Sunday 6 Oct
We had an easy start of the day, we are doing the last part of the Cabot Trail before we go to Pictou.
We will be stopping in Pictou for just one night. We stayed in an old historic building, the Pictou Customs House which was built for the federal government circa 1873 according to designs by Halifax architects Stirling and Dewar. The building was to house the offices of the Customs and Immigration branch of the federal government. And is located on what was originally a spit of land in close proximity to the major wharves. The Second Empire structure features a double façade looking out to the harbour and in to the town. It also had a tower overlooking the waterfront. The massive building was a forceful statement made by the federal government of a young country, an indelible imprint on the town’s streetscape.
The town of Pictou was a receiving point for many Scottish immigrants moving to a new home in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island following the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The first wave of immigrants arrived on September 15, 1773, on the Hector (boat). While there were a significant number of Scottish people settled in other parts of Nova Scotia at the time Pictou was settled, the town’s tourism slogan is “The Birthplace of New Scotland”, which is based on being the first primarily made up Scottish immigrants and the ship Hector being recognised as the first immigrant ship to sail directly from Scotland to what is now Canada. There was an artist market and a few nice restaurants for us to pick for dinner.
The Hector is being rebuild and should be ready for launch in 2025.
