Gaelic Media

Scottish Gaelic is one of the oldest living languages of the British Isles, with a literary tradition stretching back well over a thousand years and a community of speakers concentrated in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It is a language whose survival and revival have been the subject of sustained cultural and political effort, and media has played a central role in that effort, from BBC Alba, the Gaelic television channel, to radio, podcasting and digital content creation in Gaelic. Gaelic media is the field that sits at this intersection of language preservation, cultural expression and modern broadcast and digital production.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme develops your Gaelic language skills alongside your knowledge and practical abilities in media production, broadcast journalism, digital content, radio and television. You will study the cultural and historical context of Gaelic, the landscape of Gaelic media in Scotland, the skills of storytelling and production in Gaelic, and the journalism, commissioning and production frameworks that govern the sector. The University of the Highlands and Islands is uniquely positioned to offer this degree, being rooted in the communities where Gaelic is most alive and having strong connections to the organisations that constitute the Gaelic media sector.

Graduates move into careers in Gaelic broadcasting, journalism, content production, community media, education and cultural organisations. The BBC, MG Alba and a range of independent production companies and community bodies employ Gaelic-speaking media professionals, and the demand for bilingual producers, journalists and content creators is sustained by the ongoing development of the Gaelic media sector. For those with a commitment to the language and its culture, this degree opens a career path that combines professional media skills with a contribution to the survival and flourishing of one of Scotland's indigenous languages.