Sculpture to cement Scotlandcanada ties
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.”