Thirty years ago, the Gaelic language and culture which had been eminent
in Scotland for 1,300 years seemed to be in the final stages of a 200-year
terminal decline. The number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland had fallen
tenfold over the previous century. The language itself was commonplace
only in the scattered communities of the north-west Highlands and Hebrides.
By the early years of the 21st century, however, a sea-change had taken
place. Gaelic - for so long a subject of mockery and hostility - had become
what some termed 'fashionable'. Gaelic-speaking jobs were available; Gaelic-medium
education was established in many areas; and politicians and business-people
saw benefits in acting as friends of the culture.
While the numbers of Gaelic-speakers continued to fall as older people
passed away, the decline was slowed and for the first time in 100 years
the percentage of young people using the language began to rise proportionately.
What had happened was a kind of renaissance: a Gaelic revival that manifested
itself in popular music, literature, art, poetry, publishing, drama, radio
and television. It was a phenomenon as obvious as it was unexpected. And
at the heart of that movement lay education.
A Gaelic Modern History will tell the story of one institution, Sabhal
Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic College in Skye that has stood at the centre
of this revival. But, chiefly, the book will examine how a venerable culture
was given hope for the future at the point when all seemed lost. It recounts
the scores of personalities, from Sorley MacLean and Runrig to Michael
Forsyth and Gordon Brown, who have become involved in that process.
Reviews
- 'The fine detail of the book clearly reveals how much nerve and hope
(and judgement and error) it took to turn a disused barn into one of
the most radical educational ventures in the country, with sometimes
unlikely cart-pushers. The book is also available in Gaelic, this becoming
part of the revival it celebrates'. - Angus Peter Campbell, The Scotsman
- 'First and foremost as an account of the formidable group of visionary
Gaels who created the first Gaelic college of the modern age, this book
attempts to analyse the contradictions which surround the current situation
of the language'. - Murdo MacLeod, Scotland on Sunday
- 'A highly readable journey through the surge of interest in the language'.
- Mike Lowson, Aberdeen Press & Journal
- 'Hutchinson's determination to put it into historical context had
produced a significant commentary on the fortunes of Gaelic. He reminds
us of each hard-won milestone on the road to some kind of meaningful
government commitment'. - David Ross, Scottish Books
Writers' Biographies
Roger Hutchinson is an award-winning author and journalist. His previous
books include High Sixties: The Summers of Riot and Love, All the Sweets
of Being: A Life of James Boswell, Empire Games: The British Invention
of Twentieth-Century Sport and The Toon: A Complete History of Newcastle
United Football Club. Chrissie Dick is an award-winning Gaelic writer,
journalist and educationalist, and a trustee of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
BUY 'A WAXING MOON' TODAY!
To buy your copy online go to www.mainstreampublishing.com or order over the phone on 01206 255 800. The cost of £17.99
includes postage & packing within the UK.
Copies are also for sale in the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig shop, Portree
(Tel: 01478 612 177) and in all good book shops.
ISBN
A Waxing Moon (English version): 1840187948
Gealach an Fhàis (Gaelic version): 1840189991
