Views from the Marble Mountain Look-Off

The area at the northernmost extension of North Mountain is gifted with several peninsulas and islands, the two major ones being Big Harbour Island and Militia Point; from there south, more small peninsulas and islands are found south of the road. After circling the headland and passing through Malagawatch, site of the church that was moved to Highland Village by barge some years ago, the road offers some good views of MacDonalds Cove and this picturesque part of West Bay before reaching the community of Marble Mountain, so named for an important marble quarry at the edge of the village, still being exploited today on a small scale. In the first two decades of the 20th century, the Dominion Iron and Steel Company and the Bras d’Or Lime Company employed over 700 workers extracting limestone, an important ingredient in steel-making, from the mines on North Mountain adjacent to the village. As you reach the outskirts of today’s hamlet, you will see a small look-off and parking area at your left. Be sure to stop there to admire the gorgeous views. It is from this look-off that the photos on this page were taken.

Photo #1 begins a three-part panorama, all at the same wide-angled scale, looking at the scene from the Marble Mountain Look-Off. This view is to the northeast, along the coast line. The left half of the photo shows what appear to be a series of islands, but the topographical map shows it as an unnamed peninsula connected by sand bars. MacDonalds Point is the point at the left of the house at the left of the photo; MacKenzie Point is the point just right of the centre of the photo. Cameron Island, another land mass connected by sand bars, is at the right of the photo. At the far right in the far distance is South Mountain on the far side of West Bay. Beyond MacKenzie Point and the far end of Cameron Island is the Bras d’Or Lake and the East Bay Hills are seen rising above on the far side of the lake.

Photo #2 continues the panorama. In this view, Cameron Island is in the centre of the photo. Green Island is the smaller island right of centre and Clarke Island is at the far right of the photo. More of South Mountain is visible in this photo; the Bras d’Or Lakes Scenic Drive continues around the head of West Bay at the right and outside the scope of this photo and then continues along the lower flanks of South Mountain, offering more fine views of this beautiful lake.

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Photo #3 completes the panorama. The islands here are Green Island at the left, Clarke Island left of centre, and Rook Island right of centre. In this view where the remaining islands are superimposed one on another, it is hard to make out which island is which; the topographical map names them as Cow Island, Calf Island, Low Island, MacRaes Island, and Ranald Island. At the far right of the photo is Clarke Cove, with Clarke Point sticking out beyond the wharf.

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Photo #4 looks down at Clarke Cove and the piers and swimming beach. One of the village’s two churches can be seen at the upper right; the other is beside and hidden by it. South Mountain runs across the width of the photo. The head of the lake is at West Bay, hidden here by the slopes of North Mountain on which the village is sited.

Photo #5 continues the view in photo #4, looking to the right and up the side of North Mountain. Mountain Road, which starts between the two churches, leads up to the summit, from which there are other excellent views on the way back down, as will be seen on the following page.

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Photo #6 returns to the left part of photo #1, this time at telephoto scale. The low sand bars connecting these islands into a peninsula are visible at the right. The island in the middle distance is George Island, not part of the peninsula. The East Bay Hills on the far side of the lake are usually as hazy as they appear here: it is 31.8 km (19¾ mi) in a direct line across the lake from this vantage point.

Photo #7 looks to the right of photo #6, with which there is a little overlap, at the land mass ending in MacKenzie Point at the far right (and outside the scope of this photo) and the land mass around the cove from MacDonalds Point. So far as can be ascertained from the land, this is uninhabited land, entirely covered in forests, likely little changed since the First Nations first laid eyes on it.

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Photo #8 looks at the northern shores of Cameron Island and its northeastern end. The topographical map shows a lighthouse there. The broad sweep of the lake makes for great sailing, from St Peters to West Bay to Iona to East Bay, and it is a very popular summer activity. On such a beautiful day as this, one would expect to see sail boats out and there was enough wind, as can be seen by the waves in this photo; however, none of the photos I have show any boaters out in this area enjoying its pristine beauty.