Pictou, Nova Scotia
Ships, Kilts & Big Ideas
What do you think about when you hear the word "Scottish"?
A Scottish Terrier? Tartan and kilts? Haggis and oatmeal?
At McCulloch House Museum, a new, interactive exhibit tells the fascinating story of one of the many groups who settled Nova Scotia. Piece together the Scottish-immigrant puzzle and take a fresh look at this group's contribution to Nova Scotia.
The McCulloch story in Nova Scotia begins about 1805.
Rev. Dr. Thomas McCulloch immigrated to the town of Pictou decades after the ship Hector brought some of the first Scottish settlers. He and his wife, Isabella, raised their family in this Scottish-style house. Here, among some of McCulloch's possessions—from his desk to items from his natural history collection—you can discover a man who wore many hats and had a talent for stirring up controversy.
McCulloch championed new ways of thinking about education, politics and religion. It wasn't long before he was challenging the establishment. He insisted on equal access to education and believed that learning should include the study of science. His crusade helped change the educational and political landscape and his challenges to the established order brought upheaval to the community of Pictou.
At McCulloch House Museum:
- Read newspapers from McCulloch's time to find out about the happenings in the busy port town of Pictou
- Be entertained by McCulloch's satirical writings about Pictou and its people.
- In the kitchen, discover how his maverick ideas about education, religion, and politics brought the community to its boiling point in disagreement.
Come and challenge your ideas about one of Nova Scotia's largest groups of immigrants in the 1800s. Find out how the Scots and the influence of their "new" ideas left a legacy for today's Nova Scotians.