Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive
The Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive loops the inland sea that fills the centre of Cape Breton — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the cultural heartland of the island's Mi'kmaw communities.
The route stitches together a series of communities around the lake: Baddeck on the north shore, the Highland Village Museum in Iona, Eskasoni Cultural Journeys on the western shore, Big Pond and Rita MacNeil's tea room, the St. Peter's Canal at the southern end. The water is brackish and warm enough to swim in summer; the drive is calmer than the Cabot Trail and works well as a one-day or overnight detour.
Communities along the route
Big Pond
Bras d'Or village famous as the home of singer Rita MacNeil.
Eskasoni
Largest Mi'kmaw community in the world — Goat Island cultural journey on the Bras d'Or.
Iona
Highland Village Museum — a living-history Gaelic settlement on the Barra Strait.
Wagmatcook
Mi'kmaw community on the Bras d'Or — Wagmatcook Culture and Heritage Centre.
Whycocomagh
Bras d'Or village on the Trans-Canada — gateway between the Cabot Trail and the southern island.
Baddeck
Picturesque Bras d'Or village, the official start and end point of the Cabot Trail.
St. Peter's
Canal village linking the Bras d'Or Lake to the Atlantic — the only working canal east of the Welland.
Sydney
The island's largest city — port, university town, and home of the world's largest fiddle.
