Cache is located approximately 9 ½ km out the Dunbar road from
route 8. Directions: Drive out the Dunbar road 8.2 km and turn
right on to another road. (first major turnoff on right) Cache is 1
½ km down this road, on a bridge. Apparently it is a lot closer
coming from the Royal Road side, but I do not know the mileage as I
never came from that end. Bridge micro.
---BudSirius note: If you come at this cache from the Royal Road
- Route 620 it is about half the distance than coming from route 8
(about 4 kms instead of 9ish). The road is normally in pretty good
shape during the summer, and unless logging is going on, you will
not each this with a vehicle in the winter. ---
Why is this cache out in the middle of nowhere?
On a mission, I wanted to find Scotch Settlement (story below)
as I have never visited the site but have heard stories about where
it is and about the Nashwaak Bicentennial Association putting up a
monument there to remember the Scots who
were……”misled” to settle there. I called
around for directions from people who have been there. I asked if
we could get there by car and was told “maybe, maybe not, but
you might get close enough to be within walking distance.
You’ll know it when you come to it. You can see it from quite
far away. There is a large area where the trees are not cut.
It’s one square KM of trees left to mark the spot.”
These are the directions given to me: Drive out the Dunbar Road
off route 8. Take the first major right. You will see lots of
little roads off to the right, but you will know what I mean by
major when you come to it. It goes down hill where you will come to
beaver dams at the bottom. From there, after a slight incline take
the third road on your left. You will climb up some more hills,
some places the road may be washed out a bit. Then you will go over
quite a bad part of road, but from here you can see the one square
KM of trees left. You will find it easily from here.
Well……Ghostman and I thought we would try it. We
drove out the Dunbar road. We saw the little roads off to the
right, but knew they were not the “major” right as
told. When we came to this “major” road to the
right….”YUP! That hast to be it!” We drove down
this road a little piece and came to a small bridge. After the
bridge were beaver dams. “Yeah! We’re on the right
road!” The road to this point was fine but this is where we
decided to stop and turn around. The going was good, but in a mini
van and just us, two old haggards, we thought it smart to back off
from the mission. We were a long way in the woods, with no body
knowing where we were.
We planted a cache on the bridge here. Maybe someone will take
up the torch and continue on with the information provided here.
Maybe a group of people might gather to continue
on……and plant a cache in Scotch Settlement. The story
behind Scotch Settlement is little known. Some claim this tragedgy
was covered up by the government of that time.
Of extreme importance.... CITO and respect.....
The story of Scotch Settlement
In 1834, the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Land Company
purchased a total of 589,000 acres of land, most of it, a vast
track of land in York and Northumberland counties. The object was
to clear lots, build homes and bring to the area, settlers, who
would pay for the land over a period of time. The purpose to bring
settlers was to open up New Brunswick, build roads, and to
establish communities.
One of the company's first groups of settlers were enticed to a
section of land near Stanley, NB with promises of 100 acres of
land, five of which would be cleared ready to farm, a comfortable
log house ready, a lease of 50 years granted, a promise of
employment, a promise of established storehouses for supplies,
provisions, clothing and tools and lastly, a promise of medical aid
for the passage from Scotland as well as medical aid for the
settlement. These Scottish settlers arrived in 1836 coming from the
threat of starvation from the Eastern Isles of Scotland. To be
noted, they were not farmers. They were kelp gatherers and herring
fishermen; however, the Land Company thought them to be ideal
settlers for the deep forested land in New Brunswick.
These Highland settlers arrived in November 1836. Prior to
leaving Scotland they were promised free passage but after their
departure, they were forced to sign a document promising to pay for
their free passage within three years. The promised comfortable log
houses were empty shells not fit for animals to live in. The tools
promised? One rumor was that they received a crate of axe heads but
there were no holes in the heads to put a handle. I mentioned this
to one of a history buff friend and he couldn’t verify that,
however, he told me, he found, at the site, an axe head which was
made of very poor metal. He said the side of the axe head is bent
showing it’s weakness. With very little provisions, cutting
green fuel, lacking food and proper clothing and suffering from
illness, they spent a howling murderous first winter. . Forty one
or one third of the emigrants died.
The second winter was no better. Many of them had fled the area
but for those who remained food was scarce. It was reported they
dug the seed potatoes from the ground for food.
A petition was filed for an investigation. Miraculously, the
Land Company was exonerated of any wrong doing.
In the spring of 1838 many of the remaining immigrants pushed on
to Stanley and the nearby communities. Of the survivors was a
family of McDonalds. The daughter Mysie remained until a few months
prior to her death. She is buried in the old Catholic cemetery in
Stanley. Mysie was a strong woman determined to survive. She cut
logs and built her own cabin shingling the roof with cedar bark.
She carried her dead brother on her back to Stanley for burial. It
was reported she was honest and never begged but would accept a cup
of tea or a hot meal. Her ability to tell the future resulted in
her being called a witch. Some people poked fun at her. Mysie was
an incredible woman, a survivor.
A lonely site holds the shallow graves of 48 persons who
perished that first year. Piles of rocks mark the head and foot of
these hollows varying in size from infant to adult. Someone erected
a picket fence around the gravesite. In 1946, the remaining two
pickets were found by woodsman and taken to the New Brunswick
Historical Society. Twenty-five fire places have been found at this
site. The Nashwaak Bicentennial Association erected a stone
monument in remembrances of the Highland Settlers. Every fall they
visit the site, remember and maintain...
FTF = timrs2001 Congrats!
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