Cape Breton- wild and wonderful.

Neils Harbour, Cape Breton

Cape Breton is an island just a couple of hundred yards over the Conso Causeway from the mainland of Nova Scotia, sticking out north eastwards into the Atlantic ocean. Around 130 miles long and almost as wide, most of it is National Park. And when the sun shines, as it did most of today for us, it is truly beautiful. It took us a full day yesterday to get here, and last night we stayed just over the causeway in Port Hastings, overlooking a ship loading gravel from a quarry on the opposite shore.

When we awoke this morning the first thing we saw was an eagle roosting in a tree just outside our window. a little far to get a good shot of it and slightly hidden by the tree, but unmistakable when it stretched it's wings.
Today we set out to explore the island, driving north to Baddock initially, to the National Historic Site devoted to Alaxander Graham Bell.
I think everyone knows that Bell invented the telephone, but not many know that he also was a pioneer of flight here, experimented with kites and built the fastest hydrofoil of the age in the early part of the last century. Bell lived here for a lot of his life.

Bell's early aircraft.

We carried on north up the east coast of the island taking in the wonderful views of lakes, forests and bays.  The weather was the best we have had since we arrived last week, with sunshine most of the day. However in the late afternoon the mist closed in.
Tonight we are staying in a motel in Cheticamp, about two thirds round the loop on the west side of the island. We have a great view of the river from our window, we are hoping to see a moose or two coming down to drink!

The river view from the motel. (No mooses!)

A rugged coastline of Cape Breton

Lakes and forests everywhere

Cape Breton is approached across the Canso causeway

Our Rav4 Chariot