Baddeck & the Cabot Trail

The starting town of Cape Breton Island's scenic loop, with Cabot Trail coastal drives, the Skyline Trail in the Highlands National Park, whale watching and Celtic music.

Baddeck lies in the middle of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, on the north shore of Bras d'Or Lake. This lakeside village has only a few hundred residents, but it is famous as the place where telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell spent the latter part of his life, and it is the traditional start and end point of the Cabot Trail loop. The Cabot Trail runs about 300 km around northern Cape Breton Island, clockwise or counterclockwise. On the west coast is the French-speaking Acadian fishing village of Chéticamp; the road then enters Cape Breton Highlands National Park, winding along clifftops around the bays, and this stretch includes the Skyline Trail, whale watching at Pleasant Bay and the Franey Trail. At the northern tip you can detour to Meat Cove and Bay St. Lawrence; on the east coast, Ingonish has beaches, the Keltic Lodge and a golf course, and the return south passes the Gaelic College at St. Ann's. Scottish Gaelic and Acadian culture remain strong here, and the Celtic fiddle ceilidhs held in villages through summer and fall are a highlight. About 100 km south of the lake is Louisbourg, the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortress in North America, which deserves a day of its own. The best season is July–October: July and August bring whale watching, swimming and music festivals, while late September to mid-October sees the Highlands' fall colours at their peak alongside the Celtic Colours festival; most facilities close in winter. There is no public transport around the loop, so you'll need a car. Allow 3–4 days: at least a full day for the loop, ideally with a night in Chéticamp or Ingonish, plus a day for Louisbourg. The national park requires an entry pass; the mountain roads are winding and moose often cross, so avoid driving at night.

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