Getting around in Scots Gaelic
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Scots Gaelic words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Scots Gaelic phrases in this lesson
- Càit a bheil an taigh beag?kahtch uh vel un tie BEK
- Where is the toilet?
- Ciamar a ruigeas mi...?KIM-er uh ROO-kus mee
- How do I get to...?
- Gu clìgoo KLEE
- To the left
- Gu deasgoo JESS
- To the right
- Dìreach air adhartJEE-rakh er AH-art
- Straight ahead
- An seoun SHAW
- Here
- An stèisean-rèileun STAY-shun RAY-luh
- Train station
- Busbus
- Bus
- Port-adhairporsht AH-ir
- Airport
- Tiocaid, mas e do thoil eCHYOK-ij, mas eh daw HOL eh
- One ticket, please
Taigh beag literally means "small house," the charming Gaelic euphemism for toilet. Public facilities are scarce in rural areas, so always ask before leaving a cafe or pub.
Deas also means south, from facing east to orient yourself.
Dìreach also means "straight" or "direct." If someone gestures forward while saying this, you are on the right path.
Train lines run to Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland, but ferries are the main transport between the islands. CalMac ferries are the lifeline of Hebridean communities.
Literally "air port".
Tiocaid is borrowed from English "ticket" and is widely understood. For a return ticket, say Tiocaid air ais (tiocaid er ash).