Cape Breton Museums: Bell baddeck & Highland Village Iona NS｜Canada

Begin your journey taking in sweeping scenic lookoffs starting at the St. Anns Lookoff, which overlooks St. Anns Bay and the surrounding highlands, followed by a stop at the Seal Island Bridge Lookoff for views across the Great Bras d'Or Channel.Continue into the village of Baddeck to visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site.

Here, explore the inventor's original collections, including a full-scale replica of the Silver Dart aeroplane (which made Canada's first powered flight), the original hull and full-scale model of the record-setting HD-4 hydrofoil boat, tetrahedral kites, early sound recorders, and personal artifacts.

Afterwards, take a walk along the Baddeck Waterfront Boardwalk, offering clear views across Baddeck Bay toward the Kidston Island Lighthouse and Bell’s grand estate, Beinn Bhreagh, situated on the prominent headland across the water.Depart Baddeck and travel toward Grand Narrows and the Barra Strait crossing (or Little Narrows cable ferry route), bridging the central waters of the Bras d'Or Lake.

Arrive in Iona to explore the Highland Village Museum (Baile nan Gàidheal), a 43-acre open-air living history museum set high on a hill with views over the lake. Costumed animators and historic buildings detail the life, culture, and language of Nova Scotia's Scottish Gaelic settlers from the 1700s to the 1900s. Conclude your excursion with a scenic return trip traveling back through Georges River.