Our websites:

Our social media sites - YouTube, Twitter and Facebook

YouTube X Facebook Instagram
1369

The Scottish Voice

Free Scottish accent and Scottish Gaelic computer voices designed specifically for reading digital text and for personal communication. 

The voices can be used with most Windows and MacOS 'text-to-speech' programs (text readers) and communication aids.

All voices are created by CereProc, a leading speech synthesis company in Edinburgh.

There are seven voices licenced for the Scottish public sector available on our Scottish Voice web site:

  1. Heather (adult female).
  2. Stuart (adult male).
  3. Mairi (child female).
  4. Andrew (child male).
  5. Isla (teenage femaile).
  6. Callum (teenage male).
  7. Ceitidh (Gaelic adult female).

Use the voices with a text reader to:

Use the voices with a voice output communication aid for:

Download now

or, read on...

Requirements

Don't know what a text-to-speech program is? Then find out more on our 'text-to-speech' page.

How does the voice work?

The voices are installed onto your computer and sit in the background. They are not an actual program you can open but more of a service that other programs can use.

Here's how text on your digital document or communication aid is converted to speech:

  1. The text reader / communication aid sends text to the computer voice;
  2. The text is converted to speech by the computer voice;
  3. The audio is read aloud.

What about the iPad and Android?

Why do we need Scottish computer voices?

We believe there is a strong cultural and educational imperative for pupils, students and people with disabilities in Scotland to be able to read and listen to Scottish educational and information resources spoken using voices with Scottish accents.

We believe that it is even more important that children and adults in Scotland who have difficulty communicating can speak with  a Scottish accent on an electronic communication aid. Follow this link to find out what Lachlan thinks of his new Andrew voice!  

The Scottish Government funds CALL Scotland to provide a Scotland-wide schools licence for the Scottish Voices. The voices are licenced for schools, colleges, universities and NHS patients.

Are they free and where do I get them?

If the answer is yes or you meet the criteria in the list below then you can download the voices for free!

If you don't and still want to get a voice, you can purchase a copy from the CALL Scotland shop.

Download now

 

The voices are licensed for non-commercial, non-profit personal,
educational and research purposes for
:

  1. State-run schools.
  2. Pupils at home.
  3. Children and adults who use voice output communication aids.
  4. Scottish Colleges.
  5. Scottish Universities.
  6. Scottish Open University students.
  7. Scottish charities dealing with pupils and NHS patients.
  8. Scottish Local Authorities.
  9. NHS Scotland.
  10. Scottish government agencies and public sector in general.

The voices are not licensed for:

  1. Independent schools.
  2. Private companies.
  3. Scottish students studying abroad.
  4. and individuals not covered by the above.

Newsletter: join thousands of other people

Once a month we'll send you an email with news, research and thoughts, as well as training courses and free webinars you may wish to attend.