The road
Winding above the sea.
Eric Van Lochem — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Eduard47 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · jockrutherford from Owen Sound, ON — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jared Rover from Toronto, Canada — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Cabot Trail is a 298-kilometre scenic loop road around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It runs through the Cape Breton Highlands and their national park and is one of the most beautiful coastal drives in North America. It is named after the explorer John Cabot, who reached Atlantic Canada in 1497, though historians think he more likely landed in Newfoundland. Premier Angus L. MacDonald chose the name to highlight the province's Scottish character. The first road was finished in 1932, and its western and eastern sections follow a rugged coast. You see a winding road rising and falling over green mountains that drop straight into the sea, blue coves and red pebble beaches. In autumn the forests turn red, orange and gold, and small fishing villages sit in valleys along the coast. The French Mountain lookout is about 11 km from Chéticamp in a straight line. Driving anticlockwise keeps the sea on your side, and autumn is the finest season.
Winding above the sea.
Coloured forests.
Small fishing towns.
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
Anticlockwise, to keep the sea beside you.
At least a full day, better two.