That's how the Scots lived in Nova Scotia

The Highland Village in Iona on Cape Breton

During our visit to the Scottish community in Nova Scotia, we heard a dull, rhythmic thumping as we walked up the forest path. What could it be? There was nothing to see that offered an explanation. Our path therefore led us first to a small stone cottage on the edge of the Iona Museum Village.

If you don't just want to hike the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton, a side trip to Iona is worthwhile. Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village Experience how Scottish immigrants lived on Cape Breton. Many visitors still know the open-air museum by its former name, the Highland Village Museum. Located above Bras d'Or Lake, it combines old houses, crafts, Gaelic culture, music, language, and stories from Nova Scotia.

For us, the visit was one of those stops that made a trip through Nova Scotia more tangible. Cape Breton is not just coastline, forest, and scenic drive. The island also tells a story of emigration, hard work, hope, and how people established themselves in a new home.

Is the Highland Village Museum on Cape Breton worth visiting?

The Highland Village in Iona is particularly worthwhile if you're looking for more to experience on Cape Breton than just the viewpoints along the Cabot Trail. It's ideal for travelers interested in emigration history, Gaelic culture, crafts, and the daily lives of early settlers. The open-air museum can also be exciting for families with children, as many scenes are not only explained but also acted out.

A visit is less suitable if you have limited time on Cape Breton and primarily want to drive the coastal road. Iona is not directly on the Cabot Trail. From Baddeck, you should allow about an hour for the drive. However, the visit can easily be combined with a drive around Bras d'Or Lake.

We experienced the stop as a peaceful addition to our Cape Breton trip. After driving across the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia Iona shows a different side of the island. It's not about spectacular viewpoints, but about houses, tools, conversations, and small scenes from the everyday lives of the Scottish settlers.

That's how the first Scots lived in Nova Scotia

A woman in a long dress, headscarf, and apron stands before us. She gazes out at the Barra Strait, which connects two arms of Bras d'Or Lake. She addresses us with a strong Scottish accent and tells us that her husband has just gone out fishing in his boat. Then she invites us into her cottage, which consists of only one room. In the center is a hearth where cooking takes place.

In one corner, I also see a bed enclosed by wooden walls. In winter, the icy wind must whistle through every crack. The Scots in Nova Scotia prefer to protect themselves from the cold with wooden walls and a thick curtain in front of the bed.

It's not exactly cozy in their cottage. But then again, neither were the cottages back in their native Scotland, where they and their family lived as landless day laborers on their landlord's estate, barely scraping by. Nova Scotia, as they call their new home, promises the Scots a better life. The land on which their simple cottage stands also belongs to their family.

There is no one to take away what they have earned with their own hands. The future of the Scots in Nova Scotia looks brighter in their new home, even though a difficult road lies ahead.

Our video from the Highland Village in Iona

Petar's video effectively illustrates why the Highland Village is more than just a collection of old houses. The buildings don't simply stand alone. Only through the people, their stories, their language, their everyday actions, and the small scenes does it become clear how closely daily life and culture are intertwined here.

That's precisely why a visit fits well into a slow-travel trip through Nova Scotia. You're not just walking through a museum village. You're getting a sense of how people from the Highlands and islands of Scotland brought their language, music, working techniques, and storytelling traditions to Cape Breton.

The history of the Scots in Nova Scotia

We are in the Iona open air museum Cape Breton IslandA great stop after our drive on the Cabot Trail. Here, in a village, you can experience the history of the Scots in Nova Scotia firsthand. We stroll from one house to another, walking through time.

Nova Scotia's Scottish history stretches far back. The name Nova Scotia appears as early as the 17th century, when King James I of England and VI of Scotland linked the region to Scottish colonization. Later, settlers from various parts of the British Isles came to Nova Scotia. However, for many Gaelic-speaking families from Scotland, the Atlantic province became a new home primarily in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

An important role is played in this by Hector in PictouThe ship brought a large group of Scottish emigrants directly to Nova Scotia in 1773. A replica of the Hector in Pictou commemorates this voyage. The journey was arduous, lasted many weeks, and showed upon arrival that their new life would not be easy.

After 1749, when Halifax was developed as a British base, the settlement of Nova Scotia increased significantly. After the Expulsion of the acadians from Nova Scotia More settlers came to the region. Later, many Scottish families moved to Cape Breton and other parts of Nova Scotia. They cleared land, built houses, cultivated fields, and preserved their language, music, and storytelling traditions.

From homesteader to farmer – the history of the Scots in Nova Scotia

Our walk through Iona shows that life for the Scots in Nova Scotia wasn't easy. Most of them cleared land to grow what they needed to survive. This is how villages like the one we're staying in came into being. Over time, a certain degree of prosperity arrived as more and more artisans and specialists settled in Nova Scotia.

