Braveheart sword, Scots visiting Digby

They arrive in Digby this weekend and carry with them the ‘traveling’ version of the Wallace Sword, the broadsword used by national hero William Wallace in his battles with the English seven centuries ago.

Wallace’s fame outside Scotland took a giant leap in 1995 with the release of the Mel Gibson movie ‘Braveheart’, and the Wallace Monument in Stirling has since attracted thousands of foreign visitors.

The Wallace Sword will be on display Monday in town hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in the Municipality of Digby building from 1:30 to 4 p.m., during civic receptions for the 11-member delegation from Stirling.

Provost Fergus Wood leads the delegation. His title is equivalent to mayor in Canada. There are also representatives of the University of Stirling, Central Scotland Police, Stirling District Tourism, and a major dairy.

Ian Russell, who moved to Digby four years ago from Scotland, has been tireless in developing ties between Nova Scotia and Scotland. He says the visit by the Stirling delegation is a direct result of the visit to Scotland in October 2006 by a delegation from this area, and a similar mission last year to Stirling by a group from Kings County.

The missions “resulted in this delegation coming over to explore ways in which we can share economic opportunities, education, tourism, and energy etc.,” said Russell.

He noted, too, that the city of Stirling played a major part in Nova Scotia history. Sir William Alexander, the first Earl of Stirling, founded the province in 1621.

The town’s reception Monday in town hall will be hosted by Mayor Frank Mackintosh joined by Sen. Gerald Comeau and Digby-Annapolis MLA Harold Thierault.

At the Municipality of Digby reception, the delegation will meet with Warden Jim Thurber, who was on the 2006 visit to Stirling, and a number of area business people.

Thurber will later host a dinner for the provost and delegates.

On Canada Day, the delegation will be guests of the Sea Cadet camp HMCS Acadia at Cornwallis Park, where the sword will be displayed before 300 cadets.

The delegation later visits Annapolis Royal, Kings County and Halifax, where a gala dinner is planed and where the sword will be on display in Province House.

Guest speaker at the gala dinner will be Robin Naysmith, North American councillor from the British Embassy in Washington.