Failte! Welcome!

When visiting Scotland you may have noticed the different dialects in different regions and perhaps -like myself- struggled to understand one or the other.

If you travel north-west you will probably have noticed bi-lingual sign-posts. Those are providing English and Gaelic place names.

St Andrews/ Cill Rìmhinn

I am based in St Andrews and the Gaelic name for it is Cill Rìmhinn. If you struggle to pronounce this, so do I. “The town was first called Muckross (boar-wood), then Kilrymont (church on the royal mount), then Kilrule (church of St Regulus) and finally St Andrews after the church of St Andrews” (Quote from Fife Coucil Gaelic language page)

If you try pronouncing Kilrymont Cill Rìmhinn does not seem so far away.

Staying local; Aberdour is Obar Dobhair and means mouth of the river.

Aberdour: Obar Dobhair

If you are looking into something more practical you could try some of these phrases

EnglishGaelicSuggested Phonetics*
Good MorningMadainn Mhathmatting vah
Good AfternoonFeasgar Mathfeskar mah
Good NightOidhche mhahtEYE-che vah
How are you?Ciamar a tha thu?Kimura ha-u
I’m fineTha gu mathha g’mah
I’m tiredTha mi sgithHAMee SKEEEE
Don’t worryNa gabh draghna gadrugh
Thank youMòran taingMAWran TANK
Table from Fife Council

I am a whisky lover and if you compare the word whisky with uisge you are close though the water of life is properly called uisge beatha.

If you wish to learn more Gaelic or Gaidhlig you could try duolingo, try the official website Learn Gaelic or just find out about your local place names “Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba

You can also watch television in Gaelic on BBC Alba or listen to the radio.

There is also a 5 year Gaelic Plan

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