History

Pictou, known as the birthplace of New Scotland, was the first Scottish settlement in Nova Scotia. Scottish immigrants on the ship Hector arrived here from Scotland in 1773, and many more Scottish settlers traveled through Pictou on their way to settle elsewhere in the province. The Scottish heritage can be experienced through the shops, the oft-heard notes of bagpipes, and the swing of a kilt down the street (!) and festivals and celebrations held throughout the summer. The most noticeable of all attractions is the ship Hector, a full-size reproduction of the Hector itself. In the photo above, it can be seen that the Auberge Walker Inn occupied a place of visual prominence in Pictou—it is the second large building from the right.

As the town grew, ships came from the old country to take back a rich haul of fish from the new world—stones and boulders used as ballast during the trip over here, found their way into buildings in Pictou—sometimes, looking around, one can see buildings directly from Scottish 19^th century architectural heritage, rendered in the new world by Scottish stonemasons.

The photos are of the original owners of the inn, James A. Stalker and his wife. He had a general store on the ground floor, and ran the bank from there until undertaking the building of the Scotia Bank next door. The family (and servants) lived on the upper levels, and there was even a kiln in the cellar for producing Stalker crockery; Stalker crockery is a rare find today!