Cabot Trail

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Cabot Trail

The Cabot Trail is a Canadian highway located in the province of Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island. It is also the name of a provincial government-designated "Scenic Route" for tourism-marketing purposes.

The route is approximately 300 km (185 mi.) long and completes a loop around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, passing along and through the scenic Cape Breton Highlands. It is named after the explorer John Cabot who in 1497 became the first European explorer to visit the island. Construction of the initial route was completed in 1932; however the quality of the highway has since improved considerably.

The northern section of the Cabot Trail passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The western and eastern sections follow the rugged coastline, providing spectacular views of the ocean. The southwestern section passes through the Margaree River valley before passing along Bras d'Or Lake.

View of the commerical and residential establishments that exist at Pleasant Bay, along the Cabot Trail's northern-most segment

The Cabot Trail is the only trunk secondary highway in Nova Scotia which does not have a signed route designation. Road signs along the route instead have a unique mountain logo. The road is internally referred to by the Department of Transportation as Route 30.

The road is open year round.

Villages along the Cabot Trail include:

Baddeck, the gateway to the Cabot Trail and the location of the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
St. Ann's, home of the world famous Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts
Ingonish, a fishing village and one of the first areas settled on Cape Breton and home to the Keltic Lodge resort, it is the eastern entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Belle Cote, a small picturesque fishing village located at the mouth of the Margaree River where it flows into the Gulf of St Lawrence, marks the traditional boundary of the Scottish settlements to the south and the Acadian villages to the north that are located on the western side of Cape Breton Island.
Chéticamp, an Acadian fishing village famous for its hooked rugs and fiddle music, it is the western entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Dingwall, Nova Scotia- A small fishing village located in the highlands of Cape Breton Island
Cape North, Nova Scotia - is the northernmost point of the Cabot Trail and home of the North Highlands Community Museum .