Arisaig (), ( gd, Àrasaig) is a small village in

Antigonish County , nickname = , settlement_type = List of counties of Nova Scotia, County , motto = , image_skyline = Antigonish Harbour Panorama2.jpg , image_caption = , image_flag ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada. It is located on the north coast of eastern mainland Nova Scotia, on the

Northumberland Strait The Northumberland Strait (French: ''détroit de Northumberland'') is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. The strait is formed by Prince Edward Island and the gulf's eastern, southern, and western sho ...

, and is connected to the town of

Antigonish , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = File:St Ninian's Cathedral Antigonish Spring.jpg , image_caption = St. Ninian's Cathedral , image_flag = Flag of Antigonish.pn ...

to the southeast and to

New Glasgow New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait. The town's population was 9,075 ...

to the west by Route 245, the " Sunrise Trail". Nearby communities include Doctors Brook, Malignant Cove,

Knoydart Knoydart (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cnòideart'') is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. Knoydart is sandwiched between Lochs Nevis and Hourn — often translated as "Loch Heaven" (from the Gaelic ''Loch Néimh'') an ...

, and McArras Brook. The community was founded 1785 by Scottish immigrants who named it after their home,

Arisaig Arisaig ( gd, Àrasaig) is a village in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. It lies south of Mallaig on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, within the Rough Bounds. Arisaig is also the traditional name for part of the surrounding peninsula south ...

, on the west coast of Scotland. There is a government wharf and recently rebuilt lighthouse situated at Arisaig Harbour. The Roman Catholic church is dedicated to St. Margaret of Scotland. The present church was constructed in 1878 and the parish itself was established in 1792. Two cairns are situated in the community - one near the wharf marking the approximate site of the original log cabin church, and a second near the present church commemorating the centennial of its construction. Despite being a member of the Nova Scotia branch of the Free Church of Scotland, the poet

Iain mac Ailein Iain mac Ailein, or John MacLean (8 Jan 1787, Caolas, Tiree - 26 Jan 1848, Addington Forks, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia) was a poet and highly important figure in both Scottish Gaelic literature and in that of Canadian Gaelic. Before emigrating ...

, a highly important figure in both

Scottish Gaelic literature Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literature composed in the Scottish Gaelic language and in the Gàidhealtachd communities where it is and has been spoken. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, along with Irish ...

and in that of

Canadian Gaelic Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig Chanada, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada. Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scot ...

, felt able to build a very close friendship with Fr. Colin P. Grant, the

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

assigned to St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Arisaig. So close was their friendship that Iain Mac Ailein composed a work of

praise poetry A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of grc ...

in honor of Fr. Grant. Arisaig Park, which borders on the Northumberland Strait, features significant

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

deposits.

References

External links

Village website
Communities in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia {{AntigonishNS-geo-stub