Glenaladale Estate is an ecological and architectural gem. It includes an 1884 three-storey brick home, an 1899 schoolhouse, and 530 acres of mixed woods and farmland, with 2000 feet of shorefront on Tracadie Bay.
Established in 1772, Glenaladale was home to four generations of the family of Captain John MacDonald, Laird of Glenaladale & Glenfinnan in Scotland. Capt. John and his grandson Sir William C. Macdonald are both recognized as persons of National Historic Significance. In 1905, Glenaladale was sold to the MacKinnon family— known for their silver black fox farm and rum-running exploits.
In 2018, Glenaladale Heritage Trust purchased the Estate and is now carrying out a dynamic plan of regeneration. Come visit and learn why people call Glenaladale “PEI’s own Downton Abbey”!
Explore the many features of Glenaladale during your visit:
- Glenaladale House from 1884
- Glenaladale Schoolhouse (1899)
- Black Brook Trail
- Glenaladale Sculpture Forest
- Glenaladale Disc Golf *
- Picnic Tables
I grew up a few minutes away from Glenaladale Estate. It’s a big source of pride for my hometown of Tracadie, and watching the Glenaladale Heritage Trust work to purchase and regenerate the Estate has been inspiring.
In the late 1700s, Captain John MacDonald, 8th Laird of Glenaladale and 7th Laird of Glenfinnan in Scotland, brought over the first Scottish Catholic settlers to what was then known as St. John’s Island (now Prince Edward Island).
Glenaladale Estate became his home, and it stayed in the MacDonald family for three generations. Capt. John’s grandson Sir William Christopher MacDonald (McDonald) built the current house that sits on the Estate for his brother, the Hon. John Archibald. The three-storey brick house was designed at the firm of Hutchison and Steele in Montreal and it certainly stands out in our small, rural community.
Around 1904, the Estate was purchased by a MacKinnon family. They farmed, operated the Glenaladale Silver Black Fox Company, and were well known for their involvement with rum-running.
Also located on the property is the old Glenaladale (later Tracadie) School, which was in use from 1899 to 1960 (fun fact: both my grandfather and my mother attended this school).
Although visitors are not allowed into the home this summer, there are beautiful grounds to explore/picnic on and you can always stop to have a chat with one of the summer students.
