Cap-le-Moine

After crossing the Margaree River, the Cabot Trail passes through Belle-Côte and Terre-Noire on its way north. Shortly after passing the Cape Breton Highlands Academy in Terre-Noire, one arrives at a largish look-off on the left side of the road that offers splendid views of the Inverness County coast line from Cap-le-Moine (Friar’s Head) to the north south to Sight Point at the northern end of Cape Mabou.

On this day, the skies had cleared and some of the haze had dissipated, but the wind remained very strong, whipping the water into a white froth as it reached the shore. I was headed for the north end of Cape Breton Island and in a bit of a hurry to get there, but I simply could not pass by the beautiful views at the look-off, the more so given the photogenic wave action seen in photo #1.

The promontory at the far left of photo #1 is Cap-le-Moine (Friar’s Head); I am told that there is a private trail that leads there from the art gallery in the village of Cap-le-Moine (visible in the upper middle right of the photo above), but I have never sought it out. I imagine the views from there would be stunning, as one would certainly be able to see to the north Chéticamp Island and likely well beyond, perhaps even to Cap-Rouge (Red Head), all of which are blocked from this look-off by Cap-le-Moine itself; the more westerly siting of Cap-le-Moine would also provide a much better view of the coast to Sight Point to the south.

The view in photo #2 is to the south along the coast; the mountain rising in the background is on the south side of the Margaree River. The cliffs here once extended out into the water where the sharp rock formations one sees below the cliffs now lie; the erosive power of wind and water has undermined their supports, causing them to fall into the water. This process is now repeating with the modified coast line whose rock formations will, in time, join the others in the water.