Taken 2006 October 7 in Broad Cove Banks from the Cape Mabou Road
a bit less than 0.8 km (½ mi) from its junction with the Sight Point Road
GPS 46°12.5??'N 61°20.2??'W
In this stunning panorama in which one is looking northeast, one can see all the way from Broad Cove Banks, south of Inverness village, to Chéticamp Island, the low-lying land in the middle left of the photo, and beyond! Margaree Island is also visible from this point, but is not seen in this photo, lying to the left (northwest) outside its scope.
The road from Broad Cove Banks to Sight Point runs below this vantage point in front of the house in the left foreground of the photo. Inverness Beach lies along the shore of the Gulf of St Lawrence in the foreground; beyond the beach, the shore leads to Broad Cove, where it turns left; the course of the Broad Cove Road can be seen snaking along the green-clad hill in the middle right of the photo well above the water. The Cape Breton Highlands rising in the far distance run from well north of Chéticamp all the way south to behind Belle-Côte, where the Margaree River interrupts them. Most of the trees visible here are evergreens; while a few deciduous trees are present, most are found further inland, not along the coast.
I only discovered this fine panorama two days before this photo was taken during a hike on the Cape Mabou Road on a day where the view was far less grand, because it was obscured by fog under overcast skies, but I recognized how superb it would be on a fine day, so I took my first opportunity to get back for a photo. It certainly won’t be my last time here!
This is the only vantage point I currently know of which is easy to get to and offers this gorgeous view; in Inverness village, turn by the Tommy Cat Bistro onto the Sight Point Road (officially known as the Broad Cove Banks Road) and look for the road to Foot Cape on your left after you climb the hill to Broad Cove Banks; immediately past it, you will see the Cape Mabou Road. Drive (or hike) up the Cape Mabou Road 0.8 km (0.5 mi), turn around, and descend until this view comes into your line of sight. There are several switchbacks on the way down and this view is available from a few of them, but is better from higher up.