Face-to-face
Scottish Gaelic interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
European languages
Scottish Gaelic interpreting and translation
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is the Celtic language of Scotland and now has official status there. SILA Linguists provides Gaelic translation and interpreting for public bodies, education, media, heritage and events.
In its own words
Gàidhlig
- Script
- Latin
- Direction
- Left to right
- ISO 639-3
gla
Scottish Gaelic is a Goidelic Celtic language, closely related to Irish and Manx. It was once spoken across most of Scotland and today is strongest in the Western Isles, Skye and parts of the Highlands and Argyll, with a large community of speakers in Glasgow and other cities. A related Gaelic community also exists in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Gaelic is endangered as a community language in its heartlands, but the number of people with some Gaelic has grown. Revitalisation includes Gaelic-medium education, Gaelic broadcasting and a national Gaelic development body, and many public bodies prepare Gaelic Language Plans. Gaelic now has official status within Scotland, which strengthens its place in public life alongside English.
Gaelic dialects differ by area, for example between Lewis, Uist, Skye and Argyll. Spelling follows the Gaelic Orthographic Conventions, which use the grave accent (as in à and ò) to mark long vowels.
- Main areas: United Kingdom (Outer Hebrides, Highland)
- Also used: United Kingdom (Argyll and Bute, Glasgow)
- Other regions
Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.
How we help
Scottish Gaelic services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Scottish Gaelic translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) translation and interpreting with SILA Linguists®
Scottish Gaelic, Gàidhlig, is a Goidelic Celtic language close to Irish and Manx, once spoken across most of Scotland and strongest today in the Western Isles, Skye and parts of the Highlands and Argyll, with a large community in Glasgow and a related Gaelic community in Nova Scotia. Gaelic-medium education and a lively cultural scene keep the language in everyday use. SILA Linguists® supports Gaelic for public bodies with Gaelic Language Plans, Gaelic-medium schools, broadcasters and publishers, archives, festivals, tourism and community organisations.
Gaelic interpreting for public life and research
Gaelic speakers are bilingual in English, so interpreting is usually requested for events, public meetings, broadcasting, research with older native speakers, and wherever people wish to use Gaelic in public life. Mention the speaker's area, whether Lewis, Uist, Skye or elsewhere, and we will find an interpreter comfortable with the dialect. Island speech differs noticeably from mainland Gaelic, and recordings with older speakers benefit most from an interpreter who has heard it all their life.
We provide Gaelic with English for council and public body meetings, consultations, conferences, festivals such as Mòd events, and broadcast interviews, with consecutive, simultaneous and remote simultaneous interpreting. Remote sessions run through the SILA Linguists® app or your own platform, and telephone interpreting can be arranged for shorter conversations.
Gaelic translation for Language Plans and publishing
Public bodies with Gaelic Language Plans often need bilingual signage, annual reports, websites and forms. Gaelic changes the beginnings and ends of words through lenition and other mutations, so names and terms appear in several forms, and our translators handle them correctly in templates and databases. We follow current Gaelic spelling conventions and established terminology, and we translate school and Gaelic-medium education materials, books, tourism content and apps.
Older documents, songs and letters may use earlier spelling, including acute accents, which our translators read accurately for archives and family historians. Certified translations of Gaelic documents into English carry a signed statement of accuracy and completeness, accepted by colleges, employers and other UK authorities. Where a Canadian authority requires a certified translator, we arrange one certified by a provincial association.
Gaelic transcription and subtitling
We provide Gaelic and English subtitling for broadcasters and film-makers, and time-coded transcripts and translations of oral history, song and dialect recordings for archives, heritage projects and researchers.
Sectors we support in Gaelic
Our vetted, trained and qualified Gaelic linguists can support public bodies and councils with Gaelic Language Plans, schools and Gaelic-medium education, broadcasters and publishers, archives and family history services, festivals and cultural events, and tourism and community organisations. SILA Linguists® provides one coordinator and Gaelic specialists who follow current conventions, and archive material is handled with care under NDAs and UK GDPR. Scottish Gaelic translators and interpreters can also support heritage, education and cultural projects in Canada.
Good to know
Working with Scottish Gaelic
Interpreting
- Gaelic speakers are bilingual in English, so interpreting is usually requested for events, public meetings, broadcasting, research with older native speakers, and where people wish to use Gaelic in public life. Mention the speaker's area so we can find an interpreter comfortable with the dialect.
- We provide Gaelic with English for meetings, conferences and remote sessions.
Translation
- Public bodies with Gaelic Language Plans often need bilingual signage, reports, websites and forms. Gaelic grammar changes the beginning and end of words (lenition and other mutations), so names and terms appear in several forms; translators handle these correctly in templates and databases. We follow the current Gaelic Orthographic Conventions and established terminology.
- Older documents, songs and letters may use earlier spelling, including acute accents, which our translators can read. Certified translations from Gaelic are accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by international bodies. Where a document is needed in Canada, we arrange the certification the receiving authority expects, including translation by a translator certified by a provincial association where a Canadian authority asks for one.
Related languages
Scottish Gaelic and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Scottish Gaelic is often needed
- Public bodies and Gaelic Language Plans
- Schools and Gaelic-medium education
- Broadcasting, subtitling and publishing
- Heritage, archives and family history
- Cultural events and festivals
- Tourism and community organisations
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Get in touch
Need a Scottish Gaelic interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.