Chaidh £42,527 a thoirt do Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean (UHI) bho Mhaoin Dualchais a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta gus clàr ioma-chànanach gun samhail de bheatha agus ceanglaichean eileanach a dhìon agus a phàirteachadh.

Cuiridh am maoineachadh taic ri cruthachadh tasglann didseatach maireannach airson a’ phròiseict ‘Island Voices / Guthan nan Eilean’, iomairt coimhearsnachd 21 bhliadhna a tha a’ glacadh “pìosan de bheatha sna h-Eileanan Siar agus nas fhaide às san 21mh linn.”

Tha an cruinneachadh a’ toirt a-steach còrr is 500 film a chaidh a chlàradh ann an faisg air 40 cànan, còmhla ri susbaint lìn farsaing a’ clàradh leasachadh a’ phròiseict.

Thèid a leasachadh gu bhith na ghoireas cudromach, ri fhaighinn gu poblach, de Thasglann UHI, a bheir taic agus leasachadh air rannsachadh thar agus nas fhaide na com-pàirteachas UHI. Cuiridh UHI £29,955 ris a’ phròiseact, a’ toirt an tasgadh iomlan gu £72,482.

Air a chruthachadh ann an co-bhoinn ri coimhearsnachdan ann an Innse Gall, air feadh na h-Alba agus gu h-eadar nàiseanta, tha am pròiseact a’ glacadh ghuthan dhaoine is iad a’ pàirteachadh an sgeulachdan, am fiosrachaidhean agus nan rudan as cuimhne leotha sna faclan aca fhèin.

Ged a tha e freumhaichte ann an coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig, tha an cruinneachadh a’ leigeil ris sgeulachd nas fharsainge, a tha buntainneach don t-saoghal air fad mu iomadachd chànanach agus atharrachadh cànain.

Air a chur a bhog sa Ghiblean 2026, cruinnichidh am pròiseact còrr is 1,000 de ghnothaichean didseatach, nam measg clàraidhean bhidio agus stuthan air-loidhne co-cheangailte riutha.

Às aonais na h-obrach seo, tha cunnart ann gum faodadh an dualchas didseatach is cànaineach sònraichte seo, a tha an-dràsta air a chumail air feadh ùrlaran air an taobh a-muigh, a bhith air chall no gun tigeadh latha nach gabhadh ruigsinn air. San tasglann ùr bidh an cruinneachadh air a chumail fo dhìon a rèir ìrean glèidhteachais aithnichte agus bidh cothrom aig a’ phoball air an-asgaidh.

Còmhla ris an obair tasglainn, tha prògram de chonaltradh ris a’ phoball air a phlanadh fad 2026, a’ gabhail a-steach taisbeanaidhean agus tachartasan ann an àiteachan sna h-eileanan agus air tìr-mòr leithid Uibhist agus Glaschu.

Thig seo gu crìch le foillseachadh poblach san t-Sultain, a’ comharrachadh 21mh ceann-bliadhna a’ phròiseict.

Tha bhidio ùr de stuth co-chruinnichte a’ toirt còmhla bàrr-phuingean às a’ chruinneachadh air fad agus tha e ga uisneachadh mu thràth gus am pròiseact a chur fa chomhair luchd-èisteachd ùr agus gus cuideachadh le còmhraidhean ri com-pàirtichean ann an coimhearsnachdan mu thaisbeanaidhean agus tachartasan a tha ri tighinn.

Thuirt Gordon Wells, Manaidsear an Tasglainn agus Neach-rannsachaidh le Guthan nan Eilean:

“’Se toileachas is prìbhleid air leth a bh’ ann pàirt a ghabhail ann a bhith a’ cruthachadh a’ chuirp seo de dh’obair fad an fhichead bliadhna seo chaidh agus barrachd.

“Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil e a’ toirt ùrlar do dhualchas beòil saidhbhir Innse Gall an latha an-diugh, ach gu bheil e cuideachd a’ dèanamh cheanglaichean ri coimhearsnachdan eile às an robh sinn air fad a’ faotainn buannachd agus a bha nam brosnachadh a thaobh cruthachalachd.

