5 reasons to explore Nova Scotia’s fascinating past

From its history of immigration and proud fishing industry roots to its glorious UNESCO World Heritage sites, Nova Scotia is abundant with stories

For a province that consists of a small peninsula and the nearby Cape Breton Island, which together are roughly the size of Scotland, Nova Scotia is bursting with history. From the indigenous Mi’kmaq people onwards, different communities have influenced its culture over the generations, including Acadian, Celtic and Gaelic settlers. The result today is a vibrant, welcoming destination featuring fascinating historical sites and spectacular natural landscapes.

Just a six-hour flight from the UK, Nova Scotia is ready and waiting to be explored, so if you’re looking for inspiration, read on for five reasons to visit this gem on the Canadian North Atlantic coast.

The people who made Nova Scotia

For more than 10,000 years, the province has been home to the Mi’kmaq people, whose language, art, music and spirituality have hugely influenced Nova Scotian life, and even inform the area’s extraordinary natural topography. For instance, according to native legend, it was a meeting between mythic god figure Glooscap and a mighty whale that created the extreme tides in the Bay of Fundy – the highest in the world.

You can see 18th-century Mi’kmaq petroglyphs in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, and for a really memorable experience, a tour of Goat Island is a must. There you’ll be guided on a 2.4km cultural trail by a Mi’kmaq cultural interpreter, enjoy a traditional feast and listen to traditional stories and music.

Arrivals through the generations

A visit to the province’s capital, Halifax, should include a visit to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, but venture further afield and your curiosities will be rewarded handsomely. Gaelic and Celtic immigrants’ cultural footprints can be seen across the province, with Scottish Gaelic still spoken by some inhabitants. You can dip your toe into this hospitable diaspora on Cape Breton Island and its picturesque Highland Village Museum. Overlooking the Bras d’Or Lake, you’ll take in stories, songs and traditional skills while you tour the 11 historic buildings. Costumed interpreters will greet you in Gaelic, and if you’re up for a jig, a lively ceilidh is never far away at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre.

And if you have some joie de vivre to spare, learn about the Acadian culture of the 17th-century French settlers, whose language and customs can be found throughout Nova Scotia and beyond. At the Landscape of Grand Pré UNESCO World Heritage site, you can roam the stunning grounds and memorial church, explore the hull of a deportation ship through a cinematic experience and hear all about the fascinating history of this location.

Natural wonders

As a peninsula and island on the extreme east of Canada, the topography and landscapes vary greatly for such a small area. Visit the Joggins Fossil Cliffs on the Bay of Fundy, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site as the world’s most complete record of life in the Carboniferous era. Imprints left by plants, insects and dinosaurs can all be seen in the fossils exposed by the amazing force of the high tides.

And to be truly wowed by nature, head to the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest in Canada with more than 1.5 million hectares of picturesque coastal and inland terrains. You can hike or paddle through just about every type of landscape imaginable, all of which is breathtaking.

Stories from the sea

It won’t take many restaurant visits for you to realise that Nova Scotia is pretty serious about seafood. For a glimpse into its proud fishing history, head to Old Town Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll find yourself transported back to the 18th and 19th centuries when this fishing port was packed to the gills with tall ships.

Vividly coloured historic homes line the streets overlooking the harbour – which is home to Bluenose II, a replica of Nova Scotia's famous fishing and racing schooner – and the waterfront is abuzz with friendly residents and irresistible seafood. While there, don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in everything from lobsters and rum running to tales of adventures on the high seas at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

The Titanic connection

Though the Titanic’s final resting place is near the north-eastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia has its own solemn story to tell about the legendary vessel. Before the full extent of the damage was known, White Star Line’s initial plan after impact with the iceberg was to sail to Halifax. In the end, 209 bodies were brought to Halifax, 150 of which were laid to rest in three cemeteries across the city.

You can view the finest collection of wooden Titanic artifacts in the world at Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where you can also learn about the cataclysmic explosion that occurred in the capital’s harbour only five years later, claiming at least 1,782 lives.

Purely Canada

Travel as part of Purely Canada’s ‘Maritime Magic’. May to Sep departures from £2,398 per person. Includes 11 nights, compact car rental with fully inclusive insurance and roundtrip direct flights on Air Canada.

Starts and ends in Halifax. Featuring Western Shore, Digby, Truro, Antigonish, Baddeck and Cape Breton, West Bay, Liscombe Mills.

Explore Nova Scotia with Purely Canada

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