Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What are the earliest surviving examples of Scottish Gaelic writing?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Celtic literature
Britannica editor Jeff Wallenfeldt provides an overview of the Irish language.
The earliest surviving examples of Scottish Gaelic writing are the 12th-century marginalia added to the Book of Deer, a 9th-century Latin Gospel manuscript. These Gaelic memorandums, which include accounts of the monastery's foundation, land grants, and clan organization, represent the oldest extant Gaelic text written in Scotland.12
Following these early entries, the most significant early literary manuscript is The Book of the Dean of Lismore, an extensive anthology of verse compiled between 1512 and 1526. This collection contains heroic ballads and poems by both Scottish and Irish authors, providing a vital record of Gaelic literary activity from the early 14th to the early 16th century.1