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Symbols

The Nova Scotia Tartan was the first provincial tartan in Canada. It reflects the profound contribution of the Scots to the founding of Nova Scotia, and the pioneer settlement of the old Royal Province. The very name Nova Scotia resounds with early Scottish colonial ambition; in Jacobean Latin it meant New Scotland. Being one among many large groups of settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Scots brought with them the powerful lore of the Highlands. From this, the folk art revival of the present century brought forth Nova Scotia's recent emblem. Originally designed by Bessie Murray in 1953 for the agricultural exhibition in Truro, the popular tartan was adopted by the Province in 1955 through an Order in Council. It was later submitted for approval of the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms and, in 1956, was registered with Her Majesty's Register Office in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1964, the Tartan Act was passed by the House of Assembly. A district tartan that may be worn by anyone, its blue and white are for the surf-ridden sea, greens for the forests, red for the royal lion on the Arms of Nova Scotia, and gold for the province's historic Royal Charter.