Autumn settles beautifully over Inverness County this week, and the calendar matches the season's richness — Don Ross and Julie Malia bring world-class acoustic guitar to the Strathspey Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday afternoon, while the West Mabou Family Square Dances close out the weekend with the kind of foot-stomping tradition that has defined this corner of Cape Breton for generations.
A guitar duo featuring Canadian Don Ross and German Julie Malia performing solo and duo sets. Ross is a pioneering guitarist with 18 albums; Malia is an acclaimed European acoustic performer. The pair have toured extensively together since 2023.
Weekly ceilidh sessions run Thursdays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Inverness County Centre For the Arts, featuring local musicians and dancers performing traditional Scottish and Gaelic music. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and free for children.
A five-day fiddle school founded in 2006 to honor late Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster. Runs in early October during Celtic Colours and welcomes intermediate and advanced players. Each day features two different instructors from Cape Breton's fiddle community teaching the Cape Breton style.
Evening of two film screenings by photographer and filmmaker Katherine Knight. Still Max (74 mins, 2020) follows artist Max Dean exploring how to respond to a prostate cancer diagnosis. Spring & Arnaud (67 mins, 2013, co-directed with Marcia Connolly) is an intimate portrait of artists Spring Hurlbut and Arnaud Maggs examining art, love, and mortality.
Live music series featuring Bill Ricky, Daniel James McFadyen, and one additional artist to be announced. Part of the Blueberry Jam Harvest Series.
Two film screenings by photographer and filmmaker Katherine Knight on Saturday, Oct 10, 6pm-9pm. Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island (52 mins, 2014) documents the building of Fogo Island Inn through interviews with philanthropist Zita Cobb, architect Todd Saunders, and community members. KOOP: the art of Wanda Koop (47 mins, 2011) follows artist Wanda Koop's creative process during a seven-day freight boat journey along the St Lawrence.
Square dances featuring Cape Breton traditional musicians, held at West Mabou. Guided sets help newcomers get started, and the dances run 9pm to midnight. Cost is $12 per adult, free for children 12 and under.
A midweek arrival gives visitors a full Wednesday of music. The afternoon opens with Don Ross and Julie Malia at the Strathspey Performing Arts Centre at 1:30 p.m. — two acclaimed guitarists trading solo and duo sets in an intimate setting. Before heading over, fuel up at The Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery in Margaree Valley, where made-from-scratch breads, artisanal sandwiches, and quality lattes make for an ideal pre-concert stop along the Cabot Trail corridor. Wednesday evening, the Thursday Ceilidh Sessions — despite the name, listed this week on Wednesday, Oct 7 — bring local musicians and dancers to the Inverness County Centre for the Arts from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a warm and welcoming introduction to the county's living Celtic tradition.
Thursday is a natural day to slow down and take in the landscape. Cabot Cape Breton in Inverness offers luxury oceanview accommodations and is the home base for Cabot Cliffs, Canada's top-ranked golf course — a walking-only links course carved along dramatic ocean cliffs that looks especially spectacular in October light. Even non-golfers find the clifftop vantage points worth the visit. For dinner, make the short drive to Mabou and settle in at Glenora Distillery's Washback Pub, where gourmet Nova Scotia cuisine and Glen Breton Rare whisky share the spotlight with live Celtic music most evenings.
Friday morning, the Buddy MacMaster School of Fiddle opens its doors at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre — an experience that goes well beyond a lesson, connecting participants to the legacy of the late Buddy MacMaster and the broader Cape Breton fiddle tradition. That evening, two very different events run in parallel: the documentary screenings of Katherine Knight (Night 1) offer a quieter, reflective experience in Inverness, while the Friday night of the Harvest Series by Blueberry Jam at Big Belle Farm delivers a full outdoor concert with a lineup anchored by James McFadyen. Grab provisions for the farm evening — or a post-show bite — at The Farmers Daughter Country Market in Whycocomagh, stocked with home-baked goods and gourmet treats on Highway 105.
Saturday brings a second night of Katherine Knight's documentary work before the week's most participatory event: the West Mabou Family Square Dances at West Mabou Hall. Running from 9 p.m. to midnight and featuring traditional Inverness County sets with guided instruction for newcomers, this is exactly the kind of experience visitors carry home with them. For a relaxed Saturday lunch, Charlene's Bayside Restaurant and Cafe in Whycocomagh serves award-winning seafood chowder and fresh coastal cuisine that fits the unhurried pace of a Cape Breton autumn afternoon.
