An aerial view captures the Highland Village Museum in Iona, Nova Scotia, showcasing a collection of historic buildings scattered across a green hillside overlooking a body of water under a partly cloudy sky. A white church with a steeple stands prominently among the other smaller, older structures.

Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village

Ur Beatha Am Baile! Welcome to the Highland Village, a living history museum and folklife centre that celebrates the story, language and living culture of Nova Scotia Gaels.

What's On

An older man in historical attire, wearing a loose white shirt and a black flat cap, sits on a rustic wooden bench in a grassy, wooded clearing. He is speaking to four young children gathered around him: two girls on the left, one in the center wearing a colorful patterned sun hat with her back to the camera, and one on the right in a yellow t-shirt.
  • Event
Spòrs Beag
3 Jul 2026 - 28 Aug 2026
Join us for a fun morning of Gaelic songs, stories, and…
Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
An outdoor, medium shot captures an older man with grey hair and a weathered face speaking warmly to a small group of visitors, who are viewed from behind and slightly out of focus in the foreground. The speaker stands on a grassy patch at the edge of a dense forest, smiling as he talks.
  • Experience
Land and Culture Walk
6 Jul 2026 - 31 Aug 2026
Join us for a guided Land & Culture Walk at Baile nan…
Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
A group of children wearing costumes standing against a fence.
  • Experience
Eilean na h-Òige | Island of Youth Living History Program
8 Jul 2026 - 26 Aug 2026
Take part in this special living history program for children…
Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
“Far Out! The Untold Story of the ‘60s-Inspired “Back-to-the-Land” Migration that Changed Nova Scotia poster
  • Talk
Far Out: The Untold Story of the '60s-Inspired "Back-to-the-Land" Migration that Changed Nova Scotia. 
16 Jul 2026
The author of a new book about the Back to the Land movement in…
Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
A historical interpreter in a vintage kitchen holds a plate of traditional baked beans.
  • Event
Donald Og Day
17 Jul 2026
Join us as we celebrate sgeulachd Dhòmhnaill Òig | the legend of…
Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village
Explore What's On

Stories

Musicians playing fiddles in front of a piano.
  • Cultural History
In Nova Scotia, Gaelic culture continued to be passed on orally. Nova Scotia Gaels practised Ceilidh or visits to each other’s homes. Ceilidh served as informal schools where social and cultural skills…
Field at Highland Village. Church in the background.
  • Cultural History
The Gaels of Nova Scotia hold tightly to an ancient legacy through their language, cultural expression, music and dance, and faith. The roots of Gaelic Nova Scotia are found in the Highlands and Islands…
Explore Our Stories