Gaelic Studies and Geography

About this programme

Gaelic and Geography at Aberdeen combines all the advantages of in depth study of the language, literature and culture of Scotland’s oldest language – as a native speaker or complete beginner. Developing your skills in the language will complement your geography studies immensely as you learn about the Earth, the environment and the way humans have lived with it for centuries. We have been teaching Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) and culture for a hundred years, led by teachers and researchers passionate about Gaelic, and whose work directly influences Scottish policy on keeping Gaelic alive, healthy and important in Scotland today. Gaelic Studies concentrates on modern Scottish Gaelic language, literature and society. There are three distinct language streams in the degree course: for absolute or near beginners, for those with Higher Gaelic (learners), and for those with Higher Gàidhlig (native speakers). The beginners’ intensive course helps students work towards fluency in both reading and writing in as short a time as possible, while the courses for those who have done Gaelic already focus on improving accuracy and increasing students’ vocabulary and range of expression. In addition to the language, from first year onwards our students have the chance to learn about areas like folklore, literature, language planning, linguistics and sociolinguistics. This particular degree programme covers the core courses as set out in the standard Geography degree. Geography is the study of the Earth's surface, with particular emphasis on the relationships between people and their en