Iain of New Scotland

by Margaret Mackay, Diana Gabaldon (Foreword)

Thirteen-year-old Iain Robertson is homesick for the Highlands of Scotland. It’s September 1773, and he has just arrived in Nova Scotia with his parents and little sister after the long, disastrous, Atlantic voyage of the ship Hector. They wanted a new life in New Scotland—but the land agent lied to them. With no money, no food, no shelter, and winter fast approaching, how will they survive? Author Margaret MacKay of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, draws on the experiences of her ancestors to weave a tale of the first Gaels to settle in Nova Scotia. Suitable for Grades 4 and up, and historical fiction lovers of all ages.

198 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

Reviews

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iain of New Scotland, by Margaret MacKay, is a Middle-Grade Historical Fiction novel about the Ship Hector and its passenger’s arrival and first year in Pictou, New Scotland/ Nova Scotia with the main focus on Iain Robertson, his family, and friends.

Shortly after their arrival, Iain and his family discover that the promises of cleared land and supplies that were made to them by the land agent were lies and exaggerations. This begins a steep learning curve for Iain and his family. Not only are they in a new land with unfamiliar animals and trees, but they also had to learn how to clear their land of an abundance of very large trees and build their own homes with unfamiliar materials. MacKay fills her pages with these many learning opportunities and occasions that Iain and his family undergo and experience. Middle-graders interested in local history and living off the land will eat up these lessons, some of which are as sweet as Maple Syrup.

MacKay does such a vivid job of describing the Robertson’s first winter that I had to throw a blanket on to keep warm while reading and I had to decide whether I was hungry or was it just the people in the story. I am forwarding this book to my son’s Junior High for First Chapter Fridays knowing that just one chapter will be enough to hook many of the students who enjoy local history into signing up to read this novel.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Iain Robertson and his family travel from the Highlands of Scotland to Pictou in Nova Scotia in 1773, along with a number of other Highlanders. They arrive, not without the loss of many lives including Iain’s infant brother, only to find that the land agent has deceived them and that there is no cleared land for them to settle and farm. That is only the beginning of their troubles, but with the resilience, pride and hard work notable of Highlanders, they begin to carve out a new life for themselves…. This is a book for readers slightly younger than YA age, depicting many incidents that occurred in the lives of the author’s real ancestors. It gives a good sense of what the European settlers experienced, as well as including many encounters with the indigenous Mi’Kmaw of the region, and while some of the events of the book are a little scary (near-starvation, for example), overall it’s a very gentle telling of one family’s experience in arriving in the New World. I liked that the book contains several glossaries at the end, of Gaelic, Mi’Kmaw and (archaic) English words, and the author even has some photos of actual objects used at the time and now in museums throughout Nova Scotia, also some maps of regions discussed and routes taken. If you or a young person you know is interested in this historical period, this is a good entry point; recommended.

[Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gaelic, well, really - An Atlantic Canadian version of Little House on the Prairie. Really enjoyed it, even as an adult. Truly appreciated the inclusion of Gaelic and Mi'kmaq words.