Scottish celebrations this weekend to mark anniversary of P.E.I. arrival

It's a big weekend coming up for the PEI Scottish Settlers Historical Society, as the group gets set to mark a couple of important anniversaries, plus launch a major book, years in the making.

It's to honour the 50th anniversary of the founding of the society, as well as to mark the dates many of the original Scottish settlers of P.E.I. arrived in 1772.

That's also the subject of the book being launched this weekend, called Glenaladale Settlers 1772, written by a committee of the society.

Four-year labour of love

It was a true labour of love, said Myrna Babineau of the society, speaking to CBC Radio's Angela Walker on Mainstreet.

"It was," she said. "We thought we'd be a couple of years at it, and four years later we're finally publishing. We aimed to have our book launch on June 25-26, because those are the dates the settlers landed."

Those settlers wanted to find a place where they could speak their language and practise their religion freely.

Under the leadership of John MacDonald, Eighth Laird of Glenaladale and Glenfinnan, 214 men, women and children immigrated.

"They spent six, seven weeks on the North Atlantic, and came to Prince Edward Island, landing on June 25 of that year," said Babineau. "John MacDonald had purchased Lot 36, which consisted of 20,000 acres, which was a fair holding. And upon the acreage, he was going to settle his people, and kind of set up himself as the Laird, and a new clan system."

The group consisted of lots of MacDonalds, plus MacPhees, MacDougalls, Beatons, Campbells and more.

They settled along the Hillsborough River to the north side of the Island, including the Tracadie area, and that's where the festivities are this weekend.

Ceilidh, book launch

"On Saturday at 6 p.m. we have a memorial mass at St. Bonaventure Church," said Katie Gallant, who has been working with the society on the event. "Then at 7:30 we're going to have a Scottish ceilidh at the Tracadie Community Centre. Then on Sunday, we'll have our book launch for Glenaladale Settlers 1772."

That's at 2 p.m., again at the Tracadie Community Centre.

Babineau says the new book will be a great resource for anyone trying to connect their Scottish ancestry from the Island back to Scotland, and it certainly means a great deal to the society members.

"It was important to me personally," she said. "I had many relatives come on that ship. I have two sets of great-grandparents times five, and they are interred out at the Scotchfort Cemetary."

Everyone is welcome to attend the events Saturday and Sunday, and if anyone wants to purchase a copy of Glenaladale Settlers 1772, it's available by sending an email to peisshs@gmail.com.

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