You will learn or develop your mastery of Scottish Gaelic, and study its literature in historical and cultural contexts.

Year 1

In the first year there are three parallel courses, one for students with a good pass in Higher Gàidhlig, a second for those with a good pass in Higher Gaelic and a third for absolute beginners. Whether you are a native speaker of Scottish Gaelic, a learner or a complete beginner, our Gaelic programme allows you to develop advanced language skills at the same time as acquiring in-depth knowledge and understanding of Scottish Gaelic language, culture and literature, and those of related languages such as modern Irish.

Year 2

In the second year you continue to broaden your knowledge of Scottish Gaelic literature, as well as deepening your language skills.

If you progress through the courses for advanced Gaelic in first year, you will study

• 19th-century Gaelic writers such as Norman MacLeod
• 17th- and 18th-century poetry (including Iain Lom and Sìleas na Ceapaich)
• aspects of Gaelic linguistics including phonetics and sociolinguistics.

If you progress through the beginner’s course, you will continue to hone your language skills and also study a range of Gaelic writing including novels by Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn and poetry by Somhairle Mac’Illeathain, some of which are taught through the medium of Gaelic.

Some of our students who are not fluent Gaelic speakers opt to improve their fluency by attending a four-week summer school.

Years 3 and 4

If you progress to Honours (years three and four), you will concentrate on modern Scottish Gaelic, language and literature, whilst broadening out to the study of Irish and of the development and varieties of the Gaelic languages.

This allows you to study aspects of Gaelic literature and language in more depth, mostly through the medium of Gaelic, and to develop your critical and analytical skills. Among the courses on offer are

• 20th-century Gaelic war poetry
• Women’s poetry between the 15th and 17th centuries
• The clearances through the eyes of the Gaels
• Gaelic autobiography
• History of the Gaelic book
• Modern Irish
• Gaelic dialectology
• Classical Gaelic
• Celtic place-names.

You also write a dissertation, allowing you to research a relevant topic of your own choosing.

In terms of language skills, you are trained to a high level of language proficiency.

A particular feature of this programme is its continuing emphasis on developing and widening your oral and listening skills in Scottish Gaelic. Many classes are taught through the medium of Gaelic.

There are opportunities open to you to study in an institution outside the UK. The University has active study abroad relationships with universities such as those in Galway and Vienna.

In your Honours years you will have the opportunity to spend a semester studying Irish at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Recent developments in support for Gaelic, including its official recognition in the Scottish Parliament’s Achd na Gàidhlig, mean that Gaelic is a language with expanding career opportunities. Studying Gaelic at university opens doors to a diverse range of work in which Gaelic is essential.

Over the last few years our graduates have gone on to enjoy success in a wide range of careers in the media, publishing, primary and secondary teaching, librarianship and law. Other graduates find careers in language planning and development with local authorities and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.