Scotland's Gaelic College Gains Global Status

“Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is one of the key partners in fulfilling the government’s objectives in the National Gaelic Plan, which aims to increase the number of people speaking the language and accelerate the growth of Gaelic. “ – The National

Scotland's nationalistic newspaper "The Herald", a broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783 which is the longest running national newspaper in the world and the eighth oldest daily paper in the world, highlights Scotland's Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in a recent article.  Scotland's Gaelic College has gained an enhanced international reputation as a global destination for the study of the Gaelic Language.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is located on the Isle of Skye off Scotland’s west coast. Founded in 1973, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has become internationally recognised as a National Centre for the Gaelic language and culture.  The College is an academic partner within the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), and provides high quality education and research opportunities through the medium of Scottish Gaelic.

The article describes the impact of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s reach:  “ As global interest in Gaelic grows, students from across the world are travelling to Skye to study at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.  Situated in the stunningly beautiful peninsula of Sleat in the south end of the island, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is a unique Gaelic-only environment and the only college of its kind offering further and higher education through the medium of the language. The college offers a range of provision from beginners’ courses to a PhD, with the flexibility of studying part-time or full-time, on campus or via distance learning. At a crucial time in the survival of the language, graduates have helped create a Gaelic speaking workforce that now holds key posts across a wide range of sectors in Scotland.”

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO), which translates to “The Big Barn of Ostaig”, is a modern, innovative college and has excellent learning resources on-campus including an exceptional library collection, broadcast and recording facilities, residential student accommodation and a Gaelic-medium childcare facility. SMO is committed to being a centre of excellence for the development and enhancement of the Gaelic language, culture and heritage, by providing quality educational, training and research opportunities through the medium of Scottish Gaelic; and by interacting innovatively with individuals, communities and businesses, to contribute to social, cultural and economic development. The College also plays a leading role in the promotion of the Gaelic arts and culture and hosts a programme of residencies for artists in music, literature and the visual arts.

SMO has a Language Policy in place to ensure that everyone uses Gaelic at all times to the best of their ability. We are here in the interest of Gaelic in order to strengthen our language to the level of other strong and vibrant modern languages.  At SMO, you will not only use Gaelic in class, but your whole life at the College will be in Gaelic, from buying stamps and using the library to playing sports and hanging out with friends. Not everyone is fully fluent when they arrive at the College, and some students may already know each other and are used to speaking English to each other and will have to switch to Gaelic.  However, every year students come to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and successfully use Gaelic throughout the day, making new friends in the language and greatly improving their fluency at the same time.

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party, congratulated Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on its 40th birthday in 2013. The BBC quoted the First Minister:

 What started as no more than a barn and an idea 40 years ago, now stands as an established globally recognized Higher Education Institution charged with protecting, promoting and celebrating Scottish Gaelic.  It may not be our oldest university, but Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has become custodian of Scotland's oldest language.

-Alex Salmond

Supporting the college is the “Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Development Trust” which is a United Kingdom independent registered charitable trust and actively seeks support from the international Celtic community.  The SMO trust will in all circumstances arrange to ensure the most beneficial taxation treatment of financial donations and offers donors from the Unites States a registered 501C3 conduit to ensure the most beneficial treatment of donors.

Read the Full Article Here: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18256905.skyes-limit-sabhal-mor-ostaig---unique-gaelic-only-college-set-stunning-island-location/

https://www.transceltic.com/scottish/sabhal-mor-ostaig-scotlands-gaelic-college