Orkney academics to lecture at Celtic Connections

The cream of the county’s traditional music talent won’t be the only Orcadian presence at this year’s Celtic Connections, as two local academics are set to speak at the Glasgow festival next week.

Dr Donna Heddle and Julie Gibson, from the University of the Highlands and Islands, will take to the stage as part of a varied programme of music, free lectures and discussions.

On Wednesday, January 30, eminent Scottish language experts, including Dr Heddle, director of the university’s Centre for Nordic Studies, will debate the roots of Scotland’s indigenous languages in The Origins of our Tongue.

Dr Heddle said: “Scotland has a diverse indigenous cultural identity and language is very much the foundation of it. It is time for us to cherish the diverse linguistic heritage which underpins who and what we are, for in our past lie the seeds of our future, and without our tongue, we cannot speak for ourselves.”

The debate will start at 7pm in the City Halls.

Then, on Thursday, January 31, Mrs Gibson, Orkney’s county archaeologist, will present Rising tides: Climate change and the loss of our coastal heritage, accompanied by music composed by BA applied music students.

Using Orkney as a case study, where one third of all known sites are threatened, Mrs Gibson’s lecture will travel, island by island, looking at the loss, and showcasing some of the potential for investment.

The talk will also take place at the City Halls, starting at 12.30pm.