Baddeck is a small village on the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake, the big inland saltwater sea that nearly splits Cape Breton Island in two, and it is a gentle place to begin a loop around the Cabot Trail. The Bras d'Or is a strange body of water, tidal but sheltered, fringed with low green hills and dotted with sailboats, and in the early morning the surface can be perfectly still. Baddeck has a main street of low wooden buildings, a small harbour, a handful of cafes and a bakery, and the unhurried air of a place accustomed to summer visitors.
The village owes much of its fame to Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, who fell in love with the area in the 1880s and built a summer estate, Beinn Bhreagh, on the headland across the bay. He spent decades experimenting there, with kites, hydrofoils and early aircraft. In February 1909 his associates flew the Silver Dart from the frozen surface of the bay, the first powered flight in the British Empire. A museum in the village tells the story with models, photographs and equipment, and it is worth an hour.
The Cabot Trail itself is a loop of about 300 kilometres around the northern tip of the island, named for the explorer John Cabot, who is believed to have landed somewhere on the north coast in 1497. Direction is a matter of taste, and this ride runs anticlockwise, climbing into the western highlands first. Whichever way you go, start with a full tank, because Baddeck has the fuel and food that thin out as the trail winds into the highlands.
The roads out of Baddeck are an easy introduction. Heading west, the trail follows the quiet Middle River valley toward Margaree, with gentle bends, hay fields and low hills. On the way home, if you ride the loop this way, you pass the Gaelic College at St. Ann's, which teaches piping, fiddling and Gaelic song, and the whole island carries the strong stamp of its Scottish settlers.
Allow time to walk along the waterfront before you set out. The harbour has a small lighthouse, and the water smells of salt and seaweed. In summer, the days are long and mild, while September is calm and clear, often the best month. Expect fog at times, especially on the coast, and keep a rain jacket in your luggage.