The pictures linked from this page were all taken in the Cape Mabou Highlands, an area that runs along the Inverness County Coast from Mabou Coal Mines to Sight Point (south-west of Inverness Village) and a few kilometers inland. Using old roads and trails in this area, the Cape Mabou Trail Club (CMTC) has built a well-maintained and well-marked trail system that offers tremendous views and considerable variety of terrain, from easy walks to very strenuous hikes, along coastal trails, up and down the many mountains, and through the forest. There are three access points to this trail system:

• The “Mabou Post Road Trail Head”, reached by driving to the end of the Mabou Coal Mines Road.
• The “Cape Mabou Trail Head”, reached from Route 19 by taking a road five kilometers (three miles) north of Mabou whose sign reads “Glenora Falls/Cape Mabou”, if memory serves, turning right when you reach the top, and continuing on a little less than three kilometers (1.8 miles) to the parking lot you will see before you reach the communications towers.
• The “Sight Point Trail Head”, reached by driving to the end of a road that begins in Broad Cove Banks outside Inverness Village and continues on to Port Ban and Sight Point.

Each of the more than fifteen trails in this system has an English name and most have a Gaelic name as well, in tribute to the Gaelic-speaking immigrants from the Scottish Highlands who settled in this area. I have chosen pictures to illustrate the excellent signage and trail engineering as well as some of the many marvellous views the trail system affords.

This trail system is intended for hiking only; camping and ATV use is not allowed. At many points, trees have been placed across the trails to deny access to ATV’s. The trail system crosses both private and Crown lands and you are expected to stay on the trails and to leave no trace of your presence.

I spend a lot of time in this area each summer; it’s a wonderful place to be because, in addition to its often breathtaking natural beauty, there are nearly always cool breezes blowing from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the forest hikes allow one respite from the sun. I am 63 and not in the best of physical shape, so I find climbing especially onerous; if you’re out there and come across me panting while I rest on my trusty three-legged stool, you’ll know whom you’ve met. I highly recommend this trail system to all, though supervision of young children is necessary on some trails, as there are sharp drop-offs. At some places along the coast not far from the trails, you need to be careful not to get too close to the edge of the cliffs, as the ground there could give way due to erosion; if you descend to the water, falling rocks from above also require careful attention. Just use common sense and treat such areas with the care they deserve.

If you use these trails, please join me in supporting the CMTC; they are a local non-profit volunteer organization who depend on private individuals for their financial support. They have done a tremendous job in building this network, maintaining it, and extending it as their resources allow. Contributions in any amount are gratefully accepted and can be sent to:

         Cape Mabou Trail Club
         Inverness, NS B0E 1N0

The CMTC publishes a map describing the trail system that is available at a nominal charge ($5 as of 2007 January 12) either in local stores or by writing to the CMTC directly (enclosing a stamped self-addressed envelope). It offers good descriptions of the trails and rates them as to their difficulty, so it is a resource that is well worth having before you set out on the trails.

Feedback on the photos and the accompanying commentary, including corrections, is welcome.

Victor Maurice Faubert
2005 November 30