The Resurgence of Scottish Gaelic: Preserving and Promoting a Cultural Treasure.
Scott Hutton
Image Credit: Christy O'Hanlon By Euan McGeechan/@euan400
Once the dominant tongue of the Highlands and parts of the Lowlands, Gaelic has faced centuries of decline due to a legion of historical factors. Amidst the fading presence are signs of a potential resurgence brewing, propelled by passionate individuals and dedicated initiatives.
Lost in Translation: The Decline of Gaelic
For centuries, Gaelic echoed throughout Scotland, enriching Scotland’s culture, and heritage. However, events such as the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, forcibly removed Gaels from their homes and suppressed Gaelic as a language. This, combined with influences such as industrialisation and urbanisation resulted in a substantial drop in Gaelic speakers.
Signs of a Gaelic Renaissance
Despite the decline, Gaelic refuses to be silenced. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in Gaelic, fronted by young people in Scotland. Highlighted by the number of Scots being able to speak some Gaelic doubling between 2012-2022, from 15% to 30%.
A strong example of this revival is Christy O’Hanlon, host of the popular podcast Big Gaels Don’t Cry. Through engaging and humorous episodes, O’Hanlon sheds light on modern Gaelic culture, inspiring a new generation of Scots to embrace the language.
“In terms of the revival right now it is very exciting because there has always been a lot of pressure on young Gaelic speakers carrying the burden of preserving traditional culture…
… she continues… it is so refreshing now to see young Gaels creating new spaces, due to so much pressure of preserving tradition that we almost forgot we exist to create new spaces as well.”
Developments in Gaelic initiatives are flourishing. Foghland tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig allows children and young people to be fully immersed in the language to develop their fluency. Vibrant art and music festivals that celebrate Gaelic are still captivating audiences across the country, and a spike in consumption of Gaelic literature (during covid lockdowns) has made Gaelic more accessible than ever before.
New Ventures for Gaels
Ùpraid is a new club night launching in Glasgow and is the first of its kind. A night where all DJ’s, bar and door staff are all Gaelic speakers, granting all attendees the opportunity to experience a full night to connect with Gaelic culture in a dynamic and inclusive setting. Launching during seachdain na gàidhlig at Brunswick Cellars, it is not a night to be missed.
Catch all new episodes of Big Gaels Don’t Cry here.
