Sgoil Shamhraidh

Ceòlas Summer School | 5th – 10th July 2026

Join us for our Sgoil Shamhraidh, our annual summer school celebrating Gaelic language, music, song and dance!

Learn from world-class Gaelic, Scottish and Cape Breton tutors and musicians! Choose 2 classes – one main choice taken twice a day and a second choice class taken once a day. All participants take part in a short, informal Gaelic for All session each day and can attend workshops and events in the afternoons for free.

Our summer school is the perfect way to immerse yourself in our Gaelic community, with fringe events, concerts and cèilidhs in the community all week!

Our Classes

Participants choose a main class, taken twice a day, and a second choice class, taken once a day.

Gaelic Song

Learn a variety of different Gaelic songs from a range of traditions, styles and registers, from lullabies to puirt-à-beul to waulking songs!
Beginner to Advanced

Step-dance

Percussive dance style common at the Cape Breton cèilidhs, and now firmly reintroduced in Scotland through Ceòlas and other events through the fèis movement.
Youth, Intermediate, Advanced

Fiddle

Our youth classes focus on West Coast and Cape Breton fiddle styles. Adult intermediate and advanced players concentrate on social and dance styles.

Puirt-à-beul na Pìoba

The Puirt-à-Beul and Pipe Tunes class will explore the wealth of different arrangements of melodies, both on the pipes and in song. Some pipe versions of tunes heard today are not so close to the language rhythms as are when heard sung - this class will focus on connecting natural Gaelic rhythms to pipe music.
Lower Intermediate to Advanced Level

Gàidhlig

Our classes are led by local native speakers covering grammar, pronunciation, idiom and conversational skills. At the summer school we offer levels ranging from lower intermediate to advanced, but we also run week-long immersion courses just for Gaelic learning with more levels.

Clàrsach

Learn both lead and accompianment styles in clàrsach, a newer addition to many traditional music circles.

Piping for Dancing

A more social form of piping style common in Hebridean and Cape Breton traditions, concentrating on rhythmic dance tunes such as reels, strathspeys and jigs, instead of technical execution.
Participants should bring smallpipes or a chanter in the key of A.

Ceòl Mòr

The Ceòl Mòr class will teach pieces of ‘Big Music’ (often called ‘pibroch’ in English), drawing from the knowledge of Gaelic songs and the rthyms found within them as to how they should be played.
Second Choice Only

Reels & Quadrilles

Community-style dancing, learning the full-breadth of social dancing at cèilidhs. Learn local variations and styles in a fun social dancing class! Second choice only.
Class with Catriona MacIntyre
Second Choice Only

Seanchas

A class for fluent Gaelic speakers - learn from local knowledge-bearers about the stories of the Gàidhealtachd and the Gaelic held within them. Second choice only.
In addition to chosen classes

Gaelic for All

All participants, whether they are studying Gaelic or not, have a short Gaelic session each day. This is an addition to your two chosen classes. Gaelic is an essential part of the culture here in Uist, along with the music, song and step dance. If participants want to learn Gaelic language in depth, they can choose to do Gaelic classes as their main or second choice. The Gaelic for All sessions are much more informal and give people the opportunity to practice speaking Gaelic and get to know other participants outwith their classes. You will select a class according to your level of Gaelic on your booking form.

Our Tutors

Mac Morin

Step Dance

Mac Morin is a dancer and piano player from Troy, Inverness County. Starting out as a talented dancer, Mac became interested in piano as a teenager. He has gone on to tour around the world with Natalie MacMaster and Beòlach while continuing to travel widely to teach Cape Breton step dancing. Mac has appeared on numerous artists’ recordings including Beòlach, Natalie MacMaster, Yo Yo Ma, The Rankins, and Buddy MacMaster. Mac recently joined us for our special 30th anniversary concerts at Celtic Connections in Glasgow and Celtic Colours in Nova Scotia.

Wendy MacIsaac

Fiddle

Wendy MacIsaac is a renowned fiddle player and culture bearer from Creignish, Cape Breton who has been playing music for close to 40 years. She is recognized as one of the old-school style of players who has kept the traditional sound going, and has a deep respect for it. Wendy is also a sought-after piano accompanist and step dancer. In addition to performing as a solo artist, she has toured extensively with Mary Jane Lamond and in her band Beòlach, who had an incredible year in 2021 earning several awards and nominations including a nomination for a Juno award. Wendy has recorded on over a dozen albums including four of her own, three with Beòlach, and one with Mary Jane, and has also produced two albums. Wendy has worked as an artistic consultant on this year’s Celtic Colours International Festival and joined us for our special 30th anniversary concert.

