July 28, 2010 - Leaving Cape Breton Island

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

We hooked up the Scamp and headed toward the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island. Although we didn't want to leave this scenic area, we did want to start making our way to Peggy's Cove.


View MacIntosh Brook to Hilden, Nove Scotia in a larger map

Lone Shieling

Moments after leaving the campground we came across a thatch-roofed stone hut at the side of the road. We pulled in to the parking area to explore. The stone hut is a replic of a Scottish Highlands crofter's shieling. A croft is an enclosed or fenced area of land, usually small, and a crofter is the person who has the right to use that area. The shieling served as a very rustic shelter for the crofter and the animals he was tending. 


Photos of the shieling and other stops along the way are here.

As we head across the northern part of Cape Breton Island, the road angles northeast along a very straight and deep valley between North Mountain and South Mountain. As the road begins the steep descent to the mouth of the valley and the coast, there are several signs warning of steep inclines and to use lower gears and to check brakes. Advice one would do well to heed! Luckily, there are several turnouts and overlooks where we could pull over to rest both ourselves and the rig. 


At one pullout, a mini-van was already there with smoke coming from underneath. Smoke and a very pungent smell. We went over to see if there was a problem (as if the smell of burning brakes didn't give it away) and if we could offer assistance. The older woman and her two daughters said that they were just letting their car cool down before continuing on. They said that they were surprised at how steep the road was and how they had to ride the brakes the whole time! I asked if they hadn't noticed the signs saying to shift to a lower gear. They said that, yes, they'd seen the signs but "That's just for the trucks, isn't it?" We suggested that, while they still had some brake lining left, to use their second gear and apply the brakes as needed to keep the engine from over-revving and then have the brakes checked at the first opportunity. They left the pullout before we did. We did not see them again. One hopes for the best.

Neils Harbor

At the coast, we stopped for a picture break at Neils Harbor. Piled along the breakwater were very large stone slabs clamped in stout wooden "holders" with ropes attached. The only explanation we could come up with is that they are weights for buoys or nets. They were surely meant to be semi-permanent as hauling them up once they were set would be a back-breaking task.

Buoy weights?

Another picture stop was Green Cove, a large projection of pink granite into the sea. The granite here was veined with a lighter, harder rock that made interesting patterns. Green Cove has the notation "My favorite!" in Nancy's log.


Along the way, we pulled into Broad Cove Campground to check it out. It is a very nice place, run by the Canadian park service, and would be a good place to set up for a few days while exploring the Cape Breton Highlands in more detail.

Green Cove Rocks

At Port Hastings, we once again crossed the Canso Causeway and bid farewell to Cape Breton Island. Now, we were headed to the "heart" of Nova Scotia on our way to the province's southern coast. It was too far to make in one day's drive. We stopped for the night at Scotia Pine Campground near the small town of Hilden just south of the city of Truro. 


On the morrow, we head to Peggy's Cove. It's worth the drive!