In the early 1800's tenants were evicted from the Scottish Highlands to make room for large scale sheep farming.

 

Many of them emigrated to Canada and ended up in the Cape Breton Highlands because the rugged country and harsh climate resembled the conditions at home.

 

Several fishing and farming settlements sprung up along the northern shores and Gaelic was the lingua franca here for most of the 19th century.

 

One of these fishing settlements is Bay St Lawrence where the Gaelic culture and traditions still run strong.

 

You can buy freshly caught  fish and lobster here, and in the season board one of the whale-watching vessels to watch these behemoths of the sea up close and personel.

Afterwards you may visit the Bay Cafe where locals will entertain you with fiddles and old times songs.

 

We visited Bay St Lawrence in September 2017 and were lucky to witness the Nicole & Boys II return to the dock in Deadmans Pond and unload the catch of the day.