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Fact · Benbecula

A century ago every parish in Uist was over three-quarters Gaelic-speaking

A century ago every parish in Uist was over three-quarters Gaelic-speaking
Photo M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0

In the 1901 and 1921 censuses every parish in Uist was recorded as more than 75 per cent Gaelic-speaking. In 2001 Benbecula was still 56 per cent, and Uist remains one of the last strongholds of the language.

Uist has always been among the most strongly Gaelic-speaking places in Scotland. In both the 1901 and 1921 censuses, all the parishes were reported to be over 75 per cent Gaelic-speaking. By 1971 Benbecula and South Uist were classed as 50 to 74 per cent. The 2001 census put Benbecula at 56 per cent overall, with the weakest area being Balivanich, home to the airport and the range, at 37 per cent. South Uist's people are known in Gaelic as Deasaich, the Southerners.

Sources / notes: Wikipedia: Benbecula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benbecula Wikipedia: South Uist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Uist

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