14 students have this week successfully completed Part 1 of the Ùlpan Gaelic Course at Lews Castle College. This course, devised by Deiseal Ltd, based on the Welsh model, uses innovative language learning methods to bring students to fluency in Gaelic. The Ùlpan course was supported by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar with funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Part 2 of the course will commence in August, while Part 1 will be available to a new intake of students.

Vice Chairman of Comataidh Buileachaidh Plana Cànain, the Comhairle’s Gaelic Committee, Kenneth MacIver said “The Ùlpan Initiative is a great success story and hopefully many more Gaelic learners will sign up to the course to acquire fluency in the language.”

Student John Maclean from Point who was one of the students to complete the course said: “I have been trying for years to learn Gaelic and Ùlpan fits the bill perfectly for people in my situation. I have been amazed how quickly my fluency improved.”

David Green, Principal of the College said: “this is an excellent example of co-operation between the Comhairle and the College to address one of the main identified aims of the Comhairle’s Gaelic Language Plan.”