The Cabot Trail is a scenic highway on
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, Canada.
It is a loop around the northern tip of the island, passing along and through the
Cape Breton Highlands
The Cape Breton Highlands (, ), commonly called the Highlands, refer to a highland or mountainous plateau across the northern part of Cape Breton Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
Considered a subrange of the Appalachian mountai ...
and the
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park is a Canadian National Parks of Canada, national park on northern Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.
The park was the first national park in the The Maritimes, Atlantic provinces of Canada and covers an ar ...
.
It is named after the explorer
John Cabot
John Cabot ( ; 1450 – 1499) was an Italians, Italian navigator and exploration, explorer. His 1497 voyage to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England, Henry VII, King of England is the earliest known Europe ...
who landed in Atlantic Canada in 1497, although modern historians agree his landfall likely took place in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
and not Cape Breton Island. Premier
Angus L. MacDonald wanted to re-brand Nova Scotia for tourism purposes as primarily Scottish and, as part of this effort, created both the names Cape Breton Highlands and Cabot Trail.
[Ian MacKay and Robin Bates. ''In the Province of History''. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press. 2010.] Construction of the initial route was completed in 1932.
The western and eastern sections follow the rugged coastline, with views of the ocean. The southwestern section passes through the
Margaree River valley before passing along
Bras d'Or Lake. The route is within the county municipalities of
Victoria and
Inverness
Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...
.
The Cabot Trail includes all of Trunk 30, as well as the portion of
Nova Scotia Highway 105 between exits 7 and 11.
Following are some stops along the route, travelling clockwise from the south:
*
Baddeck, the location of the
Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site.
*
Chéticamp, an
Acadian
The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
fishing village.
*
Pleasant Bay, site of a bay with whale watching possibilities.
*
Cape North, a headland at the northernmost point of the Cabot Trail.
*
Dingwall
Dingwall (, ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland.
Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north ...
, a small fishing village.
*
Ingonish, site of the
Keltic Lodge resort and Cape Smokey Provincial Park.
*
St. Anns, home of
the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts.
See also
*
List of Nova Scotia provincial highways
Gallery
File:CabotTrail in 2010.JPG, Sunrise Valley, Cape North
File:cabot trail 2009k.JPG, The Cabot Trail viewed from the Skyline Trail
Image:Cabot trail coast.jpg, Pleasant Bay
References
External links
Cabot Trail official websiteHike the Highlands FestivalCape Breton Highlands National Park
{{coord, 46, 29, 13, N, 60, 44, 46, W, name=Cabot Trail, region:CA-NS_source:dewiki, display=title
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Nova Scotia provincial highways
Roads in Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Roads in Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Scenic travelways in Nova Scotia
Tourist attractions in Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Tourist attractions in Victoria County, Nova Scotia