Jayne NicLeòid

Step Dance

Jayne MacLeod from Ness on the Isle of Lewis has been dancing from a young age, starting out as a Highland Dancer. She was introduced to step dance by Mats Melin and the group Dannsa when they visited Lewis, touring rural communities performing and promoting traditional dance. Since then, she was inspired to attend Ceòlas, learning from the best of traditional dancers, both Scottish and Canadian, such as Frank McConnell, Sandra Robertson, Mary Janet MacDonald and Harvey Beaton. She has taught and performed over the years across Scotland, Ireland, Canada and France. She also dances with friends as part of the dance group Ceum air Cheum.

Angela MacEachen

Gàidhlig

Born in South Uist and brought up in Benbecula, Angela MacEachen (MacDonald) has spent her working life in Gaelic broadcasting and Gaelic teaching.

Growing up in Benbecula in a strong and close-knit Gaelic community, Angela's family were well-known tradition bearers, her father being a respected authority on Gaelic language, history, song and folklore, as well as being a gifted storyteller, who contributed much to the archives of Scottish Studies and to academic works.

A graduate of the University of of Edinburgh and, after several years at the BBC, Angela took up freelance broadcasting, researching, writing, presenting and producing a variety of programmes for the BBC and other channels, her remit including everything from children's programming, current affairs, education, music and arts, factual, biographical and historical documentary programmes.

Some years ago, Angela returned to education - her own and that of others - and undertook a teaching diploma at the University of Aberdeen, enabling her to teach through the medium of Gaelic in school settings, which she is regularly invited to do.

A keen language enthusiast, Angela studied and has qualifications and varying ability in several other languages - among them, French, German, Italian, Spanish and some study of Russian - and is happy that both her sons, though brought up in Edinburgh, are fluent Gaelic speakers - as are her young grandsons.

Màiri MacInnes

Gaelic Song

Màiri‘s passion for singing was instinctive and clearly evident at a very young age and in 1982 Mairi became one of the youngest winners of the prestigious Gold Medal at the Royal National Mod. It was followed the next year with winning the Pan-Celtic Festival in Killarney, Ireland.
Prior to releasing Màiri’s debut album Causeway in 1989 which was released to widespread acclaim, Mairi’s growing profile led her to be approached by Gaelic dance group Mouth Music which led to tours in the USA and Canada. Màiri recorded the EP Blue Door Green Sea with Mouth Music before choosing to return to a solo career. She has recorded 2 more critically acclaimed albums as well as contributing vocals to many other recordings. Màiri is currently in the process of writing new songs for her next album being released next year – the title is still yet to be announced!
In addition to developing a successful career as a TV presenter and broadcaster, Màiri has been a regular tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland teaching Gaelic Song on The Traditional Music Degree Course. Mairi has also taught Gaelic song extensively throughout Scotland, USA and Canada notably at Ceòlas Summer School – Isle of South Uist, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig – Isle of Skye, and the Grand Father Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina.
Beyond her musical career, Màiri is interested in origins of Gaelic song and its content. Màiri loves meeting people and hearing and learning more about the human voice. But music remains her lifelong love and she has dedicated her career to the promotion of Gaelic music and culture throughout Scotland and beyond.

Catriona Black

Gàidhlig

Catrìona is a native Gaelic speaker from North Uist. She was previously the headteacher of Sgoil Chàirinis in North Uist and worked in GME in Sgoil Dhalabroig, and has taught at many of our summer schools. She also teaches on our online Gaelic classes and has helped many adult learners in their Gaelic learning journey.

Margaret Ford

Gaelic Song

Margaret hails from Moidart and grew up surrounded by music, having started singing when she was just 5 years old. She won Gold Medals at the 1994,1995 and 1996 National Mòds and won the medal at the international Pan-Celtic Festival competition in Ireland in 1997.
She has travelled extensively to places such as Canada, Italy, Ireland and has appeared on numerous TV and radio programmes. She is well versed in the songs from the rich tradition of Moidart and regularly sings at local cèilidhs and teaches Gaelic songs in Moidart and at music festivals and summer schools.

