Gaelic Resources

This page offers a select number of resources for the study of Gaelic language, history, and culture; and participation in Celtic life.  We are appreciative of the select resource list compiled by Luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig – Scottish Gaelic Learners.  Many of their sections were included here.

For a select list of articles, books, and other media click here

For a select list of resources for parents click here

Language Aides

Scottish Gaelic Toasts Blessings & Expressions of Love

Organizations

An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach  (The Scottish Gaelic Society of America): Lots of links, resources, names of teachers and groups to help you with your Gaelic studies!

Hidden Glen Folk School of Scottish Highland Heritage: Dedicated to reclaiming and revitalizing the authentic native culture, history, and traditions of the Scottish Highlands

Gaelic Media

The Scottish Gaelic radio station’s website with live streams and archives of Gaelic broadcasts.

Gaelic Educational Institutions

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (The Big Barn at Ostaig):  Located on the Isle of Skye this is Scotland’s only all-Gaelic college.  They offer classes on-line, summer courses, resource links and pages, and more!

Colaisde na Gàidhlig – The Gaelic College in Nova Scotia (our instructor has taught here!).  Lots of links, courses and resources with classes MUCH closer to home.  🙂

Gaelic Dictionaries, Thesauri, and Grammar Aides

Am Faclair Beag-Scottish Gaelic Dictionary: A very comprehensive, user-friendly online Gaelic-English, English-Gaelic dictionary incorporating Dwelly’s.

Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki:  The publicly accessible source for information on Scottish Gaelic Grammar. Sponsored by the Arizona Scottish Gaelic Syntax Project and the Arizona Gaelic Phonology and Phonetics Project both of which are funded by the National Science Foundation.

Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba / Gaelic Place Names of Scotland:  Strictly speaking not a dictionary, but when you look up a place name, meanings (translated from Gàidhlig to English) are provided where possible.

An Seotal:  A dictionary of modern, technological terms, many with sound files.

Co-fhaclair Gàidhlig:  This online thesaurus provides synonyms and related terms for Gaelic words. It also contains antonyms for some words.

Dwelly’s:  The only on-line version of Dwelly’s great Gàidhlig-English dictionary.

Learn Gaelic Dictionary:  In association with Am Faclair Beag, so there is an ever-increasing number of sound files.

Learn Gaelic Thesaurus:  The thesaurus of the Learn Gaelic website.

MacBain’s Dictionary:  An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language.

Gaelic Study

TAIC:  An online course, with accompanying sound files.

Daily Gaelic: An online Gaelic language education resource

Learn Gaelic: Speaking Our Language:  An online Gaelic language education resource.  This website has a myriad of resources for the learner, most of which are based in Scotland.  Here you can find a map, showing the locations, and a list of courses available, including those online, such as “Beag air Bheag” (formerly hosted on the BCC’s website); the site also has a dictionary with an ever increasing number of sound files, and a thesaurus.  This website has recently been updated, and they now also provide their own, introductory course available to download onto tablets.

Àrainneachd, Cànan Is Dualchas (“environment, language and heritage”): A course in Scotland exploring links between the Scottish Gaelic language, nature, and the environment. The site contains a variety of vocabulary lists that are very useful to the learner outside of Scotland.

Fòram na Gàidhlig:  A website where you can find resources for learners, including other online sources for learning, including, but not limited to the lyrics for Runrig songs, a page listing courses available throughout the world, and an introduction to the language.  A forum is also available for interaction with other learners, teachers, news, updates in technology, and general chatter in Gàidhlig.  A Skype conversational group is also run from the forum, using the weekly Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh as a focal point for discussions.

The Talk Gaelic course from the University of the Highlands and Islands has been designed to help you learn Gaelic in a lively and friendly way. It’s important to practice speaking and repeat what you hear with your friends and colleagues.  Gur a math a thèid leibh! – Good luck!

The Use Gaelic section from the University of the Highlands and Islands provides you with language that will be useful for you in your job. Learn some useful phrases, try out the useful downloads and play some games to practice what you’ve learned.  Go on – use it!

Bringing up Gaelic-speaking Children

Gaelic for Parents:  Resources for parents with children in Gaelic medium education including live homework help in the evenings during term times; however also beneficial for beginners of all ages.  My personal favorites are the audio files of bedtime stories.

Òrain na Cloinne Bige is an interactive resource designed to introduce young children to Gaelic song. The resource is suitable for a wide age range and all levels of fluency in Scottish Gaelic.

Gaelic Nursery Language Links:  Gaelic Nursery Language Links is a series of colorfully illustrated story books for parents to read to their children. The books are aimed at helping non-Gaelic-speaking parents learn basic Gaelic phrases of the sort used every day in Gaelic nursery schools, and have proved very popular with parents and nursery schools.

Storlann:  A website for learners in Gaelic Medium Education, but lots of good exercises, and resources for learners of all ages contained within, including streaming audio files of books, some of which are read by the authors themselves.

Shopping

Comhairle nan Leabhraichean / The Gaelic Books Council:  Based on Scotland, sells most books published in Gàidhlig, and ships worldwide.

Acair Books:  Acair Books publish a wide range of Gàidhlig, English and bilingual books.

The Gàidhlig college, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, also sells books, and other Gàidhlig-related items.

Podcasts

An Litir Bheag / Little Letter for Gaelic Learners:  A simple letter for established Gaelic learners.  Roddy Maclean has created this letter for learners who have progressed beyond basic learning, but find the “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” (“Letter to Gaelic Learners”) too advanced.  Accompanying text is available in both English, and Gàidhlig.

Beag air Bheag:  John Urquhart guides learners, little by little, through the intricacies of the Gaelic language.

Fiona J Mackenzie:  A series of simple podcasts with some useful Gàidhlig phrases.  These podcasts were supposed to be updated regularly and notifications made on Twitter, but only old podcasts appear on the site.

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh / Letter to Gaelic Learners:  Informative, educational and interesting. A special programme, in the form of a ‘letter’, specifically aimed at Gaelic learners who already have some knowledge of the language.

Other Resources

iGàidhlig:  A website listing all the software available in Gàidhlig, on laptops, PCs, tablets, and smartphones including Facebook, WordPress.  It also list games.  This site contains a wealth of information on how to use Gàidhlig in the technological world.  Updates, and news can be found on the corresponding Facebook page.