Baddeck

Bell first saw Baddeck in 1885, decided the setting resembled his native Scotland, and built Beinn Bhreagh across the bay, spending most summers there for the rest of his life; he is buried on the mountain. His work here went well beyond the telephone: hydrofoils, one of which set a world water speed record in 1919, kites, and aviation. On 23 February 1909 the Silver Dart, built by his Aerial Experiment Association, took off from the ice of Baddeck Bay in the first powered flight in Canada and the British Empire. The museum holds hydrofoil and aircraft material, including a full-size Silver Dart replica.

What you actually see

• The Bell museum - hydrofoils, kites and aviation alongside the telephone.
• The Silver Dart replica - a full-size copy of the 1909 aircraft.
• Beinn Bhreagh - Bell's house across the bay, private but visible.
• The Bras d'Or shore - the inland sea the village sits on.

When to go

June to October; the museum is open year-round with reduced winter hours. The Cabot Trail starts and ends here, so the village fills with touring traffic in autumn colour season.

Honest expectations

Beinn Bhreagh remains in family hands and is not open to visitors. The village is small and fills with Cabot Trail traffic. Autumn accommodation books far ahead.

Nearby

The Cabot Trail loops north; Bras d'Or Lake surrounds the village.