National Mòd Festival Comes to Oban
Whether you’re visiting Scotland for the first time or you were born and raised here, your knowledge of Gaelic – its language and culture – may be limited. Still, its influence is often hidden in plain sight. Despite its prevalence in modern Scottish society remaining somewhat limited, Gaelic has seen a resurgence in the last decade, with a 50% increase in its use, according to Scotland’s Census figures.
If you want to immerse yourself in Gaelic’s ancient, rich heritage, then you’re in the right place here in Oban. This year, the town welcomes back the world-renowned Royal National Mòd festival for the 17th time. Often referred to simply as The Mòd, the festival is touted as a celebration of Gaelic culture and music.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, read on as we delve into what you can expect from the gathering.
What is the Royal Mòd Festival?
If you’ve never heard of the Mòd before, first things first, we can assure you it has nothing to do with Paul Weller.
The Mòd features competitive events and traditional Gaelic activities, ranging from traditional music, spoken word and poetry, storytelling, and physical activities like shinty and ceilidh.
History of the Festival
A traditional stronghold of Gaelic language and culture, Oban is considered by many to be the home of the Mòd, having been founded there in 1892. However, the event has taken place across many of Scotland’s towns and cities, with Glasgow, Inverness and Perth being the most popular out-with its birthplace.
Although just ten competitors participated in its inaugural event, it has since expanded to welcome thousands of visitors and competitors each year. Oban has since welcomed the Mòd back to its shores every six to eight years, and it even celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1992!
Why is it Important?
As we know, Gaelic culture has seen a recent resurgence in Scotland. With more eyes on Scotland than ever before, many of whom live abroad and wish to celebrate their ancestral heritage, the Mòd represents a focal point for this kind of reverence.
With 7,500 visitors to the host area across the event and bringing in over £1 million to the local economy, the Mòd plays an important role, not just in igniting a passion, admiration and awareness for traditional Scottish culture, but in bringing in vital funds that ensure that the event’s success can continue far into the future, allowing generations of Scots to build and maintain a relationship with their homeland.
What You Can Expect from the Mòd
Taking place across the 11th – 19th of October 2024, Oban is preparing itself for another busy Mòd.
Visitors will be able to enjoy all of the activities across the spectrum of Gaelic arts that have come to be expected of the Mòd, with fan-favourite traditional outfit Mànran kicking off proceedings at Oban’s Corran Halls. To view programmes of specific events, dates and times, click here.
If you’re visiting the Mòd this year and want to explore more of what Scotland has to offer while you do so, you can find a suite of activities suitable for local exploration and the whole of the country’s West coast and Western Isles here.