A drive along the coast of Nova Scotia

Peggy’s Cove lighthouse in Nova Scotia

(Image credit: Geoffrey Pinkney/Alamy Stock Photo )

published 19 June 2023

With its rugged coast, “sugary” beaches and pretty fishing ports, Nova Scotia is a “magical” place for a “go-slow” road trip, says Mike MacEacheran in The Sunday Times. Although named after Scotland, this province in the far southeast of Canada is closer in size to Wales, making it easy to explore. Consisting of a T-shaped peninsula and some 3,800 islands (Cape Breton is by far the largest), it was inhabited by the First Nations Mi’kmaq people before the French arrived in 1605. The British won control of it in the 18th century, and today, English, Scottish and Irish names are as ubiquitous on its signposts as punning references to its nautical heritage and marvellous seafood (the Lob’Store, Thrift Ahoy, Oh My Cod, and so on).

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Lobster fishing is among the province’s biggest industries. Driving southwards along its eastern seaboard from its handsome capital, Halifax, you’ll be able to sample many different takes on the king of crustaceans, from lobster rolls and creamed lobster on toast to lobster fondue and even lobster gelato. The latter is available at Lobster Made Easy in Mahone Bay, where you’ll also find the Saltbox Brewing Company, which uses fire-roasted lobster shells in making its Crustacean Elation Beer. But there are plenty of other culinary treats on offer (the local chowder, for instance, is generally great), and much to do beside eating, including whale-watching, stargazing, and hiking and canoeing in the Kejimkujik National Park.

A “time-machine town of bell-cast mansions, hull-ribbed churches and twin-masted sailing boats”, Lunenburg is a bit twee and touristy these days. But there are plenty of other lovely places to stop, including Liverpool (try the Quarterdeck Resort, a “better-than-Butlin’s cluster of weather-boarded villas”), and the “transfixing” lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, one of Canada’s “most photographed spots”.