On Christmas Day, 1866, the good folk of Canisbay plunged into the surf of Gills Bay to drag to safety the crew of the Inverness registered brigantine, Scotia. The Scotia, under the command of Captain Campbell, was on her way from Liverpool to Arbroath with salt when she was blown eastwards by a gale.  The Scotia tried to anchor in Gills Bay but one cable snapped and the other anchor dragged.  The five-man crew took to their dinghy as the brigantine was driven ashore but the little boat capsized.

The Scotia was built 1842. She was 112 gross registered tons, had length of 22m and beam of 6m.