatly increased. By 1838, the number of people having left North Uist was reported as 1,300; before the 1820s, the population of North Uist had been almost 5,000, but by 1841 it had fallen to 3,870. The 7th baronet's heir, Godfrey MacDonald (the 4th Baron of Slate ) ran sheep on
7571-419: The embankment of a Loch, causing it to flood a nearby village in which the Siol Murdoch lived (and hence drown them); the accounts claim that the floodwater formed Loch Hosta. In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence generally in the highlands, together with the insurrection caused by his own cousin , King James I demanded that highland magnates should attend a meeting at Inverness . On arrival, many of
7684-415: 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
7797-464: The exception of the south east, the island is very flat, and covered with a patchwork of peat bogs, low hills and lochans , with more than half the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs contain a mixture of fresh and tidal salt water, giving rise to some complex and unusual habitats. Loch Sgadabhagh , about which it has been said "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline",
7910-514: The fertility of the land. As a result, the crofters of North Uist could no longer afford the rents. Even though the landlords reduced the rents (e.g. in 1827 the rents were reduced by 20%) many crofters resorted to emigration. In 1826 the villages of Kyles Berneray, Baile Mhic Coinein, and Baile Mhic Phàil, at the north-east corner of North Uist, were abandoned by their inhabitants. Although some moved further south-east to Loch Portain, most of those affected moved to Cape Breton , in Nova Scotia . As
8023-431: 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,
8136-549: The forfeiture, most of Garmoran (including North 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 confirmed by the king – James IV – in a 1493 charter, but Ranald's heirs ( Clan Ranald ) disputed the charter. Hugh died a few years later, and in 1505 his eldest son, John, granted North Uist (and Sleat) to Ranald Bane ,
8249-540: The indecisive Battle of Largs . In 1266, 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. At
8362-479: 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
8475-482: The island from 1469 until 1855, though the later proprietors took little interest in their estate except as a source of income. In 1855 the Lord MacDonald of the day sold the island to Sir John Powlett Orde, who had gained the reputation of being the worst type of landlord, utterly opposed to any attempt to improve the lot of his tenants, though it is only fair to point out that every one of the major evictions on
8588-539: The island was in fact carried out by the MacDonalds; they, being of a local source, are forgiven, and the blame is reserved for the incoming Sir John. He, in turn, sold parts of the island to his son Sir Arthur Campbell-Orde , mainly in order to frustrate the terms of the Crofter's Acts , which could have allowed crofters to apply for more land, but only on land with the same ownership. Sir Arthur eventually inherited
8701-497: The island-naming prefix *’y , acknowledging the possibility of a name transfer and the name being subject to the influence of Norse ívist . A number of standing stones from the Neolithic period are scattered throughout the island, including a stone circle at Pobull Fhinn . In addition to these, a large burial cairn , in almost pristine condition, is located at Barpa Langass . The island remained inhabited for at least part of
8814-712: The island. The Granville family administers the island through a trust fund called the North Uist Trust. Some of the machair townships, however, were taken over by the Board of Agriculture and its successors. The population of North Uist has dwindled to around 1,300. In common with the rest of the Western Isles , North Uist is formed from the oldest rocks in Britain, the Lewisian gneiss which dates from
8927-586: The isles of North Uist and Skye were reacting to his rackrenting and other harsh treatments by immigrating to the region surrounding the Cape Fear River in North Carolina . The song is known in the oral tradition of North Uist as Òran Fir Ghriminis ("A Song of the Tacksman of Griminish"). The song is equally popular among speakers of Canadian Gaelic in Nova Scotia , where it is known under
9040-666: The king resulted in him being made the first Baronet of Sleat . A century later, Sir Donald MacDonald, the 4th Baronet of Sleat, was living comfortably in Glasgow . In 1715, he supported the Jacobite rebellion and attacked the Earl of Sutherland , but fell ill and fled to Skye. He was pursued and forced to flee to North Uist. When the Papists Act was passed the following year, requiring his attendance at Inverlochy, he argued that he
9153-595: The king rewarded Black Archibald by pardoning him for his crimes, and confirming his possession of Sleat and North Uist. At some point before 1520, Black Archibald was murdered by Donald Gallach's son, Donald Gruamach. Consequently, in 1520, James IV issued a charter awarding lairdship of Sleat and North Uist to Alasdair Crotach MacLeod , the leader of the Sìol Tormoid , who possessed the neighbouring lands, and had been loyal to James during Donald Dubh 's rebellion. In 1539, Donald Gruamach's son – Donald Gorm – invaded
9266-502: 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
9379-498: 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. Somerled Too Many Requests If you report this error to
9492-532: 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
9605-403: The leaders were seized and imprisoned. Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick show trial , was immediately executed. As Alexander had by now inherited Godfrey's de facto position as Lord of Garmoran, and in view of Ranald's heirs being no less responsible for the violence, King James declared the Lordship forfeit. Following
9718-459: 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
9831-734: 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
9944-532: 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
10057-523: The nineteenth-century Scolpaig Tower folly . Loch Portain is a small hamlet on the east coast — some 9 mi (14 km) from Lochmaddy, with sub areas of Cheesebay and Hoebeg. According to the 2011 census North Uist had a population of 1,254. North Uist has many prehistoric structures, including the Barpa Langass chambered cairn , the Pobull Fhinn stone circle , Dun an Sticir ,