Trade relations with the mother country and the neighboring English colonies to the south brought goods into the country that made life easier. During our visit to houses from later periods, we discover fine porcelain, pretty tablecloths, and curtains that make living spaces more comfortable. The houses are better insulated, and the number of rooms increases.

The simple camps where the first Scots slept in Nova Scotia are gradually disappearing. In their place are bedrooms with beds, wardrobes, and dressers where clothes made from handwoven fabrics hang. The village store sells goods not produced locally. These come from neighboring southern colonies or from mainland Scotland, demonstrating the changing lives of the settlers.

Such details make the visit interesting. You don't just see that the houses are getting bigger. You also recognize how survival slowly evolves into a daily life that allows for more freedom. A curtain, a tablecloth, or a piece of porcelain then tells almost as much as a year.

This has to be in the suitcase for a walk in the footsteps of the Scots in Nova Scotia

• When walking on uneven paths, we wear sturdy shoes. hiking bootsThey provide support when the ground is damp or stony.
• For the tour, a large backpack Practical. You can store drinks, a jacket, and small items in it.
• Check our hiking checklist, whether you have packed everything you need.
• A travel guide for Nova Scotia helps to better understand the stops on Cape Breton while traveling.

In the forge of Iona

Finally, the blacksmith from Iona demonstrates how he makes a spoon from a simple piece of metal. As a souvenir, he forges me one of the rough nails used to hold some of the buildings in the village together.

With him, we finally learn what caused the dull thumping sound we noticed at the beginning of our visit to Iona. A massive draft horse is galloping at full speed down the slope from the village church when it sees the blacksmith emerging from his workshop.

He just laughs and says: "He's waiting for his cuddles again."

He pulls a sugar cube from his pocket and hands it to the impressive horse. "He's known me since he was a foal, and he still acts like a small, clumsy pony. He's completely unaware of his own strength." With that, the horse turns around, satisfied and a sugar cube richer, and thunders back up the mountain with muffled hooves.

It's a tranquil world we're discovering here. We encounter it again and again on our travels through Nova Scotia. Not loud, not intrusive, but with stories that linger in the mind. The history of the Scots in Nova Scotia is well worth exploring.

Practical questions about visiting Iona

How much time do you need for the Highland Village?

For a leisurely stroll, you should allow at least two hours. If you want to talk to the performers, take photos, or enjoy the view of Bras d'Or Lake, it can easily turn into half a day.

Does the visit fit into a Cape Breton tour?

Yes, especially if you're staying overnight in Baddeck or including Bras d'Or Lake in your route. However, Iona is less conveniently located for a short stop during a pure Cabot Trail loop. On the other hand, it's a good choice if you want to experience Cape Breton away from the well-known viewpoints.

Why is the museum important for Nova Scotia?

The museum showcases the profound influence of Gaelic culture on Cape Breton. It focuses not only on houses and tools, but also on language, music, storytelling traditions, and the lives of the Scottish settlers.

Travel Arrangements

Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
4119 Highway 223
Iona, Nova Scotia
Canada

You can find the current opening hours on the official website of the Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland VillageSince seasons and programs can change, you should check them before your trip to Iona.

Stay overnight in Baddeck or near Iona

For example, we stayed overnight in Baddeck. There are numerous hotels, lodges, inns, and B&Bs there. The drive from Baddeck to Iona takes about an hour. You can easily combine the trip with a boat tour around Bras d'Or Lake or plan a visit to the Highland Village as a relaxing day trip.

The Iona Heights Inn is also located near Highland Village. This can be convenient if you want to stay right by Bras d'Or Lake.

Arrival in Iona

For your visit, a rental car is highly recommended. Iona is located on Highway 223 on Bras d'Or Lake. If you're coming from Baddeck, you should allow about an hour for the one-way trip. From other locations on Cape Breton, the travel time varies considerably depending on whether you drive directly or combine your visit with other stops at the lake.

Flights and parking at the airport

For a trip to Nova Scotia, flights to Halifax are a good option. From there, the best way to reach Cape Breton is by rental car. If you're flying from Germany, it's also worth checking parking options at the departure airport.

Reserve a parking space at the airport*

More tips for Nova Scotia and historical sites

Do you also enjoy experiencing a historical atmosphere? Then these items are a good fit:

• The Hector in Pictou brought the first Scots to Nova Scotia
• Acadia on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia
• More Slow Travel Tips

Source: Our own on-site research. We thank Nova Scotia Tourism for the kind invitation to this trip. However, our opinions remain our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline