Language and Landscape
Slighe Ndair Gàidhlig - Celebrating Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) 2025
Gaelic is all around us in the landscape and natural environment – for example a Robin is Brù-Dhearg with ‘Dhearg’ meaning red in Gaelic!
This week marks Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week), a time to celebrate the language, culture, and heritage that make the Highlands so unique. Across the region, efforts are being made to ensure that Gaelic remains a vibrant and enduring part of Highland life - not just through language, but also through more meaningful connections with the land.
One such initiative we have had the pleasure to partner on is the Ullapool Slighe Ndair Gàidhlig (Gaelic Nature Trail) Sound Map, a project that has brought Gaelic to life in the great outdoors, blending language, learning, and exploration.
This locally produced interactive map celebrates the rich biodiversity of Wester Ross while reinforcing the Gaelic names and traditions associated with the natuaral world.
A Snowy Day of Discovery
It started out on a crisp winter morning, High Life Highland Countryside Ranger Jenny Grant, took a group of Ullapool Primary School pupils on a guided nature walk, helping them explore their local environment while learning about the wildlife they would see along the route, and throughout the rest of the year.
Photo credit: WesterRoss Biosphere
Jenny encouraged the group to identify tracks in the snow, watch the birds as they hunted for food amid the frozen landscape, and hear the whispers of the wind through the trees - to become inspired by the landscape - as the group planned the trail through Ullapool. At every step, Gaelic words were woven into the experience, and jotted down for the project.
Fast forward a few weeks and the end result of this snowy adventure is the Slighe Ndair Gàidhlig Gaelic Nature Trail Sound Map, a unique, interactive resource that allows anyone to experience the beauty of Ullapool through the voices of its young residents. The map features the hand-drawn illustrations of the plants, animals, and environment that the children encountered along the way.
Each drawing is accompanied by a sound icon - clicking on it reveals a recording of a child pronouncing the English name of the discovery, followed by its Gaelic translation. This creates an immersive and interactive experience, where visitors can not only see the wonders of Ullapool but also hear the language that has been spoken here for generations.
Whether exploring the trail in person or via an internet connection from home, the Gaelic Nature Trail Sound Map offers a fresh way to engage with both the natural world and the Gaelic language.
This project was made possible through collaboration between multiple organisations, highlighting the importance of community-driven efforts to keep Gaelic at the heart of Highland life. Bòrd na Gàidhlig, High Life Highland Countryside Rangers, Wester Ross Biosphere & Ullapool Primary School. Key contributors such as Mairead Bush, Gaelic Development Officer, and Jenny Grant Countryside Ranger all played an important role in bringing this initiative to life. This experience was funded through the Tesco Blue Tokens scheme, supporting outdoor learning that combined nature, language, and cultural heritage.
Other Gaelic Week Celebrations
Continuing the theme of exploring the deep connections between landscape and language, we also partnered with the North West Geopark on a young persons guided walk this week, which provided an opportunity to interpret the dramatic geology of the area while exploring the Gaelic place names that describe the landforms and natural features. Participants gained insight into how Gaelic has shaped the way people understand and navigate the landscape, from the towering peaks to the coastal fringes, reinforcing the close relationship between language, place, and identity in the Highlands.
In Lochaber High Life Highland’s Senior Countryside Ranger, Eilidh-Ann will lead “Short Walk into Nature” from Ardnamurchan Library, incorporating Gaelic elements into the experience. Gaelic Medium pupils from Ardnamurchan High School also plan to join the walk to share Gaelic songs and poems from the local area for an intergenerational experience of Gaelic heritage and life through both spoken word and music.
Tha a’ Ghàidhlig mun cuairt oirnn sa chruth-thìre is san àrainneachd nàdarra – mar eisimpleir ’s dòcha gu bheil Brù-Dhearg no dhà sa ghàrradh agaibh! Airson Seachdain na Gàidhlig a chomharrachadh bidh Eilidh-Ann, Prìomh Mhaor-dùthcha High Life na Gàidhealtachd, a’ gabhail “Cuairt Bheag ann an Nàdar” bho Leabharlann Àird nam Murchan, a’ coimhead air feartan Gàidhlig. Bidh sgoilearan ann am Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig aig Àrd-Sgoil Àird nam Murchan a’ tighinn còmhla rinn agus a’ gabhail òrain is ag aithris bàrdachd Ghàidhlig bhon sgìre ionadail.
The High Life Highland Ranger service also works with the Library Service to provide Bilingual Bookbug sessions in Lochaber, introducing young children and families to Gaelic through storybooks and songs. Some sessions are planned to be outside, offering the same opportunity to families with smaller children to engage in the Gaelic language in the landscape. These interactive, song-filled sessions provide early exposure to Gaelic in a fun and engaging way, ensuring that even the youngest members of the community can hear, learn, and enjoy the language.
Through projects and events like these the High Life Highland Ranger Service and our partners are working to ensure that Gaelic remains a living, spoken, and celebrated part of the Highlands. And as Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) draws to a close, the hope is that these initiatives inspire more people to listen, learn, and engage with the language in new ways, whether by following the Ullapool Gaelic Nature Trail, joining a Bookbug session, or simply noticing the Gaelic all around them in the landscape.
Many years ago, in the nineties, I organised a Festival of Languages and we celebrated Gaelic as one of the languages in danger of being lost. It's interesting to read about your work and to hear that Gaelic continues to be spoken.
Fantastic projects! Thanks so much.