The Languages of Scotland

There have many languages spoken throughout history in Scotland and even today there are several spoken in different areas. In modern Scotland the languages used are Scots, standard English and Scottish Gaelic (Gaidhlig) which is a Celtic language used in the Highlands and Islands. In the past there were several other languages spoken in Scotland including Celtic languages such as Pictish and Welsh. Pictish was for several centuries the language spoken the most widely until its absorption and replacement by Gaelic from the ninth century onwards. Pictish is thought by historians to have been a Celtic language which was finally replaced by Gaelic during the course of the eleventh century. Welsh was spoken in the southern kingdom of Strathclyde which was eventually replaced by Gaelic again during the course of the eleventh century. The other language of Norn which was used in the Northern Isles and Caithness was a form of Norwegian and was used until the nineteenth century. The last three languages of Pictish, Welsh and Norn are now extinct but have had a lasting impact on the modern languages of Scotland.