Purchasing Sources

Sources for Gaelic Language Materials

Neither I nor the ACGA intend to recommend particular sources, just to give you a place to start. If you know of any others we have missed, please let us know through our Contact Us page.

Some materials may be available at your local bookstore, or they may be able to order them. But many need to be mail ordered. There are other places to look, too. I have included those which specialize in Gaelic materials, or which seem to have stocks of them consistently. For music sources, you might also do some web searching for the record companies. Many companies have a web presence.

Getting Your Money's Worth

I recommend some comparison shopping. Since almost all of these materials are published in Scotland, if you order from the publisher, postage will be a major part of the expense – running 30-40% of the cost in most cases. (One solution is to take a vacation in Scotland and take along an extra bag – books are duty free!)

But, remember that US or Canadian resellers, although they may get a discount for volume, will also have to pay postage, and will need to make a profit. In short, you may or may not be better off ordering from a closer source. The web and e-mail can let you check prices (including postage) and compare.

Remember too, that speed and good service may be more important than price in some respects. If you find a source you like, it probably pays to stick with them, even for the occasional more expensive item. (And, if you find a source you like, let me know and I'll put it here.)

Ordering from Foreign Suppliers

It used to be very difficult to order from overseas – but the web and credit cards have made it a breeze. It won't be as fast as ordering from Canada or the U.S.. Mail can be surprisingly quick to and from Scotland, however. I have had a delivery from Stornoway in less than a month from the time I dropped the mail in the box.

It's perfectly all right to address mail in Gaelic to Scotland. The most important part of the address is the postal code anyway. But use "Scotland" and not "Alba." If you send a package to "Alba", the US post office (and probably the Canadian mail if you live in Canada) will make sure it arrives in Albania!

It is easier to order from overseas than it used to be – thanks to credit cards. Most of these sources take plastic. And your exchange rate will be better with a card than at a bank. Your other option besides cards for a foreign money purchase is to buy a draft – usually at a bank. These are usually sold for a flat rate, $8-$15 is common.

As a rule of thumb, 1.66 times the price in British pounds is about the price in US dollars. For Canadian, take .66 times the Canadian price to get approximate US dollars. For current currency conversions, you can try this website

You may not wish to order with your card over the web unless the vender has a secure ordering service. (Views vary – the most common is that if you don't like to give a card number on the phone, you should avoid non-secure orders on the web.)

A note about phoning. To call Canada from the US, (or vice versa) nothing special is required. The numbering systems are the same, and you can act as though it is a regular in-country long-distance call. To call Scotland from the US or Canada, you will need to change the number somewhat. Remove the leading zero from the number (if it has one.) Then put the foreign number access code (usually 011 for most telephone companies) and the country code (44) on the front (011-44). For instance, the Gaelic Books Councel is 0141-337-6211. To dial from most places in the US or Canada, you would dial 011-44-141-337-6211.

Oh, and be polite and be aware of the time difference. Scotland is 5 hours ahead of Eastern time. (And they tend to take lunch at 1:00). Nova Scotia is 1 hour ahead of Eastern.

 North American Sources

 Scottish Sources