Completely forgot to give the truck its due credit in yesterday’s post. Dry camping meant no hookups of any kind—no power, no water, no sewer—and while the 12‑volt system and tanks handle most of that just fine, the real question was: how do we make espresso in the morning? Turns out the hybrid truck is basically a 4.8 kWh generator on wheels. Plug in the trailer, fire up the coffee maker, and suddenly we’re sipping espresso and lattes in the middle of nowhere. Modern trucks are ridiculous in the best way.
We wanted to tackle the Skyline Trail today, but you now have to book a parking slot, and the earliest available was Friday at 5 p.m. So we pivoted and headed down the Ceilidh Trail, which runs along the southwest side of the island from Inverness to Port Hastings.
First stop: Inverness. We grabbed snacks and a coffee, then wandered down to the boardwalk and beachfront. Another long sweep of golden sand backed by dunes—Cape Breton really doesn’t do mediocre beaches. We walked all the way to the little harbour, skipped stones for a bit, and turned back just as the sky decided it had held off long enough. It waited until we were almost at the truck before switching from “occasional spit” to “full downpour.”
Next up was the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, which Georgie had been excited about. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. The restaurant was closed, no live music except for a short lunchtime slot, and the exhibits amounted to a single room of info boards and video clips—lots of fiddle, not much whistle.
We tried a stretch of the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail after that. It’s a 92 km bike/hike path along the Ceilidh Trail, but by the time we got there the wind had picked up. We walked maybe 2–3 km through a straight corridor of trees before deciding it wasn’t the most riveting section.
After two underwhelming stops, we threw in a wildcard: Egypt Falls. Getting there meant a 4 km drive up a washed‑out gravel road twisting through steep hills, and then a 1 km descent at what felt like a 45‑degree angle. The falls themselves were gorgeous—full flow thanks to the rain—and absolutely worth the effort. The only catch was the climb back up, a full kilometre straight uphill to the truck. A proper leg‑burner to finish the day.
About the Author
