Scottish heritage celebrated on 250th anniversary of settler arrival on P.E.I.

People with Scottish heritage from all across North America — and even some from Scotland itself — were in P.E.I. this long weekend for the Glenaladale Festival.

The event commemorated the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Scottish settlers to the Island on June 25, 1772. 

Various Scottish-themed activities — dancing, bagpipe demonstrations, highland games — took place over 10 days at Tracadie Cross, close to the spot where where Capt. John MacDonald's Glenaladale settlers first landed on P.E.I.

Mary Claire Bradley, a member of the Glenaladale board, said hundreds of people participated in the festivities.

"There's nothing more important, I don't think, than culture and heritage," she said.

"A lot of people are going back to what community really means. I think we got away from that."

The festival has been in the works ever since the Glenaladale Heritage Trust bought the historic Glenaladale estate from the MacKinnon family in 2018 with the goal to educate Islanders about the province's Scottish heritage, Bradley said.

"[I was] very impressed with the number of young people that came to help us celebrate and enjoy and ask questions," she said.

The MacDonalds, who owned the estate until 1904, prospered on the Island and contributed to institutions well beyond P.E.I.

"They're connected with, like, McGill University and lots of other places too, that they had financed and supported," Bradley said.

"They were way ahead of their time with their information and their knowledge on agriculture and all kinds of things, and education as well."

The festival closed with a ceremony at a monument honouring Captain MacDonald and P.E.I.'s first Scottish settlers in the Scotchfort Cemetery.

Alistair James Hamilton, a sergeant with the 84th Royal Highland Emigrants regiment reenactment group, participated in the closing commemorations. John MacDonald of Glenaladale was the captain of that regiment during the American revolution.

"We came here to honour 250 years of the MacDonalds and the MacKinnons of Glenaladale in P.E.I.," he said.

"It has been very entertaining, very educational and inspiring, too... it's interesting to learn about one's heritage. That's were you come from."