Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is a college whose medium of instruction is the Scottish Gaelic language.

It is located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Armadale on the Sleat peninsula of the Isle of Skye in northwestern Scotland. It also has a campus on Islay known as Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle.

It is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. It is one of the "cornerstones" of the university and a main economic driver of South Skye.

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.

At Sabhal Mòr Ostaig all full-time courses are taught through the medium of Gaelic. Full-time students are required to sign a student contract pledging to use only Gaelic in all public spaces at the College.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is also a Gaelic-medium business and encourages its staff to use Gaelic as the working language of the College.

Its web site - English version - is http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/en/

History

The college was founded in 1973 at Ostaig Farm Square, by local entrepreneur Sir Iain Noble.The literal translation of the name Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is "the great barn of Ostaig",referring to the original building erected by Major Allan MacDonald of Belfinlay during his tenancy of Ostaig farm in about 1820. Visitors and students in the early days mixed with hens on the farm.

In its first year it offered a Business and Highland studies course in Gaelic, to which 7 students attended.[3] It was ten years before the college had its first full-time student.

Renowned Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean was amongst its early board members. The first full-time Director of the college was Isle of Raasay-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 and its successor the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Further details

The college is the venue for the annual Sabhal Mòr Lectures, and students of Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig offers four bachelors degrees with honours:

• Gaelic and Development
• Gaelic Language and Culture
• Gaelic and Media Studies
• Gaelic and Traditional Music

The first year of all four degrees is devoted primarily to Gaelic language learning, with students divided into two courses, Gàidhlig is Conaltradh (Gaelic and Communication) for the more advanced students, and An Cùrsa Comais (The Competency Course) for more intermediate students, with the aim that all students will be able to speak, read and write in Gaelic at a university level by the end of the first year.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig also offers two Gaelic-medium masters programmes:

• Masters in Material Culture and the Environment
• Masters in Gaelic and Education

A small number of PhD students also study at the College.[4]

Several research initiatives make their home at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig:

• Soillse, the national research network for the maintenance and revitalisation of Gaelic language.
• Lèirsinn, the research arm of the College. They carry out audience surveys for BBC Alba and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.
• Tobar an Dualchais, the Scottish folklore digitization project.
• Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba, the Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland project.
• Faclair na Gàidhlig, the Dictionary of the Scottish Gaelic Language.

For more information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabhal_M%C3%B2r_Ostaig

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