Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 2001

Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 -2001: numbers and proportions in areas of different intensity Source: Census Scotland 1881, Gaelic Return; Census Scotland 1891, Part 1, Table 1 pp 2 – 18; Duwe, K. C. 2005 Scottish Gaelic local studies Vols 21, 22, 26, 27; Census Scotland 1931, Table 54; Gaelic Reports 1961 -2001. Copyright © 2007 K. Mac. Kinnon: SGRÙD Research

Table 1 A: Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 - 1911 Incidence of Gaelic speakers 1881 Census 1891 Census 1901 Census 1911 Census No % 70% + 154, 896 50 -69% 66. 88 123, 848 48. 68 104, 268 45. 18 98, 789 48. 81 31, 297 13. 51 25 -49% 20, 239 Nat rate - 24% Below nat rate Total National rate 40, 588 15. 95 29, 832 12. 93 24, 453 12. 08 8. 74 25, 373 9. 97 30, 569 13. 24 25, 340 12. 52 6, 419 2. 77 9, 839 3. 87 8, 617 3. 73 11, 258 5. 56 18, 743 8. 10 54, 767 21. 53 57, 520 24. 92 42, 558 21. 03 100. 0 202, 398 100. 0 231, 594 6. 76% 100. 0 254, 415 100. 0 230, 806 6. 84% 5. 57% 4. 56%

Table 1 B: Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1921 - 1961 Incidence of Gaelic speakers 1921 Census 1931 Census 1951 Census 1961 Census No % 70% + 74, 186 46. 72 50 -69% 8, 258 5. 20 25 -49% 22, 098 Nat rate - 24% Below nat rate Total National rate 64, 545 47. 41 40. 00 32, 770 40. 47 2. 97 9, 674 10. 13 5, 179 6. 39 13. 92 16, 680 12. 25 5, 884 6. 16 6, 238 7. 70 14, 243 8. 97 14, 892 10. 94 14, 974 15. 69 12, 443 15. 37 40, 003 25. 19 35, 977 26. 43 26, 740 28. 02 24, 348 30. 07 100. 0 136, 135 100. 0 95, 447 100. 0 80, 978 1. 66 158, 779 3. 47% 4, 041 38, 175 2. 97% 1. 98% 1. 66%

Table 1 C: Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1971– 2001 Incidence of Gaelic speakers 1971 Census 1981 Census 1991 Census 2001 Census No % 70% + 16, 690 18. 88 13, 040 50 -69% 12, 935 14. 63 25 -49% 6, 350 7. 18 Nat rate- 16. 44 10, 329 13, 686 17. 26 15. 66 4, 774 8. 14 10, 737 16. 27 1, 777 20. 08 6, 016 7. 59 4, 733 7. 17 3, 220 5. 49 14, 310 16. 18 14, 054 17. 72 13, 376 20. 27 13, 140 22. 40 Below nat rate 38, 130 43. 13 32, 511 40. 99 26, 803 40. 63 25, 741 43. 89 Total 88, 413 100. 0 79, 307 100. 0 65, 978 100. 0 58, 652 100. 0 National rate 1. 79% 1. 64% 1. 37% 24% 1. 20%

Fig. 1 A: Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 – 2001

Fig. 1 B: Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 – 2001

Table 2 A: Gaelic speakers in Highland Lowland areas 1881 -1931 Area / Census year 1881 1891 1901 1911 1921 1931 Argyllshire 46, 503 43, 762 37, 741 31, 695 25, 188 21, 234 Buteshires 3, 725 3, 511 2, 784 2, 081 1, 453 934 Caithness 3, 422 4, 144 2, 896 1, 685 1, 003 633 Inverness 64, 041 61, 360 55, 003 48, 780 39, 892 34, 455 Nairnshire 1, 980 2, 540 1, 335 929 537 410 Perthshire Hld+Wn Dist 8, 702 10, 331 8, 335 6, 636 4, 835 3, 741 Ross & Cromarty 56, 086 56, 014 51, 463 46, 926 40, 339 34, 455 Sutherland 17, 600 15, 901 14, 552 11, 839 8, 867 6, 794 Total Highld counties &% 202, 059 87. 23% 197, 563 77. 65% 174, 109 75. 44% 150, 571 74. 39% 122, 114 76. 91% 102, 656 75. 41% Total Lowld counties &% 29, 535 12. 75% 56, 852 22. 34% 56, 697 24. 56% 51, 827 25. 61% 36, 665 23. 09% 33, 479 24. 59%

