Little Narrows Ferry and Highland Village Museum

(Delayed posting. Visited during summer 2024)

Little Narrows has a ferry that took us from the Western part of Cape Breton to the East side.

The Highland Village Museum, on the shores of Bras d'Or Lake and near Iona, showcases the four era of Scottish settlement in Cape Breton starting in the late 1700's. Here is a view of Bras d'Or Lake from its parking lot. It is open seasonally.

Here is the main entrance. The pamphlet you get with your admission has various common Gaelic words that you can use with the reenactors on site.

Here is a general map of the site.

The more recent buildings were moved here and fixed up.

From the late 1700's to early 1800's is the traditional black house used by those living in Scotland.

Inside are the furniture as it would have been used by rural Scottish peoples living in this time. The fire extinguisher is for safety, of course. The reenactor explained what life was like and why they were emigrating to Nova Scotia and North America.

This map shows the regions Scottish peoples emigrated from and where they settled.

Another view of Bras d'Or Lake.

A log house which would have been the main type of building used in the late 1700's to mid-1800's.

Now to the 1850's to 1880's.

A barn from that era and into the 1920's.

This wagon was used by Alexander Graham Bell when he visited with his family to his home and laboratory.

More scenery and a view of the buildings from the 1880's to early 1900's.

The Mi'kmaq community of Malagawatch built this church in 1874 to replace the previous one built in 1826, which was the third Presbyterian church in Cape Breton. In 2002 it was given to the Highland Village Museum.

A view of the bridge from Iona to the East, which we took for the rest of our drive that day.

The reenactors continued to weave a tale of life in their time period. I wish I read the pamphlet more as they spoke Gaelic quite well. There is a group that gives classes at the main building down the hill and at the Gaelic College near where we were staying, at Chanterelle Inn.

Some words of warning for those who speak languages that are dwindling in usage.

This was an excellent site and a good visit.