In 2001, the Outer Hebrides still contained the highest percentage of
Gaelic speaking people in Scotland. The seat of Clan MacNeill at the
southern tip of the archipelago falls in the 60 to 70 percent range.
English Gaelic Pronunciation Meaning
| plaid | plaid | plajer (not 'played') | blanket |
| tartan | breacan | brechkan | speckled, striped or multi-coloured |
| kilt | feileadh beag | fay-la beck | little wrap |
| belted plaid | feileadh more | fay-la more | big wrap |
| belted plaid | Beacan an fheileadh | brechkan an yay-lee | striped wrap |
| brogue | brog(an) | broag (as in toad) | shoes |
| sgian dubh | sgian dubh | skian du | hidden/secret knife |
| belt | crois | creesh | cross (literally) |
| coat | cota | coacht - a | coat/jacket |
| hose | osain | osh-ain | socks, stockings |
| garters | gartain | gar-stain | garters |
| kilt pin | dealg | jalck | pin |
| red | dearg | jer-ug | any true red |
| red | ruadh | roo-ug | rust, ginger, orange |
| blue | gorm | gorum | blue |
| green | uaine | oo-ine-ya | green (sometimes grey) |
| black | dubh | du | black (also hidden or secret) |
| white | geal | gyal | white |
| yellow | buidhe | boo-ya | yellow |
| brown | donn | dawn | brown |
| gold | or | or | gold |
| silver | airgead | air-a-gut | silver (also money) |
| light | liath | lee-ah | light (followed by the colour) Also grey |
| Gaelic | Gaodhlig | galeeg | the Gaelic language |
| Scotland | Alba | al-a-pa | Scotland |
| Scottish | Albannach | al-ap-an-ach | Scottish |
| Highlands | A'Ghaidhealtachd | a gyl-tachk | The Highlands |
| Lowlands | A'Ghalltachd | a gall-tachk | The Lowlands |
| England | Sasainn | sas-ain | the country |
| English | sasannach | sas-an-ach | sassenach, the nationality |
| English | beurla | bear-la | the English language |
