Our Scots Project
Lingo Flamingo Scots leid an culture coorse fir Scottish care hames – enhancing older adults’ wellbeing, social connection, sense of identity and belonging
Lingo Flamingo and the Open University in Scotland have collaborated in the creation of a new Scots language course for care homes, which has been very popular since it was launched in June 2026! We are currently also evaluating the impact of the course on the older adults and their carers in a research project.
This was a Scottish Government-funded initiative following the passing of the Scottish languages Act 2025 to help embed the Scots provisions of the Act across Scottish society and public services. Our course is the first Scots course of its kind, also accessible for people living with dementia, it’s designed for speakers and learners of Scots and combines Scots language engagement with learning about Scotland’s geography, nature, food, crafts, history, arts and languages!
Since its launch in June 2026, the new course has provided immensely popular, with 132 students already taking part across 12 projects in care homes across Scotland.
“ Compared to other languages, I feel it brings instant curiosity and connection with the group. I guess that’s because they feel at home with their mother tongue/lived experiences and can sense my own passion for the language and culture.
So far, the sessions have been rich in language, reminiscing, interaction, recognising and celebrating identity, laughter, emotion and of course, plenty of singing! ”
~ Trish Timmins, Scots Tutor
Our Workbook:
Our Scots course explores a range of topics and we have developed an accessible workbook to ensure all our classes are engaging, clear and fun!
Take a look at these example pages and download a sample of one of the workbook chapters below.
