Excursion The mi'kmaq-gaelic link tour at Sydney

Explore where the highlands meet the lowlands in Nova Scotia, where two predominant and disparate island cultures still flourish, quite different and distinct, yet closely intertwined; Mi'kmaq and Scottish.

Drive one hour along the shores of the Bras d'Or Lake, Canada's only inland sea nestled within the very heartland of Cape Breton Island. Arrive in Eskasoni, the largest Mi'kmaq speaking community in the world. Take a guided walking tour of Goat Island for an authentic living experience among the Mi'kmaq people, while you learn the history and culture of the first native people to meet Europeans.

Taste traditional Mi'kmaq food, learn the craft of basket-making, traditional dance and play a 5,000-year old traditional game of chance. Bake read on an open fire, and discover how the Mi'kmaq hunted and fished, healed their illnesses, and experience a smudging ceremony. Walking is mostly level ground. Browse the gift shop for native crafts, jewelry, art and books.

Continue to the Nova Scotia's Highland Village. High along a hilltop at Iona, in the very center of Cape Breton Island, you are almost completely surrounded by the magnificent Bras d'Or Lake, forming a breathtaking backdrop. Immerse yourself in Gaelic culture on the 38-acre site dotted with 11-historic buildings with costumed animators depicting the life of Gaels in Nova Scotia.

Walk forward through history from the humble beginnings of Gaelic ancestors to modern times, and see what life was like for the Scottish settlers from the mid-1700s through the early 1900s. A guided storytelling tour brings to life the first 180-years of Scottish migration to Nova Scotia (New Scotland) told through culture and traditions, language and architecture. Participate in a "milling frolic," a hands-on filling of the cloth and singing Gaelic work songs while you drink coffee or tea and eat oatcakes.

Walking at the Highland Village is mostly downhill on a zigzag gravel and grass road. Browse the gift shop, among a fabulous collection of local arts, crafts, music and books, before you return to the ship.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Nova Scotia, Eskasoni, Highland Village, Mi'kmaq cultural immersion

Note

Please note: This tour is not suitable for guests in wheelchairs, as most venues are not wheelchair accessible. The Highland Village is located on a hillside and touring occurs on mostly downhill gravel paths, which may be challenging for guests with limited mobility. Guests must be able to disembark the coach on their own. Casual clothes and comfortable walking shoes are recommended, as well as a light jacket and umbrella or sunhat depending on the day's weather.