Red Head rent

Cape Breton Highlands National Park is known for its spectacular highlands and ocean scenery. The Cape Breton Highlands are the most striking feature of northern Cape Breton. Steep cliffs and deep river canyons carve into a forested plateau bordering the Atlantic Ocean. One third of the Cabot trail, a world-famous scenic highway, runs through the national park, along the coastline and over the highlands.

Established in 1936, the National Park covers 950 square kilometers - about 20% of northern Cape Breton. It is the largest protected wilderness area in Nova Scotia and is one of a system of national parks protecting outstanding Canadian landscapes. The maritime climate and rugged landscape of the park permit a unique blend of Acadian, Boreal and Taiga habitats, plants and animals. This special mix of northern and southern species is not found anywhere else in Canada. The park houses several dozen species of rare or threatened plants and animals, as well as old- growth forests of international importance. Small populations of arctic/alpine plants left over from the last ice age can also be found here.

Geology - The dominant feature of northern Cape Breton is the Cape Breton Plateau.

Plants - The Cape Breton Highlands National Park protects part of the Maritime Acadian Highlands Natural Region. This natural region is part of a mixed hardwood/softwood forest that stretches from the Great Lakes to New England and Maritime Canada.

Animals - The rich tapestry of mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and coastlines provides habitats for both northern and southern species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates.

Species at Risk - The plants and animals of northern Cape Breton include a number of species under protection to ensure their long-term survival.

Natural Environment - Climate, lakes, rivers, surface deposits and soils play important roles in the northern Cape Breton ecosystem.

Red Head Peninsula... a magical place within the boundaries of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. After more than a decade of looking all over the US and Canada for that one special site, a property that would mirror my dreams and images, I literally stumbled onto it. What initiated this quest was a desire to find beauty, wilderness, comfort and privacy that would lend itself to year-round escapism in a four-season climate. It was important for me that the property should offer respite from the clamor of the daily world and yet be located in a safe, sophisticated area with world-class golf and cuisine a mere 15 minutes away. Finally, my search led me here and I venture to assert that there is no better coastal property in this part of the world. I fell in love with it straight away - it met all my practical requirements, but just as importantly, it is unbelievably beautiful. It is also a genuine privilege to carry on the stewardship of four generations of the leading local family who received the property as a grant from Queen Victoria in the 1800s.
I can think of no better way to describe this land than to cite the words of Tom Childs (an artist, traveler, philosopher, businessman and real estate specialist), who introduced me to Red Head:
"Having trodden a good proportion of the 204 (+/-) acres for which Red Head provides its name, I am keenly aware of just how unusual and frankly 'one-of a- kind' this property truly is. The extraordinarily majestic 150-feet-high cliffs along the entire eastern and southern sides of this property are each about a kilometer long, with the Atlantic shoreline of about the same distance, and dominate any views of the land from the sea and across Ingonish Bay. Once on the property, the views are empyrean! To the south is Cape Smokey, with its multitude of moods from glowering to stormy to calmly majestic. The beaches below the cliffs, one of which is exclusively part of this property, are sandy and secluded, the rocky headland providing a natural 20-foot barrier to incursions from beyond the property."
To the east is the Atlantic with its infinite variety of images, while just below and out from Red Head is matchless Ingonish Island. The northern property boundary, all along its course, adjoins the Highland National Park. The south-west boundary commands views of the distant Keltic Lodge, the Highlands and the fishing fleet as it emerges and returns to its protected harbor just around the point.
Walking from the north part of the property, the trees are largely fir (with some areas densely packed) and the ground is liberally sprinkled with moose droppings. It is clear that moose move here in late fall for their wintering grounds. The land climbs steadily from the park boundary line as one moves toward the southern cliffs and there are more hardwoods there than I took notice of - as evidenced by the owner's photo taken from within the neighboring Federal Parklands. On the top of the property, the land is a little clearer. Were someone to locate a couple of houses there, the location would provide vistas in every direction, creating one of the most beautiful - even majestic - properties on the whole east coast of North America.
The same could be said for locating further down the southern flank of the property, as the views, while mainly to the south, east and southwest, take in the most memorable vistas anywhere in Cape Breton or the Maritimes.
Any residences built here could be effectively protected from the occasionally blustery winter weather with a series of screens made up of carefully selected evergreens that will grow quickly wherever the owner wished.

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