The Mythical Voyage Of Henry Sinclair

Did he reach North America in 1398?

Thousands of years after the Indigenous people made their way into North America, Europeans began to arrive on the shores of what would be Canada.

It has been proven that the Vikings were the first to land around 1000 CE in what would is now Newfoundland and Labrador. Between the landing of Leif Erikson in 1000 CE and the arrival of John Cabot in 1497, were there any other European arrivals in North America?

Some claim that one did.

Henry Sinclair, the Earl of Orkney.

Sinclair was a Scottish-Norwegian noble born around 1345, the son of William Sinclair, the Lord of Roslin and his wife Isobella. Following his father’s death in 1358, Sinclair became the Baron of Roslin.

Four decades later, he apparently made his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

As with anything like this, take it with a grain of salt but enjoy the story.

The tale of his voyage states that he left Europe in 1398 to travel to Nova Scotia. He outfitted nine galleys, sometimes stated to be 12, with 300 men and departed from his castle to make the journey.

After crossing the ocean, he landed on June 30, 1398 in Guysborough Harbor. For some who believe the legend is fact, it is speculated by that he even sailed to the Bay of Fundy.