The first ever World Gaelic Week -Seachdain na Gàidhlig – is taking place this week.
The event hopes celebrate and promote the importance of Gaelic with more than 100 events being organised over the year to mark the importance of Gaelic.
Supported by Visit Scotland, the week-long celebration is highlighting the significant role the language plays within tourism and events.
From 2018 to 2021 there was a 72% increase in the number of VisitScotland.com users visiting Gaelic related content with a peak in pageviews during the 2020 lockdown.
Scotland’s Year of Stories
With 2022 marking the tourism organisation’s Scotland’s Year of Stories, a key aim is to share how Gaelic is woven into the fabric of the country and has influenced the way we speak and tell stories now.
A nationwide programme of more than 100 events presented by a range of partners from national organisations to community groups are taking place this year, in recognition of the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland.
Events include:
- Tìr Ìseal nan Òran (Tiree: low land of song) is an island-wide creative project which aims to celebrate and promote Tiree’s stories, heritage, culture, and Gaelic language.
- In Skye, SEALL (Skye Events for All Ltd) and Gaelic singer Anne Martin lead An Tinne (The Link), which is a special programme of events linking a collection of songs, stories, and objects from across the centuries exploring the deep and fascinating connection between Scotland and Australia – taking place in August
- Stornoway’s An Lanntair presents Seanchas, a series of events, films and special commissions celebrating tales from the Hebrides both real and imagined, modern and ancient.
- A new film, Cliabh An T-Shenachais – The Story Creel, will celebrate fishing and its importance to the remote communities of Southwest Mull and Iona.
Isle of Iona.
Joy Dunlop, from Connell in Argyll, the director of Seachdain na Gàidhlig, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled by the response to Seachdain na Gàidhlig, people have been so busy creating their own ideas to feature within the extensive programme.
“We currently have more than 80 events taking place throughout the globe, with more being added to our online events diary daily. This proves that Gaelic is thriving, not just here in Scotland but across the world and I can’t wait to celebrate our language and culture this week on a global scale.
“If anyone wants to take part, free online resources, learning materials and advice can be found on our official website, where visitors can also find further information about the events.”
Gaelic only ‘strengthens us’
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive, said: “The importance of Gaelic to the Scottish tourism and events industry cannot be underestimated. As the sector starts to recover from the devastation of Covid-19, finding ways to position Scotland as a unique and stand-out holiday choice is vital.
“Gaelic and its rich culture are an important part of Scotland’s tourism offer and provides an extra layer of authenticity for visitors with a unique culture you can only truly experience in Scotland.
“This only strengthens the experience we know means so much to visitors.