Office of Gaelic Affairs

Gaelic Language and Culture of Nova Scotia

Gaelic is a Celtic language. Irish Gaelic (commonly referred to as Irish), Manx Gaelic and Gaelic are the different variations still spoken today and make up the Goidelic or Gaelic branch of the Celtic languages.

The Gaelic language that is spoken in Nova Scotia came with the first immigrants from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, commencing with the first group that settled in the year 1773.

So we’ve been speaking Gaelic in this Province for over 230 years.

The Office of Gaelic Affairs is honoured to assist in the promoting and developing of the Gaelic language and culture in our communities.

It is the hope of the Office that this website will be a helpful tool for the Gaelic community in Nova Scotia. The Office also hopes others will discover how they can get involved in exciting Gaelic language and cultural learning activities that are happening around the Province.