Great Hall of the Clans - Interactive Museum

 

"The Hall of Clans is amazing!     This is one of the best interactive displays I have seen. Very well done and engaging."
- Laurel J. Reid, Ph.D – Tourism Synergy

The first phase of the St. Ann's Centre, the Gaelic Heritage and Learning Centre, has been developed within the Hall of the Clans and is a great addition to the existing displays of the social and military history of Gaelic Scotland.

The Great Hall of the Clans museum features a “walk-around” exhibit that traces the history and development of the Celt from ancient times through to the Highland Clearances.

• Life-size, 3D displays show the two different types of tartan belonging to a clan - the dress tartan and the hunting tartan.
• The Celtic Cross and the main houses of the Scottish people - the Lyon and the Galley.
  
• Weaponry - claymore sword, basket hilted sword paired with the targe, and lochaber axe.
• Battles - The Battle of Culloden in 1746, perhaps the most tragic battle in all of Scottish History.
• Highland Way of Life - Black Houses with open fireplaces, diet, farm animals etc.
• Clan System, which fell during the Battle of Culloden
• Heraldry - commonly referred to as the Coat of Arms, the Complete Achievement.
• Great Dispersal - a direct result of the highland clearances, people left their homeland and migrated to various parts of the globe.
• Clan Histories

The newly established MacLeod Exhibit, set in the 1800's tells the story of Rev. Norman MacLeod, his journey from Scotland to St. Ann's and later on to Waipu, New Zealand. It is a fascinating tale that interprets the life of the man and the preacher through both audio and visual allowing each visitor to know the history and experience one of the most remarkable migrations in history.

The Hall also houses a small theatre where visitors can view Faire Chaluim Mhic Leòid, North America’s first Gaelic-language short film, shot in the highlands of Cape Breton.Exhibits depicting the first Scottish families that settled in the St. Ann’s region back in 1820 and various displays that relate to the history, culture and the way of life of the Scottish Highlanders are all prominently exhibited throughout the Great Hall of the Clans.

The 8 new interactive displays, situated between the stone pillars throughout the Hall of the Clans, portray the Cultural and Linguistic contribution of Nova Scotia Gaels to the social fibre of the province and country.

• A Shared Tradition - overview of language, song, music and dance. Explore the oral / literate traditions within the Gaelic society and their impact on the development and retention of song, story and music repertoires.
• Piping - station to explain and illustrate the characteristics that define the music into groups - traditional pipers and piping in Cape Breton, pipe bands, competition piping and piobaireachd.
• Fiddle - station to examine the development of Gaelic fiddling in Cape Breton from the early years to present. This examination includes a look at the music as it was brought from Scotland and feature Nova Scotia Fiddlers and Composers, their music and outside influences.
• Piano Accompaniment - station to examine the music and the greats of the piano tradition. Fingering techniques and chord progressions tailored to the needs of the music of traditional Gaelic fiddling developed within the kitchens and parlours of our rural communities.
• Textiles - station to provide us with what may be our best living example of material art form within the Gaelic communities of Nova Scotia. The maintenance of traditional weaving patterns in Cape Breton serves as testament to the tenacity of tradition within these communities.
• Gaelic Song - station examines the different types of Gaelic song as well as predominant themes and how song played an integral part of day to day living.
• Storytelling - this station presents a broad overview of the Gaelic story and storytelling tradition, delineating the different types of tales.
• Dance - station presents three types of dance related to the Celtic culture of the Province: step dance, square dance and Highland dance.