BBC ALBA – WEEKLY PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Saturday 17 December – Friday 23 December 2011 / Saturday 24 December – Saturday 31 Dec

Title: SPL: Hearts v Dunfermline

The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as Heart of Midlothian host Dunfermline at Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh.

Transmitted: Saturday 17 December
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm


Title: Piping Live

A taste of what can be seen during the annual Piping Live festival in Glasgow. From pipes and drums to ceilidh and folk bands, it's a lively, colourful and youthful gathering of national and international performers. Presented by Morag MacDonald.

Transmitted: Saturday 17 December
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Horo Gheallaidh / Celtic Music

World class musicians from the Celtic Connections festival drop in to give special, intimate performances at the Horo Gheallaidh ceilidh session's filmed in Glasgow and presented by Sarah Cruickshank. This week, we see performances from LYY from Sweden and Munto Valdo from Cameroon. Also performing are Uist singer Linda Macleod and the Rua Macmillan Trio . This is a unique opportunity to watch world-class artists up close, performing stripped down versions of their songs live on our sofa in a way you won't have seen them before.

Transmitted: Saturday 17 December
Time: 10.00 – 10.25pm


Title: Vets: Gach Creutar Beo

Amazing work with chimpanzees at Blair Drummond Safari Park when vet Colin Scott calls in the specialists from Edinburgh Zoo to help out and Iain MacLean in Wick tends to a working collie dog and finds more than he expected. The wonderful world of Scottish vets.

Transmitted: Monday 19 December
Time: 8.30 – 9.00pm


Title: Eorpa

Another edition of Eorpa, reporting on the most interesting stories from around Europe.

Transmitted: Wednesday 21 December
Time: 8.30pm


Title: Soillse: A’ leantainn Shackleton / Antarctica

An adventurer and wildlife photographer make the journey from the Falkland Isles via South Georgia to Antarctica and back up to South America - the same journey taken by the famous explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

They encounter the wildlife that lives there, and have a chance to gain a better understanding of the rich history that the whaling industry has in the region.

Transmitted: Wednesday 21 December
Time: 9.00 – 9.55pm


Title: Caman / Shinty Documentary

David MacPherson’s Inveraray hope to win the first silverware of the season. We learn more about the Rodger family and Eddie Tembo starts playing again following his injury. Lisa Norman finally has a day off and gets to play shinty.

Transmitted: Thursday 22 December
Time: 8.30 – 9.00pm


Title: Air An Rathad / On The Road

Fiona travels to Switzerland to visit Rinspeed Concept Cars, where they develop cars of the future. So what exactly will we be driving in 2020? You'll have to watch to find out!

Calum Iain is a happy man as he gets his hands on a Focus RS500 - it may look like an ordinary hatchback, but this version does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds! He leaves the statistics to twin brother Iain Calum and lets the accelerator hit the floor.

Murray is in Ness behind the wheel of his favourite vehicle - his tractor - as he takes part in an island rally. Ten hours later and he's arrived at Rodel, saddle sore but happy to have raised a few pounds for charity.

It's the last programme of the series and that means it's the last challenge for Wacky Races - who will win the Cup this year? Tune in to Air an Rathad for a thrilling finale!

Transmitted: Thursday 22 December
Time: 10.00 – 10.30pm


Title: SPL Dundee United v Hibernian

The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as Dundee United host Hibernian at Tannadice Park, Dundee.

Transmitted: Saturday 24 December
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm


Title: Spors na Bliadhna 2011 / Sports Review

BBC ALBA takes a look back at some of the sporting highlights and stories that hit the headlines in 2011.

Transmitted: Saturday 24 December
Time: 7.30 – 8.30pm


Title: Nollaig A Steornabhagh / Christmas Service

Join us this Christmas Eve for a very special ecumenical service from Martin's Memorial Church, Stornoway. Rev James MacIver (Free Church), Rev Angus Morrison (Church of Scotland) and Father Roddy Johnston (Catholic Church) share readings and prayers with us.

