Northumberland Shore

Discover Pictou County

The Birthplace of New Scotland — lighthouses, lobster, warm ocean beaches, and 250 years of Highland heritage.

All Guides History
History3 min read

Trenton and Stellarton: Glass, Coal, and Industrial History

Two of Pictou County's smaller towns contain outsized industrial history: Trenton produced glass from 1881 to 1917, and Stellarton is where the Industrial Revolution arrived in Nova Scotia.

trentonstellarton
History3 min read

The Mi'kmaq of Piktuk: The First People of Pictou County

For thousands of years before European contact, the Mi'kmaq called this land Piktuk. Their history, culture, and continuing presence in Pictou County is a story worth knowing.

mikmaqindigenous
History3 min read

Pictou County's Scottish Heritage: Gaelic Roots in Nova Scotia

From the Loch Broom Log Church to the Festival of the Tartans, Pictou County's Scottish cultural heritage is still very much alive — and you can experience it firsthand.

scotlandheritage
History3 min read

The Coal Mining History of Pictou County

From the General Mining Association's arrival in 1827 to the Westray disaster in 1992, Pictou County's coal industry shaped an entire province — at enormous human cost.

historycoal
History3 min read

The Ship Hector: How Scottish Immigrants Founded New Scotland

On September 15, 1773, 189 Scottish Highlanders stepped ashore at Pictou Harbour, beginning a wave of immigration that shaped all of Atlantic Canada.

historyscotland