Joy Dunlop has long believed her home country of Scotland ought to do more to promote Gaelic language and heritage.

Born on the country’s gorgeous west coast, Dunlop now lives in Glasgow – known to some as “Baile mòr nan Gàidheal” or – in English – “the City of the Gaels.”

“I love that it is a vibrant, multi-cultural city with a thriving Gaelic community,” she notes via email.

A fluent Scottish Gaelic speaker herself, Dunlop is radio and television presenter, most notably as the host of BBC’s SpeakGaelic. She has also been the director of Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) since its inception in 2022.

“Whilst we have wonderful traditional music events that successfully celebrate our musical heritage, there was no specific Gaelic language equivalent in Scotland.”

Meanwhile, Irish Language Week has been observed in Ireland since 1902 and, in Canada, Gaelic Nova Scotia Month has taken place each May for almost 30 years.

“I had floated the idea for Seachdain na Gàidhlig with a few different groups, but nothing ever came of it.”

That changed a few short years ago. “I went to work with Hands Up for Trad, an arts organization that supports Scottish traditional music. This partnership was solidified when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we collaborated on a few different arts projects. It was through this that the idea for Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) really came to life.”

The goal of Seachdain na Gàidhlig is to celebrate Scottish Gaelic around the world. As Dunlop explains, anyone can take part or run their own event. Since the first Seachdain na Gàidhlig took place when pandemic numbers were on the rise again, all the events had to be shifted to an online format.

“However, it proved to be very successful in terms of engagement and gave us a great foundation on which to build.”

Fortunately, in-person events have since returned, and ceilidhs, guided Gaelic conversation groups, and a Gaelic song workshop were all part of the 2024 festivities.

“Last year, we showcased over 170 events concentrated in Scotland and spread across more than 100 locations worldwide, including New York, Nova Scotia, Australia and London. The work that we do is hugely rewarding as it has a clear benefit to the people and communities that are involved. Language and culture are an integral part of life, both here in Scotland and further afield, and being able to contribute to this is such an honour.”

As Director of the yearly gathering, Dunlop often has her hands full.

“I am just as likely to be delivering information sessions or workshops, as filling in funding applications, or leasing with our partners. It is a hands-on role, which I love, albeit a part time role – although there never feels like enough hours in the day to do what I want to do.”

Along with time restraints, finances are an ongoing issue also as her initiative is funded solely by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

“Most of our budget is spent on small project grants and part time roles. We try and distribute as much money as we can to support as wide a range of initiatives and projects as possible. However, we are only a small team with an even smaller budget, and I would love to find a way to bring in more revenue so that we can continue to grow and develop in the future.”

Dunlop hopes that development will lead to even more events and initiatives – not just in Scotland, but internationally as well. In addition, she notes that while Gaelic is undergoing something of a revival in urban Scotland, it has been declining in the country’s island communities.

“Whether we realize it or not, Gaelic language and culture is an integral part of Scottish life. It is built into every facet of our lives: from place names to turns of phrases, to music and politics. It is something that is uniquely special to us, and should be persevered, promoted, and supported. We need more investment at government level, more community engagement at the local level, and even more outreach work to target those who may feel that Gaelic isn’t for them.”

Seachdain na Gàidhlig runs until March 2.

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