About Inverness County
Inverness County comprises the entire western coastline of Cape Breton Island, including the world famous Cabot Trail and reaches inland as far as the beautiful Bras d’Or Lakes.
Between these shorelines, the cultures, arts, languages and landscapes complement each other, extending an open invitation for visitors to experience any or all of western Cape Breton’s offerings.
Find Our Island
Getting Here
Cape Breton has a full-service airport—the JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport—with direct flights from Toronto, ON and numerous connections via the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Driving? From Halifax, the Trans-Canada 104 in Nova Scotia leads right over the causeway onto Cape Breton Island and into Inverness County. Keep left around the round-about to experience Canada’s Musical Coast!
Cultural Centres
- Celtic Music Interpretive Centre- Judique
Nova Scotia’s official Celtic Music Centre provides an in-depth look into the traditional music and culture of Cape Breton Island. Offering Ceilidh’s 7 days/week featuring live Celtic Music, the “Ceilidh Pub” restaurant and bar, gift shop, interactive exhibit room, Celtic music demonstrations, music workshops, Gaelic language lessons, The Buddy MacMaster Fiddle Camp, archives and resource library and much more.
Join us for great tunes, food and good times! Open mid-June to mid-October. Sunday Ceilidhs offered year-round.
www.celticmusiccentre.com
- Strathspey Performing Arts Centre- Mabou
Home to live music, arts & culture, and tradition. This world class, professional theatre has played host to international and local performers alike. As an integral piece of the community for locals and a “must-see” for visitors, this venue has a passion for performance!
www.strathspeyplace.com
- Inverness Centre for the Arts- Inverness
The Inverness County Centre for the Arts nurtures and presents the arts and culture of Inverness County. Its gallery, studio, performance space, and gift shop provide a venue for artists and audiences to connect. The 6-month season includes a series of art exhibitions, musical and theatre performances, workshops, and community events. The art centre is situated on 5 acres overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence with a beautiful garden for visitors to enjoy.
www.invernessarts.com
- Mi-Careme Centre- Grand Etang
Celebrate the masks, music and dance of the Acadian tradition of “Mi-Carême”. The Interpretive Centre, located in the picturesque Grand Etang Harbour, features stunning displays, gives an historical overview and offers a variety of monthly events.
www.micareme.ca - Place des arts Père-Anselme-Chiasson- Cheticamp
This 363 seat theater is home to a local dance and theater troop and host a variety of musical theaters, comedians, magicians, orchestras from all over the world every year. The theatre is managed by Le Conseil des arts de Chéticamp, a non-profit organization that has as its mission to preserve the rich french language and Acadian heritage in the region of Chéticamp, while offering projects and programs that has as their aim to artistically develop Acadian youth as well as the whole of the community.
www.conseildesartsdecheticamp.ca
Trails
Inverness County is home to over 50 great trails of varying degrees of difficulty and scenic wonders!
Visit our friends at Celtic Shores Coastal Trail to learn about Cape Breton’s only premier cycling destination trail, 90kms in length. Be sure to click on “other great trails” to learn more about the trail systems in the area.
Check out the trails in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Home to 26 extraordinary trails ranging from easy strolls to challenging climbs with panoramic views of canyons, highlands and seacoasts. The trails provide a chance to intimately explore the complex habitat of northern Cape Breton Island.
Our trails run through all seasons! Check out The Margaree Highlanders Snowmobile Club for more information on snowmobile trails in the area.
Museums
Our museums house more than artifacts, they are run by community groups dedicated to sharing our history with the world. You will be greeted with a smile and leave with a better understanding of our local culture that has shaped our communities.
Most museums are open mid-June to October-Check local listings
Port Hastings Museum & Historical Society
Local area history, displays on the construction of the world’s deepest man-made causeway, and model ships handcrafted by Marc Boudreau.
Celtic Music Interpretive Centre
The centre collects the history and preserves and promotes the tradition of Cape Breton music. Cultural tours and workshops available. Restaurant and bar on site.
www.celticmusiccentre.com
Judique Historical Society (Judique Storytellers Building)
This museum displays many historical photographs of the area and depicts the lifestyles of our past. Open July and August
Chestico Museum- Port Hood
The former Harbourview School houses museum artifacts and historical/genealogical records that relates to the early settlers of the Port Hood Area.
www.chesticoplace.com
An Drochaid (The Bridge)- Mabou
Special emphasis on Gaelic traditions- includes artifacts, genealogical and historical records.
Inverness Miners’ Museum-Inverness
Exhibits devoted to the coal mining history of the district.
Les Trois Pignons- Cheticamp
Visit Les Trois Pignons on the Cabot Trail for a special view into Acadian culture and the history of Chéticamp. Be inspired by the one-of-a-kind magnificent tapestries of Élizabeth LeFort, research your Acadian ancestry, try your hand at rug hooking or simply learn of the Acadian village and what it has to offer.
www.lestroispignons.com
Whale Interpretive Centre- Pleasant Bay
Life size models of whales plus exhibits, interactive media and a touch tank!
Margaree Salmon Museum- North East Margaree
Exhibits relate to salmon angling on the Margaree River. Excellent collections of fishing tackle, beautiful hand-tied flies, photos and memorabilia of famous anglers.
MacDonald House Museum and Heritage site- East Lake Ainslie
This gothic style 150 year old farmhouse and outbuildings overlook beautiful Lake Ainslie and house exhibits related to the farming life of a century ago. There is also restored one-room schoolhouse on the grounds.
Orangedale Railway Museum- Orangedale
Nova Scotia’s oldest surviving railway station. Built in 1886, the station exhibits classic 19th century Intercolonial Railway architecture. The station was operational until 1990 and currently houses railway artifacts, a stationmaster quarters and original furniture. Several railway cars on site!
Father John Angus Rankin Cultural Centre- Glendale
The Cultural Centre houses the Glendale Gaelic and Historical Society archives. Gift shop features local traditional crafts, with tartans on display and weaving workshops offered. Kitchen Ceilidhs, Gaelic workshops throughout the year. Internet access available-find them on Facebook!
