Pictou, Nova Scotia, a charming town nestled in Pictou County, is a gem on the north shore of Pictou Harbour. Approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow, Pictou was once a bustling shipping port and the shire town of the county. Today, it serves as a local service centre for surrounding rural communities and stands as the primary tourist destination in this region of Nova Scotia. The name Pictou, derived from the Mi'kmaq name Piktuk, translates to "explosive place," possibly referring to the river of pitch found in the area or methane bubbling up from coal seams below the harbour.
Before European settlement, Pictou was the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community. It was part of the Epekwitk aq Piktuk Mi'kmaq District, which included present-day Prince Edward Island and Pictou.
Pictou played a significant role in the settlement of Scottish immigrants in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island following the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The first wave of immigrants arrived on September 15, 1773, on the Hector. Pictou, now known as "The Birthplace of New Scotland," was the first town primarily made up of Scottish immigrants. The town is rich with stone housing constructed by those early generations of Scottish immigrants, which have clear connections to architectural styles and design in Scotland itself.
During the American Revolution, in November 1777, American privateers from Machias captured the ship Molly at Pictou. The town also has an indirect connection to Scottish settlement in New Zealand through the Reverend Norman McLeod, who emigrated to Pictou from Scotland some years after the Hector.
The industrial sector of Pictou gained strength during the latter part of the 19th century, with the Intercolonial Railway being built to the town and shipbuilding increasing, particularly with the increase in coal being shipped from Pictou Landing, Abercrombie, and the East River of Pictou.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pictou had a population of 3,107 living in 1,452 of its 1,600 total private dwellings, a change of -2.5% from its 2016 population of 3,186. With a land area of 7.99 km2 (3.08 sq mi), it had a population density of 388.9/km2 (1,007.1/sq mi) in 2021.
The primary tourist attraction in Pictou is the waterfront along Pictou Harbour. The waterfront redevelopment features a marina and small boardwalk that connects to the Trans-Canada Trail. The historic Intercolonial Railway station on the waterfront has been restored.
The centrepiece of the waterfront is the replica tall ship Hector, docked each summer at the Hector Heritage Quay. The Quay includes three floors of exhibits and access to the floating replica. Next door to the Hector Heritage Quay is the Northumberland Fisheries Museum, Lobster Hatchery, and Lighthouse Museum.
Pictou is also home to the Lobster Carnival, a yearly event celebrating the end of the fishing season. The carnival includes a midway, concerts, a pageant, a car show, fireworks, and lobster dinners.
Other attractions include Grohmann Knives Ltd, the only knife manufacturing factory in Canada, and the McCulloch House Museum, a nineteenth-century house museum. Water taxis and boat tours of the harbour are available, which also connect to the town of New Glasgow.
Three naval vessels have been named for Pictou, including two Royal Navy schooners during the War of 1812, and HMCS Pictou, a Flower-class corvette that served in the Atlantic during World War II.
