Welcome in the festive season with a star-studded calendar of Gaelic events across Scotland. Allan MacDonald introduces stand-outs from the Gaelic song and piping tradition at the Campervan Brewery Tap Room in Edinburgh (1 December). At Glasgow University, the Matheson Lecture will be delivered by Professor Elva Johnston of Trinity College Dublin. Attend in person at the Boyd Orr Building or online (10 December).

Gaelic storymaker Kirsty MacDonald leads a Bookbug Session at the National Library Of Scotland (2 December); join her and staff for the bilingual session encouraging parents and carers to feel more confident sharing stories, rhymes and songs with their little ones. Edinburgh Ceilidhs return to the Charteris Centre, with caller Ken Gourlay (25 January); all dances will be walked through and called, so visitors are welcome.

Tea And Tunes continues in Dundee with Roo Geddes and Neil Sutcliffe, who combine folk, classical and jazz on fiddle and accordion. At the Marryat Hall, prepare to be inspired by landscape and people and by how music can evoke a sense of place and community (4 December). In Glasgow, Live Ceilidhs continue every Saturday through December and January at Avant Garde. At the Kelvingrove Gallery you can also learn canntaireachd or waulking songs with Kaitlin Ross (26 January) or get your mouth round puirt-à-beul with Joy Dunlop (main picture, 18 January). 

Head west as Watercolour Music host Shooglenifty (14 December). As they approach their 35th year, the band return for their third winter ‘bop til you drop’ with music, Gaelic song and dancing in Ardgour’s Memorial Hall. In Oban, Fèis Latharna welcomes you to its 30th anniversary family ceilidh at the Argyllshire Gathering Halls (6 December); enjoy live music from tutors and participants, past and present. Up north, anticipate Hogmanay with the Black Isle Ceilidh Band at Inverness’ Eden Court (29 December).

For those seeking a Celtic Christmas, join Na Clàrsairean at Polwarth Parish Church (8 December). Joined by Taobh nà Pairce school choir and musicians from George Watson’s College, their programme of Christmas music includes favourite carols accompanied by a host of heavenly harps. Lastly, Scotland’s biggest night of traditional music, Hoolie In The Hydro, returns to the vast Glasgow venue to commemorate 100 years of Scottish music (7 December). Gaelic pioneers Capercaillie will join the Hoolie line-up, alongside Skerryvore, Mànran and Rura.