The Gaelic language is a powerful symbol of Scotland’s unique heritage and nationhood which also provides enduring linguistic and cultural links to other nations in the British Isles and beyond. Its speakers number less than two percent of today’s national population but its role in the formation of the kingdom of Alba (still the Gaelic name for Scotland) cannot be gainsayed. It differs from many minority languages in that it was once the majority national tongue, the primary language of power and influence. The historical marginalisation of Gaelic within Scottish society, both politically and geographically, is something that is understood (and lamented) by Gaelic-speakers, but not always by Scots who do not speak the language, many of whom bear the misapprehension that Gaelic was always a marginal element in Scottish life.