Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Encyclopedia
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
medium
Medium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Armadale
Armadale, Isle of Skye
Armadale is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Like most of Sleat, but unlike most of Skye, the area is fairly fertile, and though there are hills, most do not reach a great height...
on the Sleat
Sleat
Sleat is a peninsula on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan MacDonald of Sleat...
peninsula of the island of Skye in northwestern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands and also has a campus on Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
known as Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle
Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle
Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle is a Gaelic medium college on the shores of Loch Indaal on the island of Islay in Scotland. It was founded in 2002 as part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and is overseen by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig...
.
The college was founded in 1973 at Ostaig Farm Square, by local entrepreneur Sir Iain Noble
Iain Noble
Sir Iain Andrew Noble, 3rd Baronet of Ardkinglas and Eilean Iarmain was a businessman, landowner in the Isle of Skye and a noted Scottish Gaelic language activist. He died at home in Skye on 25 December 2010....
. In its first year it offered a Business and Highland studies course in Gaelic, to which 7 students attended. Renowned Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
was amongst its early board members. The first full-time Director of the college was Isle of Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
-born Gaelic scholar Farquhar MacLennan who assumed the role in 1976. From 2002 the college offered Bachelor degrees as a constituent college of UHI Millennium Institute
UHI Millennium Institute
The University of the Highlands and Islands is a federation of 13 colleges and research institutions in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland delivering higher education. Its executive office is in Inverness.-History:...
.
The college is the venue for the annual Sabhal Mòr Lectures
Sabhal Mòr Lectures
The Sabhal Mòr Lectures are a series of annual televised lectures held at the college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye, Scotland. The lectures are held in English, but focus on topics related to the Scottish Gaelic language, often with emphasis on related economic or cultural issues...
, and students of Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend. As of 2010, there are approximately 100 full-time students, 160 distance-learning students and 900 attending short summer courses related to Gaelic language and culture.
The literal translation of the name Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is "the great barn of Ostaig".
See also
- List of further and higher education colleges in Scotland
- Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and CraftsGaelic College of Celtic Arts and CraftsThe Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts is a Canadian educational institution located in the community of St...
, Canada