Cnoc Soilleir
What is Cnoc Soilleir?
Cnoc Soilleir is an exciting joint venture between Ceòlas Uibhist and the college. Located in the Gaelic heartland of South Uist, Cnoc Soilleir will promote and celebrate the community’s Gaelic cultural heritage.
The project will establish a new focal building at Cnoc Soilleir, meaning Bright Hill, is both the name of the building and the name of the place, nestled on a bend in Daliburgh, South Uist. Its facilities have been designed to meet the needs of both our music and Gaelic educational programmes, and Ceòlas’s community-led activities around Gaelic language learning, heritage, culture, music, and dance.
Our shared vision is a home for education placed in the heart of the community, which will bring people in, integrating student and local facilities. Cnoc Soilleir will be where everyone can engage with and learn from the wider Gaelic culture.
Cnoc Soilleir will become the new home to our world renowned music programme. This new specialist music centre with state of the art facilities will support our music programme which has developed an international reputation for the teaching of traditional music and for providing many opportunities for performance and skills development related to the music professions.
Mission Statement
Cnoc Soilleir will contribute to making Uist a desirable place to live and work by:
- Creating employment to sustain population growth, revitalising a remote and fragile island community with additional benefits to the local infrastructure in business and tourism
- Attracting students and a younger population into the community
- Providing world class facilities to deliver education at HE and FE levels, as well as informal learning, across a range of subjects
- Providing high class facilities for music and performance arts to nurture, showcase and attract talent
- Embedding learning across both Ceòlas and UHI within the community
- Enabling both Ceòlas and UHI to grow and meet their own objectives, and the aims of the national Gaelic plan in a strong Gaelic speaking community
Why are there phases?
Research for the project has clearly identified the need for a bespoke performance hall as an item of priority for Uist, to meet the needs and aspirations of both Cnoc Soilleir partners, and the local and wider communities.
Phase One of the project, which is on site now, will deliver significant benefits, and establish Cnoc Soilleir as a creative focus in South Uist. Phase Two will see the full aspirations and transformational vision for the project realised.
Phase 1 - Gaelic language culture, music, and education
- Public spaces, including a library for archive materials, exhibition space, flexible communal space with peat fire and welcome hearth
- The foyer and social space at the heart of the building will be suitable for holding gatherings, small recitals, and events with an audience of up to 60 people
- Office spaces for both Ceòlas and UHI staff
- Teaching spaces with acoustics suitable for music
- A recording studio and control room
Phase 2 - Performance and Dance In the Heart of South Uist
- Flexible performance hall, with acoustics suitable for music and singing. The hall will have a sprung floor suitable for dance, performance, and ceilidhs
- Retractable auditorium seating for audiences of up to 200 people
- Breakout spaces for the audience
- A small dance studio with a sprung floor and mirrors
- Two additional teaching spaces which can double up as green rooms and rehearsal space
View the site plan
Contact us
Cnoc Soilleir
Fòn/facs: 01851 770265
Àireamh Co. SC 635033