Founded in 1973, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has become internationally recognised as a National Centre for the Gaelic language and culture. 

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is dedicated to supporting the development of research into the Gaelic language and culture. The College's first submission to the Research Assessment Exercise [RAE] in December 2008 saw 15% of research classified as internationally excellent or world-leading in Celtic Studies research.
The College is involved in a number of leading research projects including Ionad Nàiseanta na h-Imrich, the National Centre for Migration Studies, and Soillse, a collaborative research initiative with UHI and the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Staff at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig are involved in high-level research and possess amongst them 11 doctorates. The College library houses a rich resource of Gaelic, Celtic and Highland-related books and the College also supports a number of PhD studentships.