Scots

Scots is a language spoken in parts of Scotland and Ulster in Ireland. It is sometimes called Scottish Gaelic or Irish Gaelic. Scots is a Celtic language and is related to Irish and Manx. There are about 60,000 speakers of Scots. Most live in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. A smaller number live in Ulster, particularly in Donegal, Antrim and Down. Scots is not taught in schools but some people learn it at home or in evening classes. There are also a few Gaelic-medium schools in Scotland. Scots is used in some radio and television programmes. It is also used on road signs and in place names. The Scottish Parliament has recognised Scots as a language with “legal status”. This means that Scots can be used in court proceedings and other legal documents. There are different dialects of Scots. These include Insular Scots, Central Scots, Ulster Scots and Southern Scots.