We departed from Port Hawkesbury that morning. Before reaching the Cabot Trail, Melissa and I took the scenic route there, namely the Ceilidh Trail (Highway 19) on Cape Breton Island. The term Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling. Given the rich Gaelic heritage of Atlantic Canada, Ceilidhs are still popular to this day and we’ve enjoyed a few in Prince Edward Island.
This coastal route along the Gulf of St. Lawrence is located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in Inverness County and runs 112 kilometres (70 mi) from the Canso Causeway in Port Hastings to Margaree Harbor where it intersects with the Cabot Trail. On the following map, it is highlighted in yellow. We stopped briefly at Port Hood Beach for a windy walk on the sandy shore.
By mid-afternoon we had reached some very scenic spots along the Cabot Trail and that will be the subject of the next post.