Mairi Rankin

Fiddle

Born in Mabou, Mairi Rankin is a fiddler and step dancer who has been influenced by some of the best Cape Breton traditional musicians and instructors on the island. She has developed her own unique style by being immersed in this rich musical culture, pulling from her native Cape Breton and her strong Scottish roots from North Uist. Mairi has toured nationally and internationally as a performer and educator in both fiddle and step dance. She has performed as a solo artist, a side musician, in small combos and as a member of both the Cape Breton super group Beòlach and the highly acclaimed Scottish / Irish / Canadian band The Outside Track. Mairi has recorded one solo album, three with Beòlach, seven with The Outside Track, and one as a duo with cellist Eric Wright.

Niall & Morag MacPherson

Reels & Quadrilles

Niall & Mòrag MacPherson are experienced local dancers, regularly attending and leading dances at local dance clubs.

Karen Marshalsay

Clàrsach

Karen began playing clarsach through the traditional world, including studies with leading harper Alison Kinnaird, and has expanded her interests to include multi-cultural projects with international musicians and studies with Paraguayan harp master Rito Pederson. Specialising on all three Scottish harps – both gut- and wire-strung models and the baroque bray harp with its buzzing sitar effect – her performing experience includes concerts throughout the UK, Europe, America and Australia. Career highlights include the Edinburgh International Festival, Celtic Connections, the Australian National Folk Festival, Beethoven 2020 in Bonn, and the Scottish, Indian and Japanese spectacular, Yatra, which premiered at the Edinburgh Mela in 2008. A particular interest in pipe music has led to working with Gaelic music expert Allan MacDonald in his acclaimed pibroch concerts, and for the National Piping Centre’s 2013 Ceòl na Piòba concert. In 2018 she was honoured as an invited participant to Féile na Laoch, held every 7 years in memory of Seán Ó Riada in Cúil Aodha.
As a composer, Karen had pieces performed in 2018 and 2019 by the acclaimed Russian String Orchestra (Misha’s Gang) conducted by Misha Rachlevsky (with Karen as guest soloist), was Composer in Residence with Harps Northwest in 2016 and has premiered commissions for Celtic Connections’ New Voices series and the Distil showcase concerts. She has published her own series of clarsach books, including Key Techniques for Harp in 2012, and for 7 years was clarsach tutor at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton, where she received a Distinction in the LTCL diploma, the first person to do so with an all-traditional repertoire. She has taught wire harp at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is now a supervisor for the Research Department and is a guest lecturer for Glasgow University and the University of the Highlands & Islands. As well as solo recitals Karen performs with the legendary Irish flute player and singer Cathal McConnell in The Cathal McConnell Trio and is currently working with the long-established Scottish folk group, the Whistlebinkies.
Her solo CD, The Road to Kennacraig was produced by Robin Morton and released in July 2019.

Matt MacIsaac

Piping for Dancing

Born into a piping family in St. Peters, Cape Breton, Matt started playing whistle and pipes when he was 10 years old. He won the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal in Oban, Scotland eight years later and at 19 started recording, playing and touring the U.S. with Celtic-rock/fusion group Cuillin. Matt then joined Natalie MacMaster’s band in 2001, and over the course of 15 years played pipes, whistles, banjo, percussion and guitar on tour and appeared on several of her albums. His own album, a stripped-bare solo recording of the pipes, was released in 2005. Matt then joined the Canadian Forces as a musician, traveling extensively to the U.S., Europe, and Asia with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He is currently the Pipe Major of the 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Pipe Band, a grade 2 competitive band out of Borden, Ontario.

Margaret Mary Findlay

Gàidhlig

Margaret Mary is a local primary school teacher with years of experience in teaching. She teaches many of Ceòlas' in-person Gaelic classes and has taught at previous summer schools. A native speaker from South Uist, Margaret Mary is keen to teach natural ways of speaking Gaelic as heard in the community.

Iain Ruari Finlayson

Piping (Youth)

Iain Ruari started playing the chanter at the age of 8 and progressed onto the bagpipes at age 10 getting lessons from Iain MacFadyen in Kyle primary school. He left school and went straight into the Queen’s own Highlanders Pipe Band getting instruction from Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies. He has been teaching for the last 13 years on the Isle of Skye teaching children from the age of 8 to 18. The Skye youth Pipe Band has a piping and drumming programme instructing children to all levels for competing or just playing a tune down the street and playing at lots of different engagements. They practice every week after school and also do weekend workshops.

