just past Pleasant Bay the road climbs with a couple of switchbacks and then there is this nice view looking north
his real name was Giovanni Caboto and he probably did not land here but near Bonavista Newfoundland
we visit the Cabot Landing Provincial Park
others prefer to explore the beach, the view remains fantastic
stores along the coast near Dingwall
Niel's Harbour is a small fishing village supposedly called after a certain Neil McLennan
the Cabot Trail flows south along the coastline
several of the outlooks have explanatory display boards, a pity that the weather is not cooperating
the undisturbed mountainous inlands of Cape Breton Highlands
and a statue for John Cabot
The Cabot Trail is a 300 km loop along and through the Cape Breton Highlands.
On
a nice day In September 2017 we hit the Cabot Trail and travelled counter clockwise to see the "Scottish" east and
north shores first with places like Neil's Harbour, Dingwall and Bay St Lawrence. Just north of Dingwall is the site where
Cabot is said to have made landfall in 1497. But most pundits now agree that this event took place near Bonavista on Newfoundland.
The
next day we continued the Cabot Trail through the National Park and made a detour at Pleasant Bay to see the Gampo Abbey monastery. Afterwards
we hit the scenic Cabot Trail again along the western shore to stop for the Skyline trail hike. We did see
a lot of fog but no skyline...
Afterwards we continued south along the Acadian coast on our way to Baddeck and spotted
a big moose in a small lake. Unfortunately the beast was pretty far away so even with a 300 mm lens the picture quality is poor.
the Englishtown Ferry was closed but we did spot a red fox nearby
taking its time to check us out
the park has a nice beach and picknick tables
the Markland Coastal Beach Cottages provide chairs to relax and enjoy the superb view
yes it's a moose, but rather far away
time to stock-up in Pleasant Bay
