Sing in Scots Gaelic!
Special Guest
Mairi MacInnes
In this first episode, we meet Mairi MacInnes — a celebrated Gaelic singer from Scotland — who teaches us a traditional children’s song in Scots Gaelic called “Big Welly Song!” We’ll learn about how music was passed from family to family, and how songs became dances.
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Part 1 with Scots Gaelic Singer
What We're Learning Today
- How to say a few words in Scots Gaelic
- Why singing was important in families
- How “mouth music” became dance music
- How To Sing a Song in Scot's Gaelic!
Activity Packs
Activity #1: Sing the Big Welly Song
Download the Big Welly Song PDF
Children can sing along in Gaelic and color the unicorn and boots! Try adding a little dance at the end — just like Mairi!
Gaelic Phrase Spotlight:
Bottunnan mora = “Big wellies!”
Activity #2: From Mouth Music to Jigs
This fun visual explains how families used voice and rhythm to pass down tunes — and how pipers helped turn them into jigs so people could dance!
Activity #3: My Scots Gaelic Name Tag
Students write their names in Gaelic using “Is mise” (“I am...”) and decorate their tag with Highland flair!
In The Classroom
💬 Discussion Questions for the Classroom
- Why do you think people sang songs instead of writing them down?
- What do you notice about how Gaelic sounds?
- How do you feel when you sing and dance?
- Do you have family songs or traditions?
🧭 Curriculum Connection
NC K-5 Standards:
- Music: Rhythm & traditional forms
- Language Arts: Listening & expression
- Social Studies: Culture, identity, oral tradition
- World Languages: Awareness of other languages
🎨 Extension Ideas
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Create your own “mouth music” with English words (tip use one phrase many times to establish a set rhythm)
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Draw a scene from the Big Welly Song
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Try introducing your self to your grandparents or friends as "is mise (your name)" and tell them what it means!
More From This Series:
Scotland In Our Backyard is a video series celebrating Scottish heritage in North Carolina — created by the Scottish Cultural Outreach Foundation with support from NC Humanities.
Explore the full series on YouTube
This program is supported in part by North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org
