Gaelic Media

Gaelic media brings together two things that are deeply connected: the survival of a minority language and the power of broadcast and digital media to shape culture, build community, and carry a language into the future. Scottish Gaelic has been the language of the Highlands and Islands for well over a thousand years, and while its speaker community has contracted sharply over the past two centuries, media, including television, radio, podcasting, and digital content, has become one of the most important arenas in which the language lives, grows, and attracts new speakers. Learning to produce media in Gaelic is therefore not simply a technical and creative pursuit; it is an act of cultural sustenance.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this two-year full-time programme is taught in a context that is uniquely connected to the Gaelic-speaking communities of Scotland. The university's campuses are embedded in the Highlands and Islands themselves, and the programme has direct ties to the Gaelic broadcasting sector, including BBC Alba and Radio nan Gaidheal, which together form the main institutional home of Gaelic-language broadcasting in Scotland. You will develop practical media production skills across television, radio, and digital platforms, learning to work with camera, audio, and editing equipment and to produce content that meets broadcast standards.

Alongside this you will develop your Gaelic language ability, working in a bilingual academic environment.

The programme is designed for students with some existing Gaelic, though the extent of prior knowledge required will depend on where you are in your language journey. The combination of professional media training and linguistic development makes this a degree with a clear vocational orientation and strong links to a specific, active industry.

Graduates move into careers in Gaelic broadcasting and digital media production, journalism, community arts, cultural organisations, and education. The combination of language and media skills is valuable in a sector where trained Gaelic-speaking media professionals are consistently in demand.