A Bras d’Or Recreational Sampler

Take a Bird Island Boat Excursion: Venture beyond the inland waters of the Bras d’Or Lakes on an excursion to the Bird Islands. The islands lie off the point of land between the mouths of the Great Bras d’Or Channel and St. Ann’s Bay. A number of tour operators from the communities of Big Bras d’Or and Englishtown offer interpretive cruises to the barren, rocky islands of Hertford and Ciboux, home to the largest colony of Great Cormorants in North America and major populations of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls. Sea Kayaking to the Bird Islands: A great way to see the birds, but open waters call for expert kayaking skills. Less experienced paddlers should check with local outfitters for guided visits to the Islands.

Swim at a Marble Beach: From the panoramic look-out above the village of Marble Mountain, on the southwest side of the Bras d’Or Lakes, the town beach looks like a strip of fine white sand. But closer inspection reveals that it is actually made from marble chips, mined from a nearby quarry that once employed nearly a thousand people. After a dip in the refreshing waters of Clark Cove, visit the Marble Mountain Museum and Library, housed in a former village schoolhouse, to learn more about the town’s marble quarrying history. North of the community, an overlook provides a spectacular view of the island-studded Bras d’Or Lakes. A short hike along a gravel lane leads to the abandoned marble quarry.

Be a Lobster Fisher for a Day: Find out what it’s like to be a professional lobster fisher on a morning or afternoon “catch-and-release” lobster or fishing excursion on the Bras d’Or Lakes. Tours from Baddeck, on the St. Patrick’s Channel, also include the chance to see Bald Eagles and seals, and to view the home of inventor Alexander Graham Bell from the water.

• Visit the Orangedale Stationmaster’s Quarters: Immortalized by the Rankin Family’s song, “Orangedale Whistle,” the restored 1886 Intercolonial Railway Company station in the village of Orangedale, on the west side of the Bras d’Or Lakes, features railway memorabilia, a model railway display and samples of rolling stock. Visitors can tour the early 1900’s upstairs living quarters of the stationmaster and his family. Open daily from mid-June to mid-October.

Take a Hike on the Salt Mountain Trail: Stretch your legs, and double your viewing pleasure! Look out over the Bras d’Or Lakes and the Skye River Valley from the top of Salt Mountain in Whycocomagh Provincial Park, located at the western head of St. Patrick’s Channel. The 2.4 kilometre Salt Mountain Trail is also an ideal vantage point for Bald Eagle watching.

Tour the Home of the Bluenose Photographer: At the MacAskill House Museum, in the village of St. Peter’s at the southwest end of the Bras d’Or Lakes, visitors can view the works of one of the world’s most famous marine photographers. Known for his classic photographs of the Nova Scotian Bluenose sailing ship – one of which appears on the Canadian 10-cent coin – Wallace R. MacAskill (1890 -1956) often risked his life to capture his most memorable images. In addition to many of MacAskill’s 6,000 photographs, the Museum also houses a growing collection of cameras, and a model of MacAskill’s yacht, the Highlander.