Welcome to ACGA, the American Gaelic Society

Scottish Gaelic is one of six surviving Celtic languages. It is a living language at the core of the culture and history of Scotland.

Various forms of Gaelic have existed in the British Isles throughout recorded history, and Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is the source of numerous Scottish place names. It is closely related to Irish and Manx (Gaeilge and Gaelg), and more distantly to Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.

About 60,000 people speak Gaelic in Scotland today, according to the most recent census.

The use of Scottish Gaelic has declined over the past two centuries as severe economic and political dislocations in Scotland have dispersed Gaelic speakers throughout the world. Gaelic-speaking communities are now found in the Highlands and Islands, cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, and in scattered emigrant communities in Canada, especially Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

But people are learning Scottish Gaelic throughout the world, too, with a large group of them in North America, in cities and towns large and small across Canada and the United States. That’s why ACGA is here.