- Nova Scotia
- Ceilidh Trail
- Inverness
Inverness
...a community on the coast...
Inverness is a full service community along the Ceilidh Trail on the west coast of Cape Breton Island. This area has some of the warmest beaches on the island. The warm waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence make the beaches here warmer than most salt-water beaches in Nova Scotia.
You will find everything you need here including a visitor information centre, a wonderful beach, a boardwalk, a golf course and access to the Celtic Shores Coastal trail.
All of this right in the middle of town along with restaurants, grocery stores, accommodations, gift shops and all other services that you would need on your travels. This is a former coal mining town and is now mainly a service centre for the fishing and farming communities.
The town is 80 kilometers (50 mi) from the Canso Causeway and only 22 kilometers (14 mi) from Mabou. If you find yourself in Cheticamp heading south on the Cabot Trail toward the Ceilidh Trail then you are 63 kilometers (39 mi) from Inverness. It is also 26.5 kilometers (16.5 mi) from Margaree Forks which is where the Ceilidh and Cabot Trails meet.
What to do
You’ll find a beautiful sandy beach not far from the middle of town so it is very convenient. There is a canteen, a change room, washroom facilities and a lifeguard.
There is a boardwalk adjacent to the beach and is a great way to enjoy the scenery if you are not into swimming. The sunset views must be incredible when you are walking here!!
The Cabot Links Golf Course, also located in the centre of town, has already made a reputation for itself for its excellence. This is the only authentic links course in Canada so it is quite special.
The fairways lie between the town and the ocean. And between the ocean and the fairways is the beautiful boardwalk.
I am not a golfer but apparently Cabot Links is not for the meek and mild. I think you really need to know what you are doing to golf here. As a true links course it is very challenging with lots of sand traps and very windy but the view of the ocean is breathtaking.
This is a walking course only so golf carts are not allowed unless there are mobility issues. There are caddy services.
This par 70 links course has won wave reviews so it is definitely worth a visit for the golfer. Golf Inc. named it the best golf development in the world for 2012.
Clearly, this course is special. Add to it a pro shop, clubhouse, top notch hotel and restaurant and a pub for a pint after a wonderful day on the course. Not to mention the view of the ocean!
The Inverness boardwalk is an inviting place to walk. It is located between the ocean and the Cabot Links Golf Course. Actually, it stretches from the downtown area directly to the beach. I loved this boardwalk.
It is about 2-km long and it has beautiful views of the coastline, the beach, the highlands, the cliffs and, of course, the golf course. It is wonderful no matter what the temperature or weather!
I couldn’t get enough of it when I was there. I just kept exploring from every angle and I took lots of pictures. The views of the ocean are spectacular, the sunsets must be amazing and you get a close-up look at Cabot Links.
Hikers, joggers and cyclists will be happy to know that you can access the Inverness Shean section of the Celtic Shores Coastal trail in the middle of town. Celtic Shores is a 92-kilometer multi-purpose recreational trail that stretches along the coastline from the Canso Causeway to Inverness.
Inverness is about 25 km (15.5 mi) from Mabou via the Celtic Shores Coastal trail. So you could actually do a DAY TRIP cycling from Inverness to Mabou and then back. Cycle to Mabou for lunch at the Red Shoe Pub and then back again!
Let's head back to my page on the Ceilidh Trail to see where to go from here.....don't want you to miss anything!
- Nova Scotia
- Ceilidh Trail
- Inverness
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