Acclaimed soloists Mary Smith, Isobel Ann Martin and Donnie Murdo Macleod sing Christmas hymns, and the pupils of Laxdale Primary School, the Nicolson Institute, Back Gaelic Choir, and the Stornoway Congregation join together to sing an assortment of Christmas classics, as piper James Mackenzie welcomes in Christmas Day.

Transmitted: Saturday 24 December
Time: 11.00pm – 12.05am


Title: Leon Sa Gheamhradh / Leon in Wintertime

Wintertime has hit Balthasarville and along with it a horrible ogre has come to kidnap Princess Molly and eat her with his pea stew. It is up to Leon, a young bear who has run away from home and has ended up a the mercy of a mischievous storyteller, to save her.

Along with his new friends, a grumpy hedgehog and an accident prone elephant, the brave bear embarks on a quest to find the poor princess.

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 5.05 – 5.35pm


Title: Mallachd an fhir-rabaide / Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were Rabbit

The village is being overrun by rabbits and Wallace has a plan - all he has to do is alter their minds so that they will leave the vegetable allotments alone. However, his plan goes awry when his experiment fails, leaving himself a bit worse for 'were.'

The rabbit problem escalates when the villagers discover a monstrous 'were-rabbit' destroying everything in its sights. Everyone - including Lady T, who Wallace is quite fond of - wants the daring duo to solve the problem….but there is no sign of Wallace!

Will Gromit be able to solve the conundrum before the creature - who may be more familiar than they think - gets shot?

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 5.35 – 7.00pm


Title: A’ Bhliadhna / News Review

A review of this year's news from a local, national and international perspective.

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 7.00 – 7.55pm


Title: Is Mise Michelle McManus

Singer and presenter Michelle McManus travels to the Western Isles of Scotland on a journey of musical discovery.

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Na Caimbeulaich

The Campbells of Greepe, a profile looking at the lives and music of two generations of the singing dynasty who have roots in Skye.

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 10.00 – 11.00pm


Title: Celtic Connections

Join Ricky Ross as he samples the best country, soul, gospel, folk and world music from Celtic Connections 2011.Tom Jones headlines 60 minutes of highlights from this great Glasgow music festival.

Transmitted: Sunday 25 December
Time: 11.00pm – 12.00 midnight


Title: Pro 12 Live Rugby - Edinburgh v Glasgow

The first leg of the 1872 Cup as rivals Edinburgh and Glasgow face each other in the PRO12 rugby at Murrayfield Stadium.

Transmitted: Monday 26 December
Time: 5.30 – 7.25pm


Title: Mod 2011: Mod Highlights

Mary Ann Kennedy presents some of the winning performances from the main stage of the Mod 2011 in Stornoway.

Transmitted: Tuesday 27 December - Friday 30 December
Time: 6.30 – 8.00pm


Title: Turas Tony

Actor Tony Kearney from BBC's 'River City' swaps the comfort of a television studio for four varied and challenging professions. Episode 4, the Winter Special, sees Tony take a tumble as he joins the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.

Transmitted: Monday 26 December
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: King Kenny

The career of Kenny Dalglish at the end of a momentous year that saw him return to Liverpool FC as manager.

Transmitted: Wednesday 28 December
Time: 8.55 – 9.55pm


Title: SPL Hibernian v Inverness CT

The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as Hibernian host Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Easter Road, Edinburgh.

Transmitted: Wednesday 28 December
Time: 9.55 – 11.55pm


Title: Soillse - Eilean Takuu / There Once Was An Island

Takuu Island is in crisis. As ever more frequent storms and an enormous flood threatens to engulf paradise, who will decide to flee and leave their culture behind forever?

The recent flood destroyed homes and crops, and the government of the nearest mainland town of Bougainville has been unable to transport food or assistance with only one boat servicing the island. Who will stay, hoping only that God will save them?

Transmitted: Thursday 29 December
Time: 9.00 – 9.55pm


Title: Sweet Dreams – Sgeulachd Patsy Cline

The life story of country singing sensation Patsy Cline (1932 - 1963), through a theatre production featuring some of her best loved songs.

Transmitted: Friday 30 December
Time: 8.55 – 10.00pm