GERMAN students with an appetite for Scottish culture and language are helping to swell the numbers of people learning Gaelic. Germans now account for the biggest overseas uptake of courses at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, and have boosted numbers at summer schools such as Ceòlas in South Uist.

This year there are three German students on full-time courses at the college. Next year there will be three learning full-time, three on distance learning courses and another 11 on short courses. The growing connection between the two countries features in a BBC Alba documentary - Na Gaidheileamailtich (The German Gaels), to be screened next week.