Phase 5, North East Community Planning Partnership Area, Taigh-craoibhe na Gàidhlig

As part of Glasgow Life’s Artists in Communities programme, Green Economy Iteration, in the North East Community Planning Partnership Area, Rebecca Fraser and Màiri Morrison delivered Taigh-craoibhe na Gàidhlig (The Gaelic Treehouse), a vibrant bilingual project inspired by the ancient Gaelic alphabet, in which each of the 18 letters corresponds to a tree or plant.

The project, designed for young families, took place at The Charter, a local hub near Tollcross Park. Màiri and Rebecca created a drop-in space with different creative activities to support local parents’ access to outdoor green spaces.

With most participants unfamiliar with Gaelic, Màiri introduced the language through storytelling and music, composing an original Gaelic song about trees. The project also encouraged families to use their own language over seven other languages, reflecting the diversity of the local area. Meanwhile, Rebecca led the visual arts activities, supporting children in creating art that became part of a Gaelic botanical alphabet book.

Activities combined structured and open-ended play, using both Gaelic and English to describe elements of the natural world. Sessions encouraged children and parents to engage with the outdoors, and many explored green spaces such as Tollcross Park for the first time. The programme offered a unique blend of arts and nature-based social prescribing, providing valuable well-being support in an accessible environment.

Due to overwhelming attendance, a booking system was introduced to meet demand. The final event, held to celebrate the launch of the new Gaelic Alphabet Book, brought together all participating families for a celebration, and each child received a copy of the publication they had helped to create. 

A special thanks to community partners, supporters and contributors:

Glasgow HSCP | The Charter | Platform | The Wash-house Gardens | GUIR! | Shettleston Growers.

Taigh-craoibhe na Gàidhlig was co-funded by GUIR! Gaelic Arts Programme and Glasgow City HSCP.