Stations past
Old Creignish railway station still standing
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, in late September of this year, when I decided to go for a solo motorcycle ride along the Ceilidh Trail, on the west side of our lovely island.
Usually, when we ride this scenic 60-mile route, we start at the Canso Causeway, and follow the east coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence until we reach Margaree Harbour, where the Ceilidh Trail meets the world famous Cabot Trail.
However, on this warm and sunny afternoon, I decided that I would drive this route from the opposite direction, which would allow me to end up at the Canso Causeway, from where I would take the Trans-Canada Highway back to my home in North Sydney.
I also decided that since it was getting dark rather early, at approximately 7 p.m. instead of around 9, I would only drive part of the Ceilidh Trail, as I wanted to be back home before dark.
With that in mind I took the Trans- Canada to Whycocomagh, where I turned off at the former Vi’s Restaurant, and took the east side of Lake Ainslie to Scotsville. From there I cut across to the tiny hamlet of Strathlorne, where I joined the Ceilidh Trail about 3 miles south of Inverness.
One of the advantages of riding alone is that I can go at my own pace, and stop wherever, and whenever I want. Rather than inconvenience the little group that I normally travel with, I often ride alone in late September or early October, so that I can take as many pictures as I want, of the spectacular autumn colours, that make this possibly the best season of the year on our little island.
This was one of those days, and within a few minutes of joining the Ceilidh Trail I was stopped on the shoulder of the road, taking some photos of the north flank of the Mabou Highlands.
These highlands, which extend for about 12 miles from Inverness to Mabou, were once the home of a vibrant little Scottish community. However, by the end of the First World War in 1918, most of the inhabitants of the Mabou Highlands had moved down into the “lowland” areas around the villages of Inverness and Mabou.
Later that afternoon, after passing through Port Hood and Judique, I found myself enjoying the spectacular coastal scenery as I approached the outskirts of Creignish, the small community that has gained a musical reputation as the birthplace of Ashley MacIsaac, the renowned Celtic fiddler.
Just up ahead, on the left side of the road, was the old general store that had for years served the village of Creignish and vicinity. The last time I had stopped there was more than 10 years ago, on another solo motorcycle trip. At that time I had been intrigued by the sight of a small while building, just on the water side, and partially hidden in amongst the trees.
That particular structure turned out to be one of the ori- ginal tiny railroad stations that served the several communities between the towns of Port Hawkesbury and Inverness. It was only a short walk from the highway, and yet it took me back to a time, more than 100 years ago, when the then new Inverness and Richmond Railway was the talk of the area.
Built to serve the coal mines in Inverness, Port Hood and Mabou, the railway survived until 1986, when it was finally shut down.
The rails were removed three years later, and the former rail corridor is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail system, and has a life of its own as the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail.
Somewhat to my surprise, that little building was still standing, at its beautiful, private location overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. What appeared to be a relatively new metal roof was obviously not the original, but the original door to the tiny passenger waiting room was on the water side, while the larger door to the little “freight-shed,” or parcel express room, was still located on that part of the building closest to the former railway.
Needless to say I will have to do more research into these fascinating little stations, and into the history of that little railroad that formerly served so many communities on the west coast of our island. Rannie Gillis is a retired teacher and guidance counsellor who lives in North Sydney. An avid writer, photographer and motojournalist, he is the author of several books and has written travel stories for various Canadian and American magazines. He specializes in the Celtic World. He can be reached at ranniegillis@ns.sympatico.ca