Planning a trip to Nova Scotia's Northern Shore
Getting There -- Amherst is the first Nova Scotia town you encounter when heading east on the Trans-Canada Highway from New Brunswick; it's the terminus for Nova Scotia Route 6 (from the north) and Route 2 (from the south). It's only about 40 minutes east of Moncton, and VIA Rail's (tel. 888/842-7245) train service between Montréal and Halifax stops here.
Visitor Information -- Nova Scotia’s principal Visitor Information Centre (tel. 902/667-8429) is at the New Brunswick–Nova Scotia border just off exit 1 of the Trans-Canada Highway. In addition to the usual vast library of brochures, there are videos, helpful staff, extraordinary views across the windy Tantramar Marsh, and, often, a bagpiper. It’s open year-round, and staffed daily from 9am-5pm.
Pugwash & Tatamagouche
Getting There -- Both towns are located on Route 6; you can't miss them from either direction.
Visitor Information -- The Tatamagouche Visitor Information Center (tel. 902/657-3285) is in a lovely yellow house which doubles as the Fraser Cultural Centre at 362 Main St.
Pictou
Getting There -- Pictou is located on Route 106, which is just north of exit 22 off Route 104 (the south branch of the Trans-Canada Hwy.). From PEI, you can arrive via the Northumberland Ferries (tel. 877/762-7245) with a terminal several kilometers north of Pictou at the coast near Caribou.
Visitor Information -- In Pictou, the Visitor Information Centre (tel. 902/301-3466) is located just off the big rotary west of downtown (at the junction of Rte. 6 and Rte. 106).
Antigonish
Getting There -- Antigonish is on Route 104 (Trans-Canada Hwy.) 53km (33 miles) west of the Canso Causeway (the connection to Cape Breton Island).
Visitor Information -- The tourist office (tel. 902/863-4921) is located at 283 Main St. It’s open 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Friday, May to October.
Special Events -- The Highland Games have been staged in mid-July annually since 1861. What started as a community diversion has become an international event -- these are now the oldest continuously played Highland games in North America, a place to experience everything Scottish from piping to dancing to the feat of dexterity known as "tossing the caber" (the caber being a heavy log or pole that's tossed for accuracy, not distance). Contact the folks at the local Antigonish Highland Society (tel. 902/863-4275) for each summer's dates and details. Rooms are scarce during the 3-day games (Fri-Sun), so if you plan to attend, be sure to book well ahead. You can buy daily and event tickets (C$45-C$95 for passes, less for individual tickets).
As the largest outdoor entertainment facility in eastern Canada, Riverside International Speedway (tel. 902/863-2410) hosts several stock car racing events every year, including the NASCAR Canada Series and the iconic IWK 250. It’s located on 100 acres of property adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway 104 in James River (17km east of Antigonish), with seating for more than 8,000 guests. Adult day passes to events range in price from C$30 to C$60.