“Is e blasad a tha ri fhaotainn san fhilm, agus fianais air a’ cho-obrachadh dheònach, èasgaidh a fhuaras o cheudan de chom-pàirtichean thar nam bliadhnaichean sa phròiseact coimhearsnachd seo, bho Uibhist a Tuath gu Ceann an Ear-thuath nan Innseachan agus nas fhaide às.

“Tha sinn an dòchas gun tog e ùidh is gum bi iomadh rud air a dhùsgadh leis an cuimhne dhaoine!”

Thuirt an t-Àrd-Ollamh Conchúr Ó Giollagáin, Stiùiriche Institiud nan Saidheansan Cànain aig UHI:

“Tha luchd-obrach Institiud nan Saidheansan Cànain aig UHI a’ cur fàilte air a’ chothrom seo pàirt a ghabhail sa phròiseact chudromach seo.

“Clàraidhean de luchd-labhairt na gnàth-chainnt a bhith air an cruinneachadh ann an tasglann, is e cuideachadh a bhios sin le bhith a’ cur a’ ghuth acasan aig cridhe na tuigse a th’ againn air cultar na Gàidhlig agus mhion-chultaran eile.”

Thuirt Philippa Currie, Tasglannaiche agus Manaidsear Riaghladh Fiosrachaidh UHI:

“Tha Tasglann UHI a’ cur fàilte air a’ chothrom thogarrach seo a bhith ag obair le luchd-tasgaidh gus goireas iongantach a chruthachadh airson na Gàidhlig a chuireas taic ri obair rannsachaidh agus choimhearsnachdan air feadh an t-saoghail.”

UHI Awarded Lottery Funding for Island Voices Archive

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) has been awarded £42,527 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to safeguard and share a unique multilingual record of island life and connections.

The funding will support the creation of a permanent digital archive for the ‘Island Voices / Guthan nan Eilean’ project, a 21-year community initiative capturing “slices of life in and beyond the 21st century Hebrides.”

The collection includes more than 500 films recorded in almost 40 languages, alongside extensive web content documenting the project’s development.

It will be developed into an important, publicly available UHI Archive resource, which will support and develop research across and beyond the UHI partnership.

UHI will contribute £29,955 to the project, bringing the total investment to £72,482.

Co-created with communities in the Hebrides, across Scotland and internationally, the project captures the voices of people sharing their own stories, memories and experiences in their own words.

While rooted in Gaelic-speaking communities, the collection reflects a wider, globally relevant story of linguistic diversity and language change.

Launched in April 2026, the project will secure more than 1,000 digital items, including video recordings and associated online materials.

Without this work, there is a risk that this unique digital and linguistic heritage, currently held across external platforms, could be lost or become inaccessible over time.

The new archive will safeguard the collection to recognised preservation standards and make it freely available to the public.

Alongside the archive work, a programme of public engagement activity is planned throughout 2026, including exhibitions and events in island and mainland locations such as Uist and Glasgow.

This will culminate in a public launch in September, marking the project’s 21st anniversary.

A newly released compilation video brings together highlights from across the collection and is already being used to introduce the project to new audiences and support discussions with community partners on upcoming exhibitions and events.

Gordon Wells, Island Voices Archive Manager and researcher, said:

“It’s been a unique pleasure and privilege to be a part of building up this body of work over the past two decades and more.

“Not only does it platform the rich oral heritage of the contemporary Hebrides, but it also makes mutually beneficial and creatively stimulating links with other communities too.

“The film is a taster, and testament to the willing “no bother!” co-operation of hundreds of participants over the years in this community project, from North Uist to north-east India and beyond. We hope it will stir memories and interest!”

Professor Conchúr Ó Giollagáin, Director of the UHI Language Sciences Institute, said:

“The staff of the UHI Language Sciences Institute welcome this opportunity to participate in this important project.

“Archiving the recordings of vernacular speakers will help put their voice at the heart of how we understand Gaelic and other minority cultures.”

Philippa Currie, UHI Archivist and Information Governance Manager, said:

“UHI Archive welcomes this exciting opportunity to work with depositors to create a remarkable resource for the Gaelic Language that will support the work of research and communities the world over.”

By combining academic expertise with grassroots participation, the project also offers a model that could be adapted by other minority language communities in Scotland and internationally.

Further details on public events and the archive launch will be announced in due course.