The Polly: A Journey That Changed Belfast
A voyage from Scotland that helped shape a community.
In August 1803, a small sailing ship named the Polly crossed the Atlantic carrying nearly 400 Scottish Highlanders, most of them from the Isle of Skye, bound for a new life on Prince Edward Island.
Leaving behind familiar shores, family connections and the landscape they had always called home, these settlers arrived with hope, determination and the traditions of their Scottish homeland.
Their arrival helped establish the Scottish roots of the Belfast community and laid the foundation for a heritage that continues to be celebrated more than 220 years later.
The journey of the Polly is more than a story of immigration. It is a story of courage, belonging, resilience and the beginning of a new community.
Today, the Belfast Historical Society honours the legacy of those early settlers while recognizing that the spirit of the Polly lives on. Just as those Highlanders made a new home in Belfast, newcomers continue to bring their own stories and traditions to the community.
One voyage. Generations of stories. A heritage that lives on.
