Inaugural Lecture: Scotland-Canada Academic Partnership, delivered by Professor Robert Dunbar, University of Edinburgh

Gaelic has been spoken for perhaps 1,500 years or more in Scotland, and for over 250 years in what is now Canada. Many Scots are not aware of how widely spoken Gaelic once was in Scotland, and most Canadians are unaware of the fact that at the time of Confederation, Gaelic was likely the third most widely-spoken language in Canada. It is now a highly vulnerable minority language in Scotland, and is in an even more precarious position in Canada. Many factors help to explain the decline, but neglect by, and sometimes hostility of governments played an important part in the story. Over the last fifty years in Scotland, and more recently in Canada—specifically, in Nova Scotia—things have changed. In this presentation, in addition to tracing the historical trajectory of the language in both Scotland and Canada, Professor Robert Dunbar will explore efforts by individual activists, communities and governments to support the language and its speakers in both countries. Prof. Dunbar will also explore the ongoing links between these two sea-divided language communities, and what they can learn from each other, and we can learn from them.