The Ceilidh Trail earns its name all over again this week, with the Mabou Tuesday Night Ceilidhs bringing guided square sets and traditional step dancing to Mabou Parish Hall, and Outlaw Country: Before the Outlaws raising the rafters at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre mid-week.
Traditional music and step dancing events held Tuesday nights at Mabou Parish Hall from 7:30-9pm. Each ceilidh features local musicians, dancers, and a guided Square Set. Admission is $12 (free for children 12 and under).
Hermine Ford is an American abstract painter whose work draws on architecture, ancient ruins, and natural materials to create richly layered shaped panels, with pieces held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney. Ford lives and
A summer and fall square dance for adults runs Monday nights from July through October, 9pm to 12:30am. Admission is $10 for ages 19 and over. A bar and canteen are available.
A live performance celebrating the songwriters who shaped outlaw country before the movement had a name. Features music from Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and others who rejected Nashville's polished sound in favor of raw, poetic songwriting. Early bird tickets $40 (limited), advance $45, door $50.
Outlaw country-broadwalk productions
Traditional square dances held in West Mabou feature guided sets for newcomers and local musicians performing Celtic music. Dances run 9pm-12am, with admission $12 (free for children 12 and under). All ages welcome.
Live music performance in Lynn and Cyril Chisholm's Blathan Garden featuring Lynn Chisholm, with vintage tea service available. Tickets are $15 with limited seating; contact [email protected] or text 902-302-8431 to reserve.
Start the week with a morning walk along Inverness Beach, where a long sandy Gulf shore, warm water, and a wooden boardwalk ease visitors into the Cape Breton rhythm. Grab a coffee and a fresh-baked something from The Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery in Margaree Valley before the day heats up — their made-from-scratch sandwiches and artisanal breads make an ideal road-trip fuel stop along the Ceilidh Trail corridor.
Tuesday night belongs to Mabou. The Mabou Tuesday Night Ceilidhs at Mabou Parish Hall kick off at 10:30 p.m. with guided square sets that welcome first-timers and seasoned dancers alike. Before heading over, settle in at the Red Shoe Pub — owned by the Rankin Sisters, it offers live Cape Breton music seven nights a week alongside a warm pub atmosphere that sets the right mood.
Wednesday opens with a visit to the ICCA Arts Centre, where artist Hermine Ford's exhibition spanning five decades of work offers a quieter, contemplative counterpoint to the week's dancefloor energy. That evening, Strathspey Performing Arts Centre hosts two country music events: Outlaw Country: Before the Outlaws at 4:30 p.m. digs into the songwriters who reshaped country music ahead of the outlaw movement, and a second Outlaw Country evening production takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Between shows, Charlene's Bayside Restaurant and Cafe in Whycocomagh is worth a detour for its award-winning seafood chowder and fresh coastal cuisine. Also on Wednesday, the Adult Square Dance in Brook Village at Brook Village Hall offers a 19-and-over evening of traditional dancing.
Thursday or Friday makes an ideal day to wind north through Glenville and stop at Glenora Distillery, North America's first single-malt whisky distillery, tucked into a Highland river valley. Those wanting to linger overnight will find a distinctive stay at Glenora Inn & Distillery, where rooms sit riverside above the distillery floor. Heading south, Port Hood Beach offers warm Gulf swimming with views out to Henry Island — a fine afternoon detour. Pick up local provisions or a sweet treat at The Farmers Daughter Country Market in Whycocomagh before heading back along Highway 105.
Sunday rounds out the week gently and beautifully. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with Lynn & Cyril Chisholm's ''Chill on the Hill'' — live music with Lynn Chisholm and vintage tea served in the garden setting of Blathan Garden. Later, the West Mabou Family Square Dances at West Mabou Hall take the baton from 9 p.m., with traditional musicians, guided sets for newcomers, and free admission for children under 12. A stroll beforehand on the quiet dunes of West Mabou Beach, with its salt marsh and warm Gulf water, makes for an unhurried close to the week.
This municipal beach in Inverness has warm, shallow water and soft sand suitable for families. A 1.5-km sandy beach and boardwalk offer views of Cabot Links golf course. The beach provides accessible equipment including Mobi-Mats and beach wheelchairs (book through the Inverness Visitor Centre at 902-258-3740), plus amenities like change houses, toilets, parking, and a canteen. Lifeguards are on duty July and August.
The Ceilidh Trail (Route 19) hugs the western coast of Cape Breton from the Canso Causeway up to Margaree Harbour, where it meets the Cabot Trail. The drive passes Judique, Port Hood, Mabou, and Inverness, every village steeped in Scottish Gaelic music traditions. Plan stops for the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, the Red Shoe Pub, and at least one warm-water beach.
West Mabou Beach Provincial Park protects a long natural beach, dune system, and salt marsh just south of Mabou village. The Gulf water warms quickly in summer, and the beach is rarely crowded. A short loop trail crosses the dunes and follows the back-shore meadow. Combine with live music at the Red Shoe Pub in town.
One of the longest sand beaches on the Ceilidh Trail, with shallow water that warms early in the season and views of Henry Island offshore. The beach has a seasonal canteen and washrooms, free parking off Main Street, and reliable west-facing sunsets. The village offers easy access to lobster suppers and is 15 minutes south of the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou.
Live Cape Breton music seven nights a week in Mabou, owned by the Rankin Sisters. The Red Shoe is the spiritual home of Cape Breton fiddle — a small, packed room where the players are world-class and the audience knows when to stop talking.
North America's first single-malt whisky distillery, set in a Highland river valley in Glenville. The Glenora Falls run right through the property, the warehouses sit on the hillside, and the whisky inside them is the real Cape Breton article.
Home to Charlene’s Multi-Award Winning Famous Seafood Chowder. A great family dining experience enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Renowned for great service, amazing food and its overall welcoming atmosphere. Stop by and see for yourself! Open Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 6:00pm Take Out Services Available
The bustling ‘made from scratch’ roadside café, Dancing Goat Café and Bakery, is a favourite stop along the Cabot Trail for locals and visitors alike. With delicious sweet treats, fresh breads, artisanal sandwiches and soups, and lattes that would rival any top coffee house, the Dancing Goat is a culinary gem tucked in the hills of the Margaree Valley. Serving breakfast and lunch all year long. We are wheelchair accessible.
Stay above North America's first single-malt distillery, in a riverside Highland setting. The Glenora Inn is the rare hotel where breakfast comes with the smell of malted barley drifting through the property.
Nestled in the heart of Cape Breton, The Farmer’s Daughter Country Store offers a unique selection of sweet treats, express meals, home baked goods, gourmet foods, gifts and apparel.
From sandy Gulf shores to late-night ceilidh halls, the Inverness and Western Shore stretches out its welcome across every August evening this week. Pack a light jacket for the dance, and let the Ceilidh Trail do the rest.
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