Allan MacDonald

Ceòl Mòr & Puirt-à-beul na Pìoba

A leading light in the Gaelic musical scene, Allan MacDonald is in demand internationally as a composer, musical director, piper, singer, workshop leader, and lecturer on Gaelic music. One of his myriad gifts is to make pibroch accessible and lovable. His work as a scholar-performer reuniting seventeenth-century piping with its Gaelic roots is influencing a whole generation of pipers.
Allan has performed at every major Celtic and piping festival on the planet. He lectures on the Scottish Music course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and has had numerous commissions to compose for BBC television. In 1999 and 2004, Allan directed two pioneering series for the Edinburgh International Festival, presenting every aspect of the piping tradition in 13 concerts, linking music with Scottish history and culture. In 2005, he co-directed a six-part television series screened on RTE, BBC3 and ITV- “The Highland Sessions”-addressing the common language and musical traditions of Scotland and Ireland, which won the best documentary music award in Ireland.

Mats Melin

Step Dance

Stockholm born Dancer, Choreographer and Researcher, Mats Melin has worked professionally with traditional dance in Scotland since 1995 and in Ireland since 2005. Mats has been engaged in freelance dance teaching, researching and performance work nationally and internationally. He was Traditional Dancer in Residence for four Scottish Local Authorities (Shetland (1995-96), Sutherland (1996-98), Angus (1998-2002) and Perth and Kinross (2002-2003).

He co-started the dynamic Scottish performance group ‘Dannsa’ in 1999 and he has been commissioned to choreograph for the Northlands Festival, the St Magnus Festival and the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention. He holds a first class honours MA degree in Ethnochoreology (2005); and a PhD (2012) with the University of Limerick for his research on Cape Breton Step Dancing. His thesis is named Exploring the Percussive Routes and Transmission Processes in Cape Breton Step Dancing. Mats is Emeritus Lecturer in Dance, and former Course Director for the MA in Irish Dance Studies at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland (2005-2021).

Catriona MacIntyre

Gàidhlig & Seanchas

Alasdair White

Fiddle (Youth)

Alasdair White is an exceptional exponent of west coast Scottish music and is widely regarded as one of the foremost Scottish fiddler players of his generation. He was born and brought up on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, a chain of islands of singular importance to Gaelic Scotland’s musical heritage and is perhaps best known as having been a member of Scotland’s seminal Battlefield Band for over 16 years, touring extensively in that time throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Now resident in New York, Alasdair has performed and recorded as a guest with many of the best-known names in Scottish, Irish and Breton traditional music including Kathleen MacInnis, Julie Fowlis, Eddie Reader, Allan MacDonald, Manus Lunny, Nuala Kennedy, and Arnaud Ciapolino. Current ongoing projects include Daimh, the Alan Kelly Gang and of course, Battlefield Band. Alasdair also recently premiered a major commission at the Hebridean Celtic festival in Stornoway, an hour-long original piece entitled An Iuchair.

More Information & FAQs

Do I need to speak Gaelic in order to attend?

Ceòlas is a Gaelic organisation and Cnoc Soilleir is a Gaelic-speaking building, therefore we highly encourage all students to use Gaelic while attending the Summer School as far as possible. All Gaelic abilities are welcome at the Summer School to be part of our Gaelic-speaking environment in Uist.

What age do I have to be to attend?

The summer school is for adults of all ages. We run a youth programme for fiddlers and pipers aged 14-16 which runs alongside the main summer school at a subsidised cost. Young people aged 16 plus can attend the full Summer School for the full fee.

Fèis Tir a Mhurain is on the same week as the summer school in Sgoil an Ìochdar – there will be a bus leaving Cnoc Soilleir to take children to the school. This is a week long summer school for primary school children fluent in Gaelic. For more information, contact: tiramhurain1@gmail.com

Timetable Information

Each participant chooses two classes to attend at the summer school. You will have your main choice class twice a day and your second choice class once a day. We encourage participants to attend two different classes to explore the ties between music, song, language and dance.

The timetable for the 2025 summer school can be viewed here. Classes take place Monday – Friday of Ceòlas week. There will only be some minor changes to the timetable in 2026.

Where will my classes take place?

Phase 2 of Cnoc Soilleir with new dance facilities and a performance hall will be finished for the 2026 summer school, meaning all classes, including step dance, will take place in Cnoc Soilleir. So that there is enough space for the numbers dancing, the second choice Reels & Quadrilles class will still be in St Peter’s Hall.

The summer school booklet will be circulated nearer to the time which will contain room information. Upon your registration on Sunday/Monday, you will receive name tags with information on your classes and information on rooms.

What Gaelic level should I be in?

Gaelic classes run at the following levels: Lower Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, Fluent/Returners and Seanchas for Fluent level Speakers. If you find that the class level does not suit you please come and speak to a member of staff. Participants may not choose different Gaelic levels across the choices, therefore please choose the one level which best represents your current level.

