The Gaelic heritage of Ross-shire is clear to see throughout the area , just by looking at the road signs- Kiltearn, Alness, Balblair, Dundonnell, Badachro, Gairloch, to name but a few. But do you actually know what they mean , where the origins of the names lie?   The newly established Gaelic centre in Evanton, An t-Oisean, will soon  be giving everyone the opportunity to find out a little more about the places they live in , to understand why places have these  unusual and intriguing names.

Centre co-ordinator, Fiona Mackenzie said “The aim of  An t-Oisean (Corner) Gaelic group is to provide a welcoming, relaxing, bi-lingual and informal place to learn more about your local Gaelic heritage, to learn a little Gaelic if you so wish, to listen to spoken Gaelic and see how it fits into your local community. In addition to our weekly Gaelic coffee mornings, on Tuesdays,we have held several successful social evenings, the most recent being an entertaining and thought provoking evening of bi-lingual poetry readings and musings by well known Gaelic poet, actor and broadcaster Angus Peter Campbell.

This event launched our new Winter Programme of evenings which include talks about such diverse subjects as Scottish and Scandinavian Cross- Country ski-ing, Gaelic broadcasting and tales of the Jacobites and Culloden ( bey well known folklorist Margaret Bennett).

 Our November evening however, promises to prove interesting even to a a non Gaelic audience. Local Dingwall Academy  Gaelic teacher and historian Iain MacIlle Chiar will present a fascinating talk on the placenames of Ross-shire and other places, showing us how and why our local towns, villages and districts are called as they are.  Gaelic used to be at the heart of Ross-shire communities and we hope that learning more abut the local placenames will engender a renewed sense of identity and belonging to many folk. We hope that people of all ages, from primary schoolchildren to those who may remember a time when Gaelic was spoken routinely on the streets of Ross-shire  , will come and hear what Iain has to tell us”.

So whether you live in Avoch , Achterneed, Mulbuie, Achnashellach or Garve, there’s sure to be information a plenty and a warm welcome at An t-Oisean on November 19th at 7pm entry by donations, inc strupag

More details from An t-Oiseans website http://www.spanglefish.com/ant-oisean/  or phone Fiona on 01349 864156