Scottish Gaelic Translator
About Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic is a Goidelic Celtic language spoken in Scotland, primarily in the Highlands and the Hebrides islands, by approximately 58,000 people. It was brought to Scotland from Ireland around the 4th century CE and was once the dominant language of most of Scotland. Scottish Gaelic is written using the Latin alphabet with a system of lenition marked by the letter h.
Scottish Gaelic experienced centuries of decline due to English-language policies, Highland Clearances, and urbanization. The language received a significant boost with the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act of 2005, which established the Gaelic language board Bord na Gaidhlig. Today, Gaelic-medium education is growing, and the BBC operates a dedicated Gaelic television channel, BBC Alba. Scottish Gaelic has a rich literary tradition including the famous Ossian poems and a distinctive tradition of waulking songs used during cloth-making.