|
"I have travelled the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty Cape Breton outrivals them all." With these words Alexander Graham Bell summed up a part of Nova Scotia whose scenery continues to attract its share of hyperbole. From the lakes, hills and valleys of the southwest to the ripe, forested mountains of the north, Cape Breton Island - or at least its more westerly half - offers the most exquisite of landscapes, reaching its melodramatic conclusion along the fretted, rocky coast of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park . Encircling the park and some of the adjacent shore is the Cabot Trail , a 300-kilometre loop that is reckoned to be one of the most beguiling drives on the continent and one that is best approached in a clockwise direction. By contrast, the more easterly half of Cape Breton - east, that is, of Bras d'Or Lake and its subsidiary channels - was once a busy coal-mining and steel-milling region, centred on the town of Sydney . It was here in the early 1920s that the struggles of the miners against the pit companies grabbed national headlines. The worst of several disputes began when the owners, the British Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO), decided to cut the men's wages by a third. The miners went on strike and the dispute escalated until BESCO persuaded prime minister King to send in the militia - and the colliers were forced back to work. Today the area's industries have largely collapsed and a deindustrialized sprawl blotches the landscape, only relieved by the splendid reconstruction of the French fortress town of Louisbourg , stranded out on the east coast. Yet Cape Breton is not just about scenery and sights: the Scottish Highlanders who settled much of the island in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries brought with them strong cultural traditions and today these are best recalled by the island's musicians , especially the fiddle players . Names to watch out for include Buddy MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster and the Rankin family, not to mention Glenn Graham, Rodney MacDonald and Jackie Dunn - though it's impossible to pick out "the best" as each fiddler has their own particular style. Local tourist offices will gladly advise you on gigs , whether it be a ceilidh, concert or square dance, and listings are given in the weekly Inverness Oran , a local newspaper available at tourist offices and convenience stores. During the summer there's something happening almost every day, but, that said, the Saturday night Family Square Dance at West Mabou Hall is highly regarded - and takes place all year. The largest festival is the Celtic Colours (tel 564-6668 or 1-888/355-7744, www.celtic-colours.com ), with performances all across Cape Breton held over ten days in early October. The scenic delights of Cape Breton attract thousands of summer tourists and consequently, although there's a liberal sprinkling of accommodation across the island - especially in the west - it's still a good idea to make a reservation a day or two beforehand. Failing that, all the island's tourist offices offer a free room-reservation service. There's no obvious place to aim for on Cape Breton and most visitors stay in the tiny ribbon villages that dot the island, but two of the most enjoyable spots are undoubtedly the busy resort of Baddeck and the quieter coastal community of Cheticamp . Without your own transport, getting around much of Cape Breton is a struggle. Buses from Halifax and Truro (for Fredericton and Moncton) bomb along Hwy 105 via Baddeck and North Sydney - the departure port for ferries to Newfoundland - en route to Sydney, still the island's largest town. All traffic has to cross the Strait of Canso causeway as this is the only road route onto the island. There are no buses to either Louisbourg or the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, though a local company does run minibus excursions to the park from Baddeck, starting from around $30. Finally, note that Cape Breton's weather is notoriously unpredictable, even in summer, and the Cabot Trail is pretty miserable in mist and rain.
Your Tip for Cape Breton Island
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Cape Breton Island - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Cape Breton Island - visit the main Cape Breton Island forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Cape Breton Island webguide section below! Thanks.
|
