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  5. Scottish Gaelic for businesses

Scottish Gaelic for businesses

5 minute read • Last updated: 11 November 2024

Spoken in Scotland for over 1,500 years, Gaelic plays an important role in in Scotland’s vibrant cultural landscape.

Increased interest in learning the language combined with a world-wide desire from visitors to find out more about Gaelic culture, means there has never been a better time to consider how your business might benefit from weaving Gaelic into your customer’s experience.

Whether you take just small steps, or look to offer an immersive experience, when done well, incorporating Gaelic into your business represents a great opportunity to stand out in the crowd and attract new customers.

In this article:

  • Why use Gaelic in your business?
  • Incorporating Gaelic into your customer experience
  • Marketing your Gaelic offer
  • Examples of businesses using Gaelic
  • VisitScotland Gaelic assets that you can use and share

Why use Gaelic in your business?

  • International interest

    Those with an interest in Gaelic don’t just live in Scotland. North America, Australia and New Zealand, all have Gaelic communities that settled in the 18th and 19th century and some still have speakers today with many from those locations keen to connect to their heritage.

    • Four out of five visitors who view Gaelic content on VisitScotland.com were from outside the UK.
    • 46% of long haul visitors agreed “finding out about Scottish Gaelic language and culture enhanced my visit’’ (Source: Scotland Visitor Survey 2023).
  • Interest in the culture

    With its rich heritage of arts and culture, Gaelic is often associated with ideas of Scottishness on both a national and international stage.

    Music, dance, literature and film, not to mention the success of TV shows like Outlander, all contribute to an audience eager to experience Gaelic culture – whether that is taking part in a ceilidh, attending a festival, or visiting the location they’ve seen on-screen.

     

  • Interest in the language

    In recent years, over a million users around the world have also signed up to learn Gaelic on the Duolingo language app demonstrating a renewed interest in the language.

    This offers an opportunity that businesses can capitalise on, by promoting the language in oral and written form, or even providing an immersive learning experience.

     

  • Stand out from the competition

    In a competitive market, showing that there is something unique and authentic about the experience you offer customers can make a difference.

    Our visitor website visitscotland.com has seen a 331% increase in the popularity of Gaelic content (2018-2022).

    By developing your product to tap into that interest you can give yourself a competitive edge when it comes to targeting those potential customers.

Incorporating Gaelic into your customer experience

Factors to consider

When developing a proposition that incorporates Gaelic you need to consider several factors. These can include:

  • your geographical location
  • your level of fluency with the language
  • your knowledge of Gaelic history and culture

Make sure to avoid any potential embarrassment or unintended offence by getting things wrong. If you have a limited knowledge of Gaelic or lack fluency with the language then you should consider engaging with an individual or organisation that can offer expert advice on things like translations and pronunciation of Gaelic words, or Gaelic culture.

Useful resources for advice and guidance include:

  • Learn Gaelic
  • Duolingo
  • Speak Gàidhlig?
  • Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba (AÀA) – Gaelic Place-names of Scotland
  • The CeangalG Gàidhlig Toolkit for tourism business
  • Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture)
  • Bòrd na Gàidhlig

The depth of immersion businesses offer can vary, however there are some simple steps most can put in place.

Including Gaelic in an existing business

Even if your fluency or knowledge of Gaelic is limited, just introducing relatively small changes can add to the experience and be appreciated by customers.

  • Use bilingual signs, room names or job titles in your organisation.
  • Translate some of your traditional Scottish menu items into Gaelic.
  • Translate local Gaelic placenames to give visitors a better understanding of the language and landscape.
  • Teach your staff basic Gaelic phrases to offer visitors a taste of the language.
  • Provide visitors with some key phrases they can use when visiting areas where Gaelic is more commonly spoken.
  • Organise a ceilidh evening featuring Gaelic storytelling, music and song.

Remember to include phonetic scripts in any written translations so that customers can have a go at pronouncing words.

Creating a new Gaelic product

Of course, you may want to really place Gaelic at the heart of your business by offering a much more in-depth experience, perhaps focused on those wanting to learn the language. Options to consider could include:

  • Gaelic lessons - perhaps combined with a residential element.
  • Being able to offer comprehensive knowledge of Gaelic language, culture, history and heritage.
  • Activities conducted entirely through the medium of Gaelic.

Marketing your Gaelic offer

A sign with Failte at an exhibition at the National Library of Scotland

Giving a Gaelic welcome

If you are going to use Gaelic as part of the experience you offer, then it goes without saying that you should be promoting this in all aspects of your online marketing.

Be sure your website sets appropriate expectations of to what extent you are using Gaelic within your business.

Perhaps create short social media posts in Gaelic about your business – remembering to tag posts fittingly.

Find out more about managing your social media accounts.

Examples of businesses using Gaelic

Westend B&B

Located on croft land on the Isle of Lewis, Westend B&B is operated by native Gaelic speaker Magaidh Smith.

During lockdown Magaidh began offering online Gaelic learning sessions which became a feature of the business.

Outside of the main visitor season, Maigaidh’s year is spent researching and recording aspects of Hebridean culture, which she loves to share with visitors from outside the UK who she has found to be especially interested in Gaelic.

Find out more about Westend B&B.

Eilean Iarmain

With a long history of promoting Gaelic in the work environment, Eilean Iarmain is a hotel in the south of Skye overlooking the Sound of Sleat.

By offering personal tours to customers, the business provides the opportunity to gain insights into Gaelic language and culture through local place names, legends, history, stories, music and song.

The hotel sees potential to grow long-standing relationships with visitors who have an interest in Gaelic, therefore boosting return visits.

Find out more about Eilean Iarmain.

VisitScotland Gaelic assets that you can use and share

Scottish Gaelic & The Gaelic Language

VisitScotland.com article for visitors on the Gaelic language and its history.

External website
Article

Scottish Gaelic: Explained

Watch and share our Scottish Gaelic: Explained video on our YouTube channel.

External website

Gaelic events

Check our website for Gaelic themed events and festivals being held across Scotland.

External website

List your Gaelic event

Promote your own Gaelic event or festival to millions of potential visitors by submitting your event to our online listing service.

External website

Further research and resources

Scottish Enterprise - Scottish Gaelic in business report

2022 report by Scottish Enterprise into the Gaelic language and the benefits it may bring to businesses.

External website
Partner website

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

A range of suggestions and resources from HIE that will assist with integrating Gaelic into your business.

External website
Partner website

Highland Council

View Highland Council's report into Gaelic as an economic and social asset, and the impact it has had on businesses.

External website
Partner website

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