Glengarry

From Glengarryceltic

Glengarry is one of Canada’s oldest Highland settlements. It was first settled after the American Revolutionary War in 1784 by United Empire Loyalist soldier families from the Mohawk River Valley of New York State. Within two years they were joined by their kinsmen and clansmen directly from the Gaelic-speaking Highlands of Western Inverness-shire. From the stronghold of the Macdonell branch of Clan Donald in Glen Garry, Scotland, they carried the name to the new Glengarry in Upper Canada.

By the early nineteenth century Glengarry’s population was almost exclusively Scottish, but gradually this began to change. Today the population of the county is about half Francophone with many Dutch and Swiss farm families, yet Glengarry has maintained a strong link to its Scottish roots and traditions. The annual Glengarry Highland Games, home of the North American Pipe Band Championships, have grown since their beginning in 1948 and are now among the largest games in the world. The Games highlight Scottish sports and culture in the area once a year, but one doesn’t have to go far to find a ceilidh or hear a traditional Scottish tune all year-round! There is a high concentration of talented Celtic musicians and performers in Glengarry county, and the Celtic Music Hall of Fame will ensure we never forget how they have animated the musical and social lives of those who live here.