We offer immersion week courses for people looking to only learn Gaelic language, with a wider range of levels. We will have an immersion course at the start of June – sign up to our mailing list to find out more!

What is ‘Gaelic for All’?

All students have a short, informal Gaelic session each day. Gaelic is an essential part of the culture here in Uist, along with the music, song and step dance, and we want all participants to learn Gàidhlig, even if only a little, during their time in Uist. You will select a class according to your level of Gaelic on your booking form, from total beginner to fluent/native speaker. If you are unsure please see our level breakdown here.

What level should I be to participate in the music & dance classes?

You must be at an intermediate/advanced level to attend music classes.

With the opening of new dance facilities in Cnoc Soilleir, we are bringing back beginners step-dance. We still recommend learning a few steps before coming – there are a range of classes available, including from Sophie Stephenson, Alison Carlyle, Melody Cameron, Eibhlin Milne, Edinburgh University New Scotland Dance Society and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

Reels & Quadrilles dance class and Gaelic song classes are for all abilities.

If you find that you are not in the right level, please first speak to your tutor and a member of Ceòlas staff on Monday. We cannot accommodate moves after Tuesday morning to minimise disruption. Where possible we will try and accommodate you in the correct level, however this depends on there being space in that class which we can’t always guarantee.

Do I need my own instrument?

All participants in instrument classes must have their own instrument.

For the “Piping for Dancing” class participants should have smallpipes or a chanter in the key of A.

What do I need to wear for step-dance classes?

Wear cool, comfortable clothing – you will probably get quite warm (remember your water bottle). Hard soled shoes should be worn on your feet.

What events are on during Ceòlas week?

The community programme is a programme of events outside of the teaching hours of the summer school (late afternoons and evenings) where students and the local community come together. Entry to some of these events will be included in the participant fees, such as workshops and talk events. All concerts and recitals will be ticketed.

We strongly advise you book tickets in advance as we cannot guarantee space will be available on the week. If you have difficulties buying tickets online please get in touch with the Ceòlas team or come in to Cnoc Soilleir.

Is food & drink available during the day?

We are currently in the process of confirming next year’s arrangements for food and transport with our providers. More information will come in January.

Do Ceòlas provide transport?

We are currently in the process of confirming next year’s arrangements for food and transport with our providers. More information will come in January.

You can view the information booklet for 2026 by clicking below.

How to get to & around Uist

You can get to Uist by:

Want to leave the car? There are Citylink bus services from Glasgow to Uig and ScotRail train services from Glasgow to Mallaig that arrive in time for the connecting ferries.

There are public bus services operating along the spine route in during the day from Monday to Saturday. You can view the public bus timetable here.

We recommend staying in Daliburgh or the south end of South Uist close to Cnoc Soilleir. You can view a list of nearby accomodation options here.

Booking for this year’s summer school has now closed. Please get in touch if you would like to participate in classes either in full or in a drop-in basis (subject to availability).

Join us in South Uist for a week full of ceòl agus craic!

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your place at the Summer School on or prior to the 18th of May you are entitled to a full refund minus a £15 admin fee.

If you cancel between 19th May – 15th June, Ceòlas will refund 75% of the course fee only if your place can be reallocated.

We cannot offer refunds at short notice after the 15th June as we are a charitable organisation and cannot absorb the loss of funds from cancellations.

In case of circumstances outwith your control, please contact Ceòlas.

In case of circumstances outwith our control such as illness, Ceòlas reserves the right to change the advertised tutor at any time in advance of the Summer School or during the week itself.

“

The staff are all wonderful, the ladies who bake and provide the tea and of course the class teachers. Everything has been magical and emotional. Ceòlas gu bràth!

“

I came first and foremost for the step dance teaching but the surprise treasure was unlocking the realms of speaking and singing in Gaelic. Now there will be no going back for me!

“

I learned so much over this week. It deepened my understanding of Gaelic music in ways I would not have learned through my own study or mainstream courses. I felt I was being shown the core of Gaelic music tradition.

“

Excellent teachers who are down-to-earth, approachable and present at all of the events as either a performer or audience member.

“

I really loved it. Different group of people, teacher and subjects covered - I was inspired!

Gaelic for All class
“

Thank you so much for putting on such a varied programme and including us into your community. It was wonderful how the 'audience' joined in with the songs.

“

Every evening event was excellent. The more impromptu music sessions such as pub / Hotel sessions and house ceilidhs were really special, and the quality of music was incredible.

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