10170-409: The northwest around Loch Phaibeil. A band of pseudotachylyte curves north the northwest through the centre of the island. The island is traversed by numerous normal faults many of which run broadly NW-SE though ranging from E-W to NNW-SSE. Loch Eport is developed along one such fault. The Outer Hebrides Thrust Zone runs along the eastern coast of the island and brings distinctive gneisses which form
10283-406: The occupants of "Jelly Baby" houses were, they were followed in the 9th century by Viking settlers, who established the Kingdom of the Isles throughout the Hebrides. Initially, Vikings built turf -based buildings; however, on the shore, the environmental and chemical composition of machair causes these buildings to rapidly degrade and turn mauve . Following Norwegian unification, the Kingdom of
10396-695: 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
10509-538: The opportunity to seize the Lordship of Garmoran. Furthermore, Godfrey had a younger brother, Murdoch, whose heirs (the Siol Murdoch ) now claimed to own part of North Uist. This led to a great deal of violent conflict involving Godfrey's family (the Siol Gorrie ) and those of his brothers. Surviving records do not describe this in detail, but traditional accounts report an incident where the Siol Gorrie dug away
10622-459: 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
10735-504: 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
10848-466: 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
10961-460: 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
11074-587: 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,
11187-470: The rough hilly terrain along that coast. More recent geological deposits include blown sand along the northern and western coasts and peat inland. North Uist is the tenth-largest Scottish island and the thirteenth-largest island surrounding Great Britain . It has an area of 117 square miles (303 square kilometres), slightly smaller than South Uist . North Uist is connected by causeways to Benbecula via Grimsay , to Berneray , and to Baleshare . With
11300-592: The sea enters, and cuts the countrey be ebbing and flowing through it". Further north of Benbecula he described North Uist as "this countrey is called Kenehnache of Ywst, that is in Englishe, the north head of Ywst". Some have taken the etymology of Uist from Old Norse , meaning "west", much like Westray in Orkney . Another speculated derivation of Uist from Old Norse is Ívist , derived from vist meaning "an abode, dwelling, domicile". A Gaelic etymology
11413-581: The sea had overflowed the land and destroyed many houses. On his succession in 1723, the 7th baronet arranged for a middleman, Kenneth MacKenzie, to buy back Sleat and North Uist from the Commissioners and pass them on to him. In 1727, the 7th baronet was granted a royal charter formally acknowledging his position as laird of the Sleat and North Uist. According to historian John Lorne Campbell , Sir Alexander MacDonald of Sleat and his clan took no part in
11526-474: The summons, and was consequently pardoned for previous offences, and granted a charter which acknowledged him as rightful heir of Hugh of Sleat, and confirmed him as laird of Sleat and North Uist. In an attempt to solidify peaceful relations with the Siol Tormoid, Donald Gorm Mor married the daughter of the then Siol Tormoid leader, Rory Mor . Unfortunately, the marriage failed catastrophically, leading to
11639-584: 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 the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the Skye sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned, and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist)
11752-733: The village to Uig on Skye, as well as from the island of Berneray (which is connected to North Uist by road causeway ), to Leverburgh in Harris . Lochmaddy also has the Taigh Chearsabhagh — a museum and arts centre with a cafe, small shop and post office service. Nearby is the Uist Outdoor Centre. The island's main villages are Sollas , Hosta, Tigharry , Hougharry , Paible , Grimsay and Cladach Kirkibost . Other settlements include Clachan Carinish , Knockquien , Port nan Long , Greinetobht and Scolpaig , home to
11865-464: The whole estate; he seems to have been a very different type of landlord, and was involved in the re-crofting of Sollas and other areas." The pre-clearance population of North Uist was about 5,000. Families particularly depleted during the clearances were the MacAulays, Morrisons, MacCodrums, MacCuishs, and MacDonalds. In 1889, counties were formally created in Scotland, on shrieval boundaries, by
11978-640: 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
12091-399: 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
12204-591: Was confirmed to the MacRory leader . In 1343, King David II issued a further charter for this to the latter's son . In 1346, just three years later, the sole surviving MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran . The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become the Lordship of the Isles , ruled by the MacDonalds (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader, John of Islay , but
12317-429: Was his young granddaughter, Mary MacLeod. Donald Gormson, Donald Gorm's son, took the opportunity to seize Sleat and North Uist. The Earl of Arran , regent to Mary, Queen of Scots , assigned nominal feudal wardship of her to the Earl of Huntly , who himself proposed to sell it to the Earl of Argyll . Following Arran's death in 1554, Mary of Guise was appointed regent for her daughter and issued Argyll and Huntly with
12430-554: 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
12543-510: 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
12656-560: Was nominally restored, but in practice, the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs ( Clann Somhairle ), and 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 . In the 13th century, despite Edgar's quitclaim, Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in
12769-516: Was too ill to travel, but magistrates could visit him instead. Under the terms of the act, this made him a recusant, and his lairdships were accordingly forfeited, under the terms of the Forfeited Estates Act of the previous year. The Commissioners of Forfeited Estates surveyed the land and found that it was in very poor condition; in North Uist, the local population had recently lost 745 cows, 573 horses, and 820 sheep to plague, and
#372627