Colaisde na Gàidhlig is first and foremost an educational non-profit institution, offering year-round programming in the culture, music, language, crafts, customs, and traditions of the immigrants from the Highlands of Scotland. The only institution of its kind in North America, students of all ages and skill levels visit the College every year to study under some of the finest instructors in Nova Scotia Gaelic culture.
Built at the site of landed Scottish immigrants, St. Ann's and Cape Breton boast a fascinating history and heritage. Learn of the local story in a self-guided museum tour, get a chance to view Gaelic films, and take part in interactive cultural demonstrations. (seasonal)
For decades, the College has offered traditional, hand-stitched kilt-making and custom-tartan clothing through our Craft Shop, creating treasured heirlooms to pass along from generation to generation. Visit our campus to learn more and begin your own creation process.
Since 1938, the College has always remained an independent and largely independently-funded, non-profit organization with a simple mission to preserve the language and traditions that came to this area. With your support, we can continue on this path and help to ensure that those traditions live on.
Secluded and tucked away yet central on the island, Colaisde na Gàidhlig is a great meeting place for you and your guests. Open all year, and with oodles of options to choose from, think of us when planning your big day.
It`s an annual favourite - we`re already looking forward to Thanksgiving here at the College. And of course, we`d love to have you join us!
On Sunday, October 8 from 4:30pm-6pm, enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, mashed potato, in-season vegetables, stuffing, and gravy. Finish your meal off with a slice of pumpkin pie and a hot cup of tea or coffee. Cafeteria setting. $25/person. Give our Craft Shop a call to reserve your tickets - 902-295-3441.
Oidhche Shamhna Ghàidhealach | our Halloween Gaelic Weekend is coming up, running October 20 – 22, 2023. We`re thrilled to welcome back Angus MacLeod who will lead our fluent class.
Angus MacLeod is a resident of St. Ann’s Bay, Cape Breton where he grew up in a Gaelic speaking home. He learned Gaelic as an adult from local native speakers, songs and Gaelic literature,and has a keen awareness of the learning process for adult learners. Angus has been teaching Gaelic since 1998. He was the first teacher in North America to employ the “Total Immersion Plus” language learning methodology for Gaelic and has taught Gaelic at venues throughout Canada and the United States. He is also a Gaelic singer, actor (Faire Chaluim MhicLeòid) artist, writer and host of the radio program “Mar a Chuala Mi I” on Hard To Port Radio. Angus brings a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to his classes, along with historical perspectives and a generous dose of humour.
Sign up soon! Link in bio.
Oidhche Shamhna Ghàidhealach | our Halloween Gaelic Weekend is coming up, running October 20 – 22, 2023. We`re thrilled to welcome back Lewis MacKinnon who will lead our intermediate class.
Lewis MacKinnon was born in Inverness, Cape Breton, to a father who is a Gael and is a Gaelic speaker and a mother who is Acadian and is a French speaker. He was raised on the Nova Scotia mainland in Antigonish County. In 2011, he was named the poet laureate to the Royal National Mòd in Scotland. He works to advance Gaels’ language, culture and identity in Nova Scotia, Canada and internationally, serving as executive director of Gaelic Affairs for the Province of Nova Scotia. He lives with his family in Middle Sackville near Halifax.
Sign up here! https://gaeliccollege.edu/session/oidhche-shamhna-gaidhealach-halloween-gaelic-weekend/
🧢 The perfect accessory for any season, swing by the Craft Shop to check out our sweet hat selection! From local, handmade, cozy toques to Gaelic ball caps, we`ve got you and your head covered. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm and Saturdays, 9am-4pm. 🧢
#shoplocal #thinkCapeBretondfirst
Celtic Colours International Festival 2023 is just around the corner now - and we can`t wait for the fun!!
As in years` past, we`re looking for volunteers for Festival Club held here on-site. Come join our team and have a blast with us! Interested? Let Gail know. Call 902-295-3411, ext: 236 or send a note to gail@gaeliccollege.edu. Tapadh leibh! 🙂
Oidhche Shamhna Ghàidhealach | The Halloween Gaelic Weekend registration is now open! Register now to secure your spot, before it vanishes in front of your eyes!
This October, we are pleased to introduce our newly adapted Youth class, now appropriate for ages 10 – 15. Also, we are excited to offer a brand-new level for adults: Advanced Beginner. Our instructor roster is stacked with some of the most skilled Gaelic speakers and teachers in the province, including a ‘Mystery Instructor’ whose identity will remain anonymous... for now.
Full house here for our cultural demos and lunchtime ceilidh today! We’ve got two more Blas Math ceilidhs to go for the season - hope to see ya yet!
The College is thrilled to welcome a special group with us all week. Camp OUTside the Lines is a youth camp experience in partnership with the Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Mental Wellness Team and the Youth Project Cape Breton, bringing together the 2SLGBTQIS+ community and allies ages 13-18 from across Cape Breton. Pjilita’gw, fàilte oirbh uileadh, you are welcome.
What a wonderful bunch of young Gaels! ☺️
This summer has been a busy one at the College, and we’ve been so fortunate to have this crew along to help the team effort. Hundreds of students and visitors were delighted by their work, be it in performance and cultural demonstration, or in kindness, consideration, and care-taking for those in our company. They all showed such respect to our staff, our patrons, and the traditions themselves, and embody the culture well. Cùm a’dol, keep going! You’re doing great!
Our heartfelt thanks to Moshe, Malcolm, Abigail, Ben, and Cameron.
Bringing Gaelic right to you!
Colaisde na Gàidhlig is pleased to present Gaelic Online | Gàidhlig air Loidhne, a Scottish Gaelic language program dedicated to teaching its students to read, write, and speak the language. Its goal is to provide a fun and effective pathway to Gaelic fluency wherever you live.
And back for 2023 – Level 1 for University Credit with Cape Breton University!
Join our growing online classroom and learn from this great group of instructors.
The registration deadline for 2023-2024 is August 30.
Link in bio.
#Gaelic #GaelicOnline #LearnGaelic
We had a wonderful evening listening to this bunch at last night`s ceilidh celebrating recipients of the Treasures of Youth fund. Our great thanks to L-R, back row: Ella, Kaj, Cameron, Marley, Phillip, Abby, Abigail, and Malcolm, and front, Luke, Halle Rose, Ruby, Lachlan, and Vayda. Keep it up, you`re doing great!
While our regular duty piper Cameron MacNeil has been overseas at Worlds, we’ve been enjoying the company of Mr. Moshe Rossiter of Moncton, New Brunswick. He’s been playing pipes for about 9 years now, first joining the Moncton District Pipes and Drums Band, now with the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew Pipe Band. He’s often playing in Miramichi as well, a duty piper at the MacDonald Heritage Farm.
You can catch him playing live on campus, in our upcoming lunchtime ceilidh, and giving a cultural demonstration on the instrument at 1pm. Thanks for being here, Moshe!
