Bras d'Or Lake Travel Guide

  An Abandoned Farm House near the Lake
by Bwana_Brown
 
  • An Abandoned Farm House near the Lake
      An Abandoned Farm House near the Lake
    by Bwana_Brown
  • Dundee Marina
      Dundee Marina
    by Bwana_Brown
  • A Partially Frozen Lakeside Inlet
      A Partially Frozen Lakeside Inlet
    by Bwana_Brown
  • On the Hillside
      On the Hillside
    by Bwana_Brown
  • A Hard Life for a Barn
      A Hard Life for a Barn
    by Bwana_Brown
 

Explore Bras d'Or Lake

Things to Do  

This Silo's Roof Has Had It !

This Silo's Roof Has Had It !, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Along the lakeshore at Dundee, just before I turned inland to begin the loop back to St. Peters, I came across another of the abandoned farms.This one had a fairly substantial barn with a solid old concrete silo for holding the cattle feed. Although the concrete was standing... 

An Abandoned Homestead

An Abandoned Homestead, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Cape Breton has always been a hard place to make a living. Now, with it's historical main industry of underground coal mining in the Sydney area shut down and the fisheries depleted, times are even tougher for many residents.Some of the older farms were marginal at best,... 

'Slushy' Ice

'Slushy' Ice, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  On the main body of Bras d'Or Lake itself, the winter ice-cover in some of the smaller coves and arms of the Lake is in the process of melting and breaking up with the onset of Spring weather.In some places, this results in a wide expanse of beat-up and broken ice chunks... 

Weather Beaten

Weather Beaten, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Stuck as it is between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the weather on Cape Breton Island is noted for it's high winds during winter storms.The weathered and beaten-down cedar shingles and boards on the old barn look like they have taken their fair... 

A Barn With a View

A Barn With a View, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  This part of Nova Scotia is off the beaten path and serves mainly as a summer tourist retreat area. The forested and thinly topsoiled hillsides have never been all that friendly to farmers. However, in the old days, before the tourist industry became one of the mainstays,... 

Snowy Woods Road

Snowy Woods Road, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Depending on how much snow has fallen over the winter, it can be tricky walking in the woods. It is tough going when you sink up to your knees in snow with each step, if you are not using skis or snow-shoes!Sometimes you may get lucky and have a hard frozen crust on the snow... 

Bald Eagles

Bald Eagles, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  I had not even made it out of St. Peters before I spotted a majestic Bald Eagle soaring high above the lakeshore. What actually caught my eye were two Herring Gulls who were harassing the Eagle as it glided on out-stretched wings. The Eagle did not pay them much attention... 

The Ice is Almost Gone

The Ice is Almost Gone, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  I have always loved the Spring season, when the winter snows are starting to melt and rivulets of water begin to gurgle and trickle. Down by the edge of the lake, the solid sheets of ice that have covered the coves and inlets during the cold months of winter begin to... 

Local Customs  

The Last Snowmen

The Last Snowmen, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  This house along the highway had lost almost all it's snow. However, the remnants of four snowmen were still visible on it's front lawn. It won't be long before the sun finishes them off, but the snow hidden in the shadows of the deep forest can last for another month or two... 

Snow Fences

Snow Fences, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  On some of the more open expanses of land in Canada, it is common to see 'snow fences' erected to try to control the drifting of snow. These fences work best in areas where the wind direction is almost always from a particular direction. The idea behind the very... 

Summer Cottage

Summer Cottage, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Bras d'Or Lake really comes alive in the Summer when both the locals and tourists arrive to enjoy this magnificent area. It is still relatively undeveloped and it is certainly a peaceful place to get away from it all when the sun is shining.Many people have small cottages... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Fair Weather Yachting

Fair Weather Yachting, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  Tourism has taken over as the main activity in Cape Breton these days. However, this is almost purely a Summer activity during the warm months of the year between May and October. Nova Scotians have always been a sea-faring people and it becomes easier for the 'weekend... 

Favorites  

St. Peters is Located Here

St. Peters is Located Here, Bras d'Or Lake

 Bwana_Brown Says:  This map shows Cape Breton Island, connected to the far eastern end of Nova Scotia by a causeway near Port Hawkesbury. St. Peters, marked by the arrow is only about 40-km (25-miles) along the Atlantic Coast side toward Sydney. The whole centre part of the island is taken up... 

The Place

Plan a Bras d'Or Lake vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Bras d'Or Lake locals

Experience Bras d'Or Lake
  •   13 Tips and Reviews
  •  14 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Bras d'Or Lake
 

The People

 
Our Members Say
 profile photo

 I have always loved the Spring season, when the winter snows are starting to melt and rivulets of water begin to gurgle and trickle. Down by the edge of the... 

 

Question about Bras d'Or Lake?

Our members can help!

postQuestion_button

Top Bras d'Or Lake Writer

1

Almost Deserted

Bwana_Brown profile photo

 While spending the 4-day Easter weekend of late March at my daughter's home in the small village of St. Peters, Nova Scotia, I decided that it was time for a short drive to re-live some memories from... 

View all rated pages

View newest pages

Build your own Bras d'Or Lake page