Culture

The Highlands and Islands derive their culture mainly from Celtic roots. The Celts gave the region its literature, its oral traditions, its song and dance, its arts and crafts. The language of the Celts, Gaelic, underpinned it all.

The Gaelic language
Historically, the region's indigenous language, and one of Europe's oldest, Gaelic was spoken as far east as Braemar in Aberdeenshire and Glen Shee in Perthshire. By the 20th century, however, it had gone into serious decline. Many of the young folk, while understanding the language, preferred to speak in English. Gradually English replaced Gaelic as the language in the home. Gaelic was to lose ground to English even in localities that were once strongholds of the language.

But a revival in all things Gaelic has taken place over the last few decades. The Scottish Parliament has recently granted the language official status. In schools, Gaelic-medium teaching is being introduced. At last progress is being made towards re-establishing it as a national language.

Celtic culture
Connected closely with renewed interest in Gaelic is an upsurge in interest in Celtic culture. The richness of Celtic culture is amply displayed in its music, song, poetry, oral tradition, visual arts and crafts. Nor is it stuck in the past; new developments are taking place in Celtic music, art and literature which few could have dreamt of a few years back. The media, too, are helping to promote it.

Looking to the future
Recent developments have certainly boosted the Gaelic language. While there is still a long way to go, prospects are looking much brighter for the rich and ancient culture of the Highlands & Islands than it did a few years back.

Please choose one of the subject areas from the menu on the left under Culture that interests you to start discovering items in our archive

BIBLIOGRAPHY

If a book listed in the bibliography below is available from the Highland Libraries it will be indicated by a book icon -

MacInnes, Allan I.
Clanship, Commerce and the House of Stuart, 1603-1788

The Celtic Connection
pp 101-30 MacInnes, J.,'The Scottish Gaelic Language'

Thomson, D
The Companion to Gaelic Scotland

Thomson, D.
An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry

Grimble, I.
The Future of the Highlands

Withers, Charles W. J.
Gaelic in Scotland

Withers, Charles W. J.
Gaelic Scotland

Cameron, Ewan
Land for the People?

Modern Scottish history, 1707 to the present
vol 2 - E. A. Cameron, 'The Highlands since 1850'

Clyde, R.
From Rebel to Hero

Cowan, Edward J.
Alba

Dodgshon, Robert A
From chiefs to landlords

Grimble, I.
Clans and Chiefs

Grimble, I.
Highland Man

Grant, I.F., Cheape, Hugh
Periods in Highland History

Hunter, James
Last of the Free

Studies in the History of Dalriada

Devine, T. M.
Clanship to Crofter's War

Kermack, W R
The Scottish Highlands

McDonald, R. Andrew
The Kingdom of the Isles

Inverness Field Club
The Dark Ages in the Highlands

Newton, Michael
A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World

Richards, Eric
The Highland Clearances

Inverness Field Club
The Middle Ages in the Highlands

Womack, Peter
Improvement and Romance: Constructing the Myth of the Highlands
London, 1989

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