Table 2 B: Gaelic speakers in Highland Lowland areas 1951 -2001 1951 1961 1971 Cncl area / Cnsus yr 1981 1991 2001 13, 099 9, 770 7, 825 Argyll &Bute less Lomond 6, 155 4, 583 3, 847 Buteshires 421 240 245 Arran & Cumbrae 88 84 93 Caithness 270 233 410 Eileanan Siar 23, 447 19, 546 15, 723 24, 672 20, 518 18, 740 Highland Council 16, 632 9, 998 8, 670 144 175 1, 653 1, 096 775 Perth & Krs Hld parishes 516 433 429 Ross & Cromarty 26, 410 22, 652 19, 510 Stirling Hld parishes 252 190 219 Sutherland 3, 286 2, 422 1, 815 Total Highld counties &% 69, 951 73. 29% 57, 075 70. 48% 49, 495 55. 98% Total Highld counties &% 47, 090 59. 38% 34, 834 52. 80% 28, 981 49. 41% Total Lowld counties &% 25, 496 26. 71% 23, 903 29. 52% 38, 920 44. 02% Total Lowld counties &% 32, 217 40, 62% 31, 144 47. 20% 29, 671 50. 59% County area /Census year Argyllshire Inverness Nairnshire Perthshire Hld+Wn Dis

Fig 2 A: Gaelic speakers in Highland Lowland areas 1881 -2001 - numbers Source: GROS 1931 Census, Table 54; 1961 Gaelic Report Table 3; 1971 Gaelic Report, Table A; 1981 Census LBS, p. 9, Table 40; 2001 Gaelic Report, Tables 1, 3.

Fig 2 B: Gaelic speakers in Highland Lowland areas 1881 -2001 - numbers Source: GROS 1931 Census, Table 54; 1961 Gaelic Report Table 3; 1971 Gaelic Report, Table A; 1981 Census LBS, p. 9, Table 40; 2001 Gaelic Report, Tables 1, 3.

Gaelic speakers by area of incidence 1881 - 2001 • Tables 1 A-C and Figures 1 A and 1 B indicate the numbers and proportions of Gaelic speakers at successive censuses resident in areas of differing Gaelic incidence. • Incidence of 70% + of Gaelic speakers indicates areas where Gaelic is likely to predominate in everyday speech encounters. • Incidence of 50% + of Gaelic speakers indicate areas where they comprise a local majority. • Areas at or above the national rate for Gaelic speakers define the extent of the traditional Gaidhealtachd or Gaelic-speaking area. • In 1881 two-thirds (66. 9%) of all Gaelic speakers lived in areas of Gaelic predominant everyday speech, and four out of five (80. 4%) in majority areas - in 1891 almost half (48. 7%) and two-thirds (64. 6%) respectively. • By 2001 the language-group had contracted to just under a quarter (23. 1%) of its size in 1891. • In 2001 only 8. 1% of Gaelic speakers lived in Gaelic-predominant parishes, or one in ten (10. 4% ) at census ward level. • and only just over a quarter (28. 2%) lived in Gaelic-majority parishes.

Gaelic speakers in Highlands and Lowlands 1881 - 2001 • • • Tables and Figures 2 A and 2 B indicate the numbers and proportions of Gaelic speakers at successive censuses resident in Highland Lowland areas. At the end of the 19 th Century over three-quarters of all Gaelic speakers lived in the traditional Highland area or Gaidhealtachd. At the beginning of the 21 st Century, the language group had contracted to under a quarter (23. 1%) of its size in 1891, with under half (49. 4%) of all Gaelic speakers living in the Highland area. In the Western Isles 12 of the 16 census wards had Gaelic-speaking majorities. Of these only 6 were regenerating speech-communities. The majority of Gaelic speakers (50. 6%) resident in Lowland areas calls for policy initiatives effectively to promote: 1) Gaelic transmission in families with Gaelic speakers; 2) accessible Gaelic education to back up initiatives in the home; 3) local Gaelic social networks; and 4) quality Gaelic-medium media available throughout Scotland.