On September 15th, 1773, the ship Hector with almost 200 Highland Scots on board made landfall in Pictou. In that moment, New Scotland was born and the fabric of our provincial culture was woven in tartan.
 
Two hundred and twenty-seven years ago, the Ship Hector arrived in Pictou. A replica of the vessel, a fully serviceable tall ship, is docked each summer at the Hector Heritage Quay and is a key element of this heritage attraction.
 
From May through October, you can put yourself in the shoes of the original Scottish immigrants, stepping ashore from the deck of the wooden ship that had carried them from their homes across the sea for twelve weeks to a new and wild world.

• Guided tours led by costumed animators will take you back into the pioneer life of the 18th century, sharing the legends and history of the Scottish migration with you.
• The Hector Festival celebrating the arrival of the settlers in 1773 takes place each August. 
• Shipwrights and carpenters ply their craft in the working carpentry shop as the work of maintaining a wooden tall ship carries on.
• Chat with the Artist in Residence in the Quay’s studio. 
• Learn the secrets of the forge from a kilted blacksmith hammering out hardware in the Blacksmith Shop.

 The genealogical influence of the original settlers is far reaching. Investigate the original passenger list bearing the names of McLeans, McKays, Pattersons, Urquarts, Sutherlands, Murrays, Mcleods, Frasers, Camerons and others for connections to your own past.