The Hector in Pictou brought the first Scots to Nova Scotia

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The "Hector" today

First Scots in Nova Scotia on board the Hector in Pictou


She towers proudly in the port of Pictou: the "Hector". In absolute calm, it is reflected in the water of the port of Pictou and gives us a picture from another time - more precisely the year 1773, when the first large group of Scottish immigrants on board such a sailing ship reached the coast of Nova Scotia. The Hector in Pictou is a symbol of Canadian history.

 

First Scots in Nova Scotia: The "Hector" in Pictou
The "Hector" in Pictou brought the first Scots ashore in Nova Scotia

 

 

First Scots in Nova Scotia
First Scots in Nova Scotia: So it went on board the Hector

 

They crossed the Atlantic aboard the Hector in Pictou

This ship was a reconstruction of a British three-master, as it was used for the transport of goods. The Hector in Pictou did not bring the first Scottish settlers into the country. The first attempts at English colonization of Nova Scotia had already been started a good ten years earlier from Pennsylvania, but failed mainly because of the fact that there were no facilities on the Northumberland Coast of Nova Scotia that would make it easier for the new settlers to survive. And the passengers from Scotland who went ashore on September 15, 1773 on board the "Hector" in the Pictou region, did not find much more. They went ashore in a bay where dense forest reached the coast, and where there was no forest, marshland made easy use of the region impossible.

 

 

Are you traveling with a motorhome?

  • Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information and a selection in these  booking options.
  • Check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
  • There are several campsites in the Pictou area. One is Harbor Light Campground, 2881 Three Brooks Rd, Pictou, NS B0K 1H0, Canada. This is only minutes away from the ferry to Prince Edward Island.

 

The first task of the Hector in Pictou was therefore to leave immediately for Pennsylvania to fetch provisions for the coming winter. The new settlers first had to deal with the few local residents who prevented them from building accommodation on the coast and demanded that they settle further inland. The first winter was a time of great difficulty for the Scots. They had to walk through pathless terrain to Truro, eighty miles away, to get provisions there, which they dragged back to the coast near Pictou on their shoulders. At the end of this hard first winter, only 78 of the Scots who had immigrated on board the "Hector" the year before were still alive. It was not until the first half of the 19th century that the great wave of Scots immigrated to Nova Scotia began.

 

First Scots in Nova Scotia: The "Hector" today
First Scots in Nova Scotia: The Hector in Pictou today

 

The "Hector" was built between 1990 and 2002 in the port of Pictou.

The "Hector" and the information center are open during the summer months in the port of Pictou.

Note: The visitor center, the workshops and the hull are currently open to visitors. The "Hector" itself is currently being overhauled for the 250th anniversary of the Scots landing in 2023.

 

That has to be in your suitcase for a trip to Pictou

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Arrival to Hector in Pictou:

Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Air Canada, Condor and Icelandair fly from Germany to various airports in eastern Canada.

Car Rentals:

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Hotels near the Hector in Pictou:

Hotels in Pictou * You can book through our partner booking.com.


 

Hector Pictou
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Source Hector in Pictou: research on site. We would definitely like to thank Tourism Nova Scotia for the invitation. However, our opinions remain our own.

Text Hector in Pictou: © Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos Hector in Pictou: © Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline

The Hector in Pictou brought the first Scots to Nova Scotia

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Slow Travel and Enjoyment travel blog TravelWorldOnline Traveller. You have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Your topics are Trips to Savor and wine tourism worldwide and Slow Travel. During her studies, Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she traveled to the USA and Canada - sometimes together with Petar Fuchs - and spent a research year in British Columbia. This strengthened her thirst for knowledge, which she pursued for 6 years Adventure Guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as Study tour guide for Studiosus Reisen tried to breastfeed all over the world. She constantly expanded her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: “What is beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do you eat in this region?” These are the questions she is now trying to answer as a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), among others. travel writer and travel blogger answers in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is below Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021 Other Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs. Recommendations on LinkedIn from tourism experts Further recommendations from cooperation partners and tourism experts Professional experience Monika on LinkedIn