A language holds its own traditions and treasures. In Scottish Gaelic, the word dualchas encompasses the intimate bonds that exist between the natural world, the land and its people- connecting through language, tradition and culture from generation to generation. The Gaelic names of the animals and plants that inhabit that landscape are a part of that tradition and reflect aspects of these relationships.

In recent times, a number of wildlife species have appeared in Scotland as our climate changes, or otherwise helped there by human agency, and some are so new to Scotland they don’t yet have a Gaelic name, which is something this exciting project is beginning to address.

From the Bird’s Mouth, Bho Bheul an Eòin, is naming the new.  Through a process of research and consultation, with advice from scientists, researchers and Gaelic writers, the project will give Gaelic names to these colonisers, and tell their story through poetry and prose, through a high-quality art book, through this website – and, when possible, a travelling exhibition.

This exciting partnership project features award-winning and highly-acclaimed wildlife artist Derek Robertson, with support from NatureScot (formally Scottish Natural Heritage) and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The project advisors are from a wide variety of agencies and the names created will be submitted to their database archives. 

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The project will allow Scottish Gaelic speakers and learners to give voice to the new nature around them and maintain Gaelic's rich, cultural link with the changing ecology of the landscape in which it is embedded.