NOLLAIG BHON GHÀIDHEALTACHD – A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS ON BBC ALBA

BBC ALBA invites you to join the Channel this Christmas Eve for a very special Gaelic ecumenical service from Ness Bank Church, Inverness.

Rev KD MacLeod (Church of Scotland) will lead the service, with readings and prayers from Rev Ronnie Morrison (Free Church) and Father James MacNeil (Catholic Church).

Soloists Kathleen MacInnes, Maggie MacDonald and James Graham are accompanied by local musicians The Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail, who will perform a medley of Christmas classics. Pupils from the Inverness Gaelic Primary School (Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis), the Inverness Gaelic Choir and the Ness Bank Congregation join together to sing favourite Gaelic carols. The carols are subtitled in Gaelic so viewers at home are able to join in.

Christmas is a time for family and friends, but not everyone is able to spend Christmas Day at home with their loved ones. The programme will cover some of the work that The Salvation Army in Inverness is doing to help the homeless and less fortunate, as well as joining The Highland Hospice and Marie Curie Cancer Care team to learn about the services they provide for families over the Christmas period.

The pipes and drums of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, currently stationed in Germany, send their Christmas messages home to love ones, with Trooper Ben Duncan piping us into Christmas Day.

Nollaig bhon Ghàidhealtachd is produced by Eyeline Media for BBC ALBA and will be transmitted on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December at 11pm and repeated on Christmas Day at 3.25pm. A special recording will also be played out on Radio nan Gàidheal on Christmas Day at 12.03pm.