Exploring the Northumberland Strait- Maritime Adventures Beyond Fox Harb’r Resort

There’s so much to see and do around Fox Harb’r. Here’s how to make the most of your visit.

Be a Lobster Fisherman for a Day

Yes, you can eat lobster in all kinds of ways on the Northumberland Shore, but if you’re super serious about lobster, you can become a lobster fisherman for the day. You’ll join a crew, push some traps around, band some lobsters, and more. Plus you get to take home a couple of lobsters after a long day learning about lobster. It’s the next best thing to moving to Nova Scotia and fishing lobsters all season.

Go Rockhounding

Arisaig Provincial Park isn’t just a pretty hiking trail. It’s well known for its millions of years old geology and fossils you can spot from the trail. The pictures you’ll take will be truly amazing.

Concerts

There’s lots of live music in the Northumberland Shore, including regular shows and some pretty big festivals. Every Sunday and Monday in the summer, Pictou Waterfront hosts the free Love Local Concert Series. Again, for free, you might get maritime, Celtic, blues, or rock. In August, there’s a big music festival called the Jubilee, which is sort of rock and east coast music. To give a taste of what to expect, some of the acts this year are Sum 41, Trooper, Tenille Arts, The Trews, and JoJo Mason. The other big festival is Summer Fest. Night one is an east coast dance party, featuring acts such as DeeDee Austin and the East Pointers. Night two is a big rock show, where you can expect Slowcoaster and Honeymoon Suite.

Fantastic Lighthouses

Nova Scotia is home to 160 lighthouses, but three of the best are on the Northumberland Shore. There’s Arisaig Lighthouse, Cape George Point Lighthouse, and Northumberland Fisheries Museum & Heritage Association, which has a lighthouse. Of course, that last location is good for a longer visit that’ll include a lot of information about the historic local fishery. Our advice? Stop at a lighthouse on the way back from another excursion—or pack a picnic and enjoy lunch with a historic lighthouse in the background.

Maple Magic

Sugar Moon Farm offers a year-round maple sugar experience. Enjoy a tour of the farm, learn about making maple syrup, roll your own syrup on snow, enjoy a brunch that celebrates all things maple syrup, and then work off some of those calories by exploring the nearby wilderness.

The Good Cheer Trail

We have more to say about local wines, distilleries, and spirits in (another post)[link to: FHR A Connoisseur’s Guide to Nova Scotia Wines & Spirits], but we’d be remiss not to point out the Good Cheer Trail, Canada’s only winery, brewery, cidery, distillery, and meadery trail. You can download the app and get a stamp at every stop on the tour, earning a T-shirt and the chance at a grand prize draw. The trail extends all over Nova Scotia, but in Northumberland you can find Tatamagouche Brewing, Trider’s Craft Beer, Steinhart Distillery, Painted Boat Beer, Oak Manor by Burnside Brewing, Jost Vineyards, Coldstream Clear, Candid Brewing, Caldera Distilling, Backstage Brewing, and 9Zero2 Brewing Company.

Attend the Gathering of the Clans

How will you celebrate Scottish heritage outside of Scotland? Why, by gathering with the clans in Pugwash, of course. Pipe the day in and enjoy a highland dancing competition. Follow that up with some traditional highland heavyweight games, such as the hammer throw, the heavy hammer throw, weight over bar (they throw a heavy weight over a tall metal bar), and other strongman contests. Finally, wrap it up with some pipe and drum contests. Amazingly, that’s not all. Throughout the day you can hit up some midway games and rides, enjoy lobster rolls, and take in an antique car show.

Visit the Hector

The first wave of settlers from Scotland came to Nova Scotia in 1773, and they did so aboard the Hector. In fact, you can visit a replica of the Hector the next time you’re in scenic Pictou. It’s a full sized replica, but you’ll still get an idea of just how cramped an eleven week ocean crossing would have been. Thankfully, the interpretive center is a bit more spacious and you’ll learn a whole lot about what life was like for people who crossed the ocean more than two hundred and fifty years ago.

Everything Else

Nearly every other outdoor activity imaginable can be done at the Northumberland Strait. Hiking, horseback riding, sailing, sport shooting, golf, stargazing, pickleball, axe throwing, and much more. As we’re sure you’ve gathered, we’re talking about things you can do at Fox Harb’r. Obviously we love sending guests out to the many fun and interesting adventures on the Northumberland Shore. Truly, this is one of the most magical places on earth. But we also have to point out that there’s so much to see and do right here on the resort. If you’re looking for a Northumberland Shore adventure, Fox Harb’r is where they all start.