Scottish Islands Data Overview (2025)
The Scottish Islands Data Dashboard has been updated following a review of available data. This report summarises the findings. It highlights changes between data available in 2025 and data first collated in 2023 and gives an overview of longer term trends in Scotland's Islands.
14 Arts, Culture and Language
There are high levels of cultural participation across the Scottish islands.
14.1 Cultural Participation
In the Scottish Islands Survey (2023) most islanders report taking part in a culturally specific festival at least once a year or several times a year. Cultural participation is exceptionally high in the Shetland – Mainland and connected, where over half (52%) of people report taking part in cultural festivals several times a year.
14.2 Indigenous Languages and Dialects
The total number of people recorded as being able to speak, read, write and/or understand Gaelic in the 2022 census was 130,161. Of these, the total number of people who speak Gaelic was 69,701. This was the first census return since 1971 to show an increase in the number of people reporting an ability to speak Gaelic. According to the Scottish Islands Survey (2023), the majority of residents in Uist and Barra (69%), and Lewis and Harris (62%) report that they can understand Gaelic. Moreover, a significant minority of those living in Skye and the Small Isles (45%) and the Argyll Islands (29%) report that they can understand Gaelic.
Understanding of Scots on the islands ranges from 23% in Lewis and Harris, Great Bernera and Scalpay to 48% in Shetland – Mainland and connected. Understanding of local dialects is highest in the Shetland – Mainland and connected (86%) and Shetland – Outer islands (85%). Local dialects are also widely understood in Orkney – Mainland and connected (86%) and Orkney – Outer islands (79%).