A HIGHLAND film festival celebrating Gaelic's “deep cultural roots” and exploring why the language remains vital to the region’s identity has launched.
As a part of a historic instalment of Seachdain na Gàidhlig, World Gaelic Week, which runs from February 23 to March 1, organisers behind the Wester Ross Gaelic film event said it is important that the language is not only represented but supported on screen.
To mark the fifth installment of World Gaelic Week, the Wester Ross Unesco Biosphere has curated a mini film festival, supported by Theatre Gu Leòr, designed to be welcoming and accessible to all, whatever their level of fluency.
Founded in 2016, the community-led charity Biosphere has spent a decade connecting people and nature across over 5000 square kilometers of Highland landscape, supporting the region’s people, nature and culture.
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Wester Ross Unesco’s Biosphere’s gaelic development officer, Mairead Bush, has hailed the launch of the film festival, saying that Gaelic is about recognising that it belongs in the Highlands, and “making sure it continues to be part of life here in the future”.
This year’s World Gaelic Week theme is Cleachd i no Caill i, use it or lose it, and also aims to celebrate the living, breathing Gaelic culture and language.
“It's important that Gaelic in Wester Ross is represented and supported. The language is deeply rooted in this place, and it’s vital that it remains part of our cultural identity,” Bush explained.
“Gaelic is in our place names across Wester Ross – names we use every day without thinking about it.
“It’s also special because it’s still being spoken. It’s in homes, in schools, in conversations, in music. It’s still here because people care about it and choose to keep it going – and initiatives such as Seachdain na Gaidhlig help.”
A highlight of the film festival, which starts in Ullapool on Tuesday, is two screenings of the multi-lingual film Taigh, Ty, Teach, meaning “home” in Gaelic, Welsh and Irish and intertwines three stories of family, music, mourning and celebration, told in each of the languages. It will also have English subtitles.
"Taigh, Ty, Teach touches on housing challenges through personal stories that highlight the close relationship between home, belonging and language,” Bush explained.
“That connection feels particularly relevant during Seachdain na Gàidhlig, because Gaelic, like any language, lives and thrives within strong, connected communities.”
Bush explained that using film as a medium offers an accessible entry point for engagement, helping to break down barriers for those who might feel intimidated by more formal language events, with the aim of building confidence in the language and creating a sense of community spirit.
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While the challenges facing minority languages are well-documented, the mood in Wester Ross is one of celebration and resilience, recognising that the language is an intrinsic part of the area, she added.
“We want to ensure that people in Wester Ross feel supported in their own Gaelic journeys. Seachdain na Gàidhlig gives us the opportunity to make that commitment visible and to celebrate Gaelic as a living, evolving part of our region,” Bush said.
Wester Ross Unesco Biosphere will also screen Taigh, Ty, Teach in Gairloch on Wednesday.
The Wester Ross mini film festival is one of hundreds of events made possible through Seachdain na Gàidhlig’s Small Grants Fund, supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Scottish Government.
Seachdain na Gàidhlig 2026 runs from February 23 to March 1 online and at venues across Scotland and internationally. You can find out more about World Gaelic Week here.
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