Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow. Once an active shipping port and the shire town of the county, today Pictou is primarily a local service centre for surrounding rural communities as well as being the primary tourist destination in this region of Nova Scotia.
The primary tourist attraction in Pictou is the waterfront along Pictou Harbour. A replica tall ship Hector is docked each summer at the Hector Heritage Quay, an interpretive centre that includes a gift store, a carpentry shop, a blacksmith shop and an artist's studio. The waterfront redevelopment also features a marina and small boardwalk that connects to the Trans-Canada Trail. The historic Intercolonial Railway station on the waterfront has been restored, and a new fisheries museum is under construction nearby.
Things to see and do
* Pictou waterfront
* Historic Stone Buildings
* Local Beaches
* The Hector Heritage Quay
* Water Street
Cruise Season – May - Nov
Currency – Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Language – English, French
Population – 3,900 approx
Land Area – 7.94 km²
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins US style or with a round pin below
Time – GMT minus five hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 1
Port Location – The port is located at Pictou Harbour.
Transport Links – A ferry service operates from the port of Caribou, approximately 5km from Pictou. From Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, Nova Scotia the ferry takes approximately 75 minutes to cross the Northumberland Straight.
Halifax International Airport is approximately 150 km from Pictou. Car ferries from Maine, USA to Yarmouth, N.S. There are daily flights from Boston, Toronto, Montreal with connections to any major airport in North America and Europe to Hailfax.
Passenger trains are operated by Via Rail. The nearest passenger train station is location in Truro, approximately 35 minutes from Pictou. There is daily train service to Halifax, Moncton and points west.
Greyhound runs from New York and Voyageur from Montreal connect with SMT Bus Lines in New Brunswick, which connect with Acadian Lines for points in Nova Scotia. Via-Rail Canada provides transcontinental train service; there are stations in Truro and Halifax.