The Scotsman

Sculpture to cement Scotlandca­nada ties

- By LYNSEY BEWS

A stone sculpture featuring the ship that carried some of the first Scottish settlers to Canada is to be presented to the Canadian Government during a ministeria­l visit.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown will hand over the gift in Ottawa as part of a trip to the US and Canada to strengthen the country’s internatio­nal ties.

The sculpture, created by Historic Environmen­t Scotland, marks the 150th anniversar­y of Confederat­ion and the creation of modern-day Canada.

Crafted from a stone from the shores of Loch Broom, where Hector set sail for Nova Scotia in 1773, the gold-leaf sculpture features an etching of the 18thcentur­y ship which carried 189 Scottish settlers.

The timber base is made from a piece of recovered elm felled in the garden of the Palace of Holyroodho­use in Edinburgh, while the Gaelic text on the plaque translates into “Forever Friends”.

Mr Brown said: “Scotland’s links with Canada endure for 150 years and more. It is a relationsh­ip marked by family links, a shared culture and collaborat­ion across education and trade.

“This gift commemorat­es that historic friendship and celebrates the millions of people who share, and have shared, that special connection throughout the ages.”

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