Quote Originally Posted by figheadair View Post
Interesting story. Whilst everyone you met spoke Gaelic I very much doubt that they didn't speak English, just that you didn't hear them do so. So far as I know from the 1950s, probably earlier, the Scottish education system ensured that everyone who was a native Gaelic speaker as their first language learnt English at school. Having travelled widely around the islands in the 1970s and 80s I never met anyone that couldn't speak English.
Those who didn't understand, or speak English (most of those we visited) were older people. Yes, younger people also spoke English. But with the older ones, when I tried to speak to them, they looked puzzled, like they genuinely did not understand what I was saying. I had to have my friend interpret, for me. (Or they were toying with me, but I doubt that).