Highland Village

One of the best excursions I found in Nova Scotia turned out to be the Highland Village. Perhaps it's because it reminded me so much of Appalachia. Since a large group of Scots-Irish settled in the Appalachian Mountains, even the culture looked familiar. 

Like houses in Scotland at the time

The Highland Village Museum at Clachan Gaidhealach celebrates this culture. It begins with the earliest type of dwelling and continues through time to give visitors a glimpse of what life was like along the way. I loved it! I could have spend much more than a few hours there.

Tens of thousands of Gaelic speaking Scots poured into Nova Scotia between the mid 1700's and the late 1800's. As most immigrants, they came to find a better life where they could live in freedom. Although they found a rich land teeming in resources, the rugged, untamed land held new challenges. But with the tenacity of the ancient Scots, they worked together and carved a new way of life that reflected the old.

They settled in communities of similar backgrounds based on families and religion. These became close-knit communities where neighbors helped each other. To this day Gaelic ancestors reside in towns like Iona, New Glascow, and Inverness. If you ever get a chance, don't pass up the chance to step through the ages and visit the Scots of Nova                                                                   Scotia at Highland Village.

                                                       

                                                        

______________________________________