Ur beatha Am Baile (oor bay-ha am bal-uh) Welcome to the Village! We are in Nova Scotia and we decided to visit the Highland Village located in Iona, Nova Scotia. The Highland Village is a living museum with several authentic buildings used by the Scots from the late 1700's through the 1920's.
The costumed in period actors, the history and the incredible views made for a wonderful day.
The first Highlanders to arrive in Nova Scotia (New Scotland) arrived via ship in 1773. Once the French and British settled who would control what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces, the British prevailed and their was a massive expulsion of the Acadians in this area. By the mid 1700's the British were inviting Scots to come to Nova Scotia, offering them land, left behind by the expelled Acadians. We wrote some about this French expulsion in our summer of 2015 posts when we first visited this area.
The Highlander Scots first came to Nova Scotia in hopes of no longer being driven by the rules and financial chains imposed on them by the landowners they leased land from. In the late 1700's , however, Scotland landowners began to realize that sheep farming could be much more profitable than crop farming. And sheep farming did not require near as many workers. Many Scots were forced out of their homes and when they did not voluntarily leave, over 150,000 of their homes were burned by their landowners. This historical event, for those that wish to research further, is known as the Highland Clearances.
This Living Museum is done incredibly well. Each actor stays in character and also stays in time. The stories they told us were filled with not only history but also personal conviction. All characters were fluent in Gaelic and they would say many things to us in Gaelic and later follow by explaining in English. There is a huge interest in this area of people learning Gaelic and several other visitors would chat in Gaelic and it was fun to listen to them talk.
Each building is from a different time period and so were the actors and the stories they told. We learned about farming, raising sheep (that were not sheered, but the wool was pulled from them when they were molting), the carding of wool, the making of yarn, rugs and the weaving of their incredible fabrics as well as the 'fulling' of the fabric that often involved a town party to accomplish.
We learned that for many years, children would be punished in the schools for speaking Gaelic. While it was still spoken in the home and in the church, the various discouraging of the Gaelic language, music and customs, has necessitated a resurgence of this beautiful culture. It is quite impressive the success of this resurgence in this area,thanks to the Gaelic College.http://www.gaeliccollege.edu/
For those recently joining us on our blog and still wish to know more about Nova Scotia, checkout our July 2015 blog entry.
July 2015
The costumed in period actors, the history and the incredible views made for a wonderful day.
The first Highlanders to arrive in Nova Scotia (New Scotland) arrived via ship in 1773. Once the French and British settled who would control what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces, the British prevailed and their was a massive expulsion of the Acadians in this area. By the mid 1700's the British were inviting Scots to come to Nova Scotia, offering them land, left behind by the expelled Acadians. We wrote some about this French expulsion in our summer of 2015 posts when we first visited this area.
The Highlander Scots first came to Nova Scotia in hopes of no longer being driven by the rules and financial chains imposed on them by the landowners they leased land from. In the late 1700's , however, Scotland landowners began to realize that sheep farming could be much more profitable than crop farming. And sheep farming did not require near as many workers. Many Scots were forced out of their homes and when they did not voluntarily leave, over 150,000 of their homes were burned by their landowners. This historical event, for those that wish to research further, is known as the Highland Clearances.
This Living Museum is done incredibly well. Each actor stays in character and also stays in time. The stories they told us were filled with not only history but also personal conviction. All characters were fluent in Gaelic and they would say many things to us in Gaelic and later follow by explaining in English. There is a huge interest in this area of people learning Gaelic and several other visitors would chat in Gaelic and it was fun to listen to them talk.
Each building is from a different time period and so were the actors and the stories they told. We learned about farming, raising sheep (that were not sheered, but the wool was pulled from them when they were molting), the carding of wool, the making of yarn, rugs and the weaving of their incredible fabrics as well as the 'fulling' of the fabric that often involved a town party to accomplish.
We learned that for many years, children would be punished in the schools for speaking Gaelic. While it was still spoken in the home and in the church, the various discouraging of the Gaelic language, music and customs, has necessitated a resurgence of this beautiful culture. It is quite impressive the success of this resurgence in this area,thanks to the Gaelic College.http://www.gaeliccollege.edu/
For those recently joining us on our blog and still wish to know more about Nova Scotia, checkout our July 2015 blog entry.
July 2015
   Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia Built with stacked stones, no mortar and a sod roof 1770-1830  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia Built with stacked stones, no mortar and a sod roof 1770-1830  Bras De'Or Lake Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia   Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Highland Village, Iona, Nova Scotia  Note the roadway in the back, and the swivel bridge for the railroad |