Exquisitely carved out of the breathtaking Cape Breton landscape, with postcard worthy panoramas vying for your attention and rich, rolling fairways waiting to reward your creativity, this is linksland golf at its best. A chance to follow in the legendary footsteps of course designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. From cliff to cliff and across rolling sand dunes, experience the game in its most visceral sense: with a stiff coastal wind at your back and a sense of purpose in your swing. Ranked #1 in Canada in SCOREGolf’s Top 100 best golf courses in Canada, #13 in Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #11 in Golfweek’s Top 100 International Golf Courses in 2024, Cabot Cliffs alongside its sister course Cabot Links, has transformed Cape Breton Island into one of North America’s most noteworthy golf destinations. Cabot Cliffs is a walking-only course, a style of play that heightens the experience of the game, connecting the golfer with the landscape and inviting creativity into every shot. Of course, exceptions can be made – and carts provided – for those of our guests with medical limitations. In addition, experienced caddies are ready to provide helpful advice on everything from shot selection to the course’s various topographical nuances. “Midway through my maiden round at Cabot Cliffs, strung along ocean bluffs above the town of Inverness, Nova Scotia, I became overwhelmed by an emotion best described as giddy. (…) The sense of awe and discovery was so intense. (…) By round’s end, I’d lost all objectivity. This is the second coming of Cypress Point, which in my mind was previously unmatched in its beauty, variety and thrills.”- Ron Whitten, Golf Digest Visit our website for a hole-by-hole tour at https://cabotcapebreton.com/golf/cabot-cliffs
Located on over a mile of sandy beach along the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia—and nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness—Cabot Cape Breton features 46 holes of exhilarating golf and one of the best resort experiences in Canada. With two acclaimed World Top 100 courses, 72 rooms of award-winning accommodation, 19 upscale Golf Villas, and exquisite dining in three on-site restaurants, Cabot Cape Breton is intended to excite and inspire at every turn. Resort Overview 2 acclaimed World Top 100 golf courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs 1 Par 3, 10-hole short course, The Nest 72 rooms of award-winning hotel accommodation 19 upscale Golf Villas 30 Luxurious Homes 4 restaurants; Panorama, Cabot Bar, The Barn, Whit’s Public House 2 beach accesses within walking distance of the resort Awards ScoreGolf—Top Canadian Public Courses (Cabot Cliffs #1, Cabot Links #2) Golf Digests—World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses (Cabot Cliffs #10, Cabot Links #39) Conde Nast Traveler—Top 10 Resorts in Canada (Cabot Cape Breton No. 10) Golf Digest—Best Golf Resorts in Canada (Cabot Cape Breton) Forbes—Top 10 Best Golf Trips around the World Forbes – Top 10 Best Golf Resorts With Private Cottages or Cabins Travel+Leisure – Top 10 Resort Hotels in Canada (Cabot Links Lodge #8) Facilities/Services Cabot Links Golf Course: Rod Whitman design. Par 70, 6854 yards. Walking course (carts available if medically required) Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Courses: #10 Cabot Cliffs Golf Course: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design. Par 72, 6764 yards. Walking course (carts available if medically required) Practice range Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Courses: #39 The Nest Short Course: Rod Whitman & Dave Axland design. Par 3, 10-hole Night Golf Lodging: 72 Oceanview rooms at the Cabot Links Lodge 49 Upscale homes ranging from 2 to 5 bedrooms Dining: Whit’s Public House Panorama Cabot Bar The Barn Services: Transportation between Links & Cliffs properties Airport, local and other transportation available Local activity bookings Bell service Accommodation Types: Resort Rooms • Floor to ceiling windows • Walk-in rainfall showers • Plush pillow top beds • Nespresso Machine • Italian Terry cloth towels and robes Villa Rentals 19 upscale Golf Villas (ranging from 2 to 4 bedrooms) Open-concept living space Custom kitchen with premium appliances Private deck Cabot Cliffs An 18-hole invitation to take the road less travelled, with the freedom of unfamiliar terrain beneath your feet and uncommon beauty as far as the eye can see. Cabot Cliffs is designed by legendary course designers, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and carved out of the Cape Breton coastline. From high cliffs to rolling dunes Cabot Cliffs is 6,765 yards and Par 72 Cabot Links Set against a breathtaking landscape and designed by Canadian golf course architect, Rod Whitman, this is golf as it was meant to be. Each of the 18holesoffers an ocean view and five holes play directly adjacent to the beach. This is the first authentic links in Canada, and one of the world’s greatest courses. The place that speaks to golf’s elemental and undeniable truthis6,854 yards and Par 70 The Nest Opened for the 2021 season, the new short course is a Par 3, 10-hole routing perched on the highest point of Cabot Cliffs, affording some of the best views on property. The Rod Whitman/Dave Axland design has a great deal of variety and shot value and is modelled after the same style of golf as Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs. Your golf day can also extend well beyond sundown with night golf at offered at The Nest!
Cradled in the picturesque hills of the Mabou Highlands, our unsurpassed view is perfect for gourmet cuisine. Savour the freshest of Nova Scotia and international cuisine in our Pub and Dining Room, featured in ’Where to Eat in Canada’. Celtic music and a dram of Canadian single malt whisky, Glen Breton Rare, lay the groundwork for your unique Cape Breton experience. Glenora Inn features nine rooms and six highland chalets. You can also enjoy a guided tour of the distillery and private tastings.
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.
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
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.
Inverness County in early October rewards those who seek it out — the foliage is at its peak, the halls and stages are alive, and the welcome is as genuine as ever. Come for a night, stay for the week.
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