Highlands Hostel

Highlands Hostel 29295 Cabot Trail, Cape North, Nova Scotia, Canada 100 year old Church Surrounded by the Cape Breton Highlands National Park & Atlantic Ocean Beaches!

All ages!!

$45.99 per Night!! Book 4 Nights you’ll wish you did!! • www.highlandshostel.ca Our dream and the journey:

Patricia and Bricin had a dream and they are fortunate enough to be living it, along with their 2 children Billie she is 6 and Cassius who is 2 and a half. Here is a letter Patricia wrote to the former owner of the church which is transforming into the Highlands Hostel:

We are a

young family with strong ties to our community here in Vancouver, the Cariboo and on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, yet we cannot afford a forever home in this West Coast housing market, where housing prices are astronomical. My partner Bricin has fallen in love with Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail over the past decade. He has journeyed there and back again, travelling across Canada twice: once for charity and once, more recently, for sharing the journey of a lifetime with like-minded travelers. My father’s sister and two nieces live in NS and I have a dear friend whom I taught preschool with, who grins from ear to ear with the possibility of us moving to NS. Our family and friends in NS may be a small fraction in comparison to who we know and love on the West Coast, yet in my heart of hearts, and in Bricin’s too (we’ve been together for 18 years as high school sweethearts), we know that your lovingly renovated church on the Cabot Trail is the absolute, without a doubt, perfect fit for our young family. I have to pinch myself to think that it could be a reality to raise my children surrounded by natural beauty, neighbouring a national park and minutes from sandy beaches. My daughter has always been a nature girl and that drive within her would only blossom further when taken out of downtown Vancouver to thrive on the Cabot Trail. My toddler son has rhythm in his soul, and to have the opportunity to raise him with ceilidhs surrounding us, I just shake my head and smile! I crave a slower pace of life, surrounded by nature and friendly smiles and community connections. Reading the reviews on your Air BnB site and how guests mention the humming birds, reminds me of growing up in beautiful Pender Harbour, far far away from any city’s hustle and bustle. Bricin craves spending time with his children and showing them how to build a life on your own terms and follow your dreams. He also has a strong desire to share his energy and passion within our new community and the chance to meet new people and inspire others to live each day to the fullest. To us family is everything and the opportunity to raise our young family in a ‘forever home’ such as your church would be immeasurable. Our children are so excited at the thought of moving. With my father joining us, they squeal “we’d get to see Grandpa every day!” each time we talk about it. So thank you again for meeting with our family and taking the time to read my letter. It is clear to see that you have created something truly special when renovating the church, and it would be an honour and an opportunity of a lifetime for our family to become the proud new owners of such a beautifully unique and special home. All the best,

Patricia

05/11/2026

NICE INTERVIEW FROM PENDER HARBOUR MAYDAY COMMITTEE!!! BRICIN OF THE HIGHLANDS HOSTEL!!

HIGHLANDS HOSTEL FANS!!! GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME LIMITED EDITION HISTORY!!!
05/09/2026

HIGHLANDS HOSTEL FANS!!! GET YOUR HANDS ON SOME LIMITED EDITION HISTORY!!!

***REGISTRATION IS OPEN*** www.coastlongboarding.com THANK YOU PENDER HARBOUR!!! HIGHLANDS HOSTEL PRESENTS THE 25TH & F...
04/01/2026

***REGISTRATION IS OPEN***
www.coastlongboarding.com
THANK YOU PENDER HARBOUR!!!

HIGHLANDS HOSTEL PRESENTS THE 25TH & FINAL ATTACK OF DANGER BAY POSTER!! AN EPIC BREATHTAKING POSTER SHOWCASING PENDER HARBOUR & LEGENDARY COAST LONGBOARDING RACERS TOM "MEATBALL" EDSTRAND & NOAH SAKAMOTO RIDING THIS MONUMENTAL EVENT INTO THE SUNSET!!!!! THANK YOU PENDER HARBOUR!!

I HOPE EVERYBODY COMES HOME TO CLOSE OUT AND CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF THIS MONUMENTAL EVENT!!! IM GOING TO BE GIVING OUT A LOT OF HUGS!! LETS GET SOME SKATING IN!!! BRING YOUR FAMILY'S!!! BRING YOUR LONGBOARDS!!! JUST BE THERE!!! COME ENJOY THE LAST SHOW!!! THANK YOU ALL!! SPREAD THE WORD!!! THIS IS IT!!!

***REGISTRATION IS OPEN***
www.coastlongboarding.com

It was extremely important to me to have Jason Bamford create our last event poster he's designed some of the best downhill posters the world has ever seen!!! He's always made this event and Downhill look so professional.

Fun Fact - Jason designed eleven out of the twenty five Attack of Danger Bay posters... Year 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 25!!!! Im so thankful and happy with this poster. Thanks Jay!!!

POSTER IDEA /SOURCE OF INSPIRATION:
"What came to mind in looking at the summary of the past 24 years posters, is that none of them really speak to the beauty of where the race has always been held – beautiful Pender Harbour and the Sunshine Coast. I am thinking here of blending together something that showcases the mystical magic of the sunshine coast, all while incorporating the action shot of the extreme downhill racing." ~Jason Bamford

LEGENDARY COAST RIDERS
Noah Sakamoto (Black)
Tom "Meatball" Edstrand (orange)

INCREDIBLE POSTER DESIGN - Bamford Design
AMAZING COAST ARTIST - Colin Moore
LEGENDARY COAST PHOTOGRAPHER - Jon Huey: Photography & Graphic Design

***REGISTRATION IS OPEN***
www.coastlongboarding.com

SPONSOR / SUPPORT / VOLUNTEER / OUR FINAL YEAR!!!!
EMAIL ME AT [email protected]" rel="ugc" target="_blank">[email protected]

03/25/2026

South Ridge Wilderness Trails IS STILL OPEN WITH BEAUTIFUL BACKCOUNTRY BABY!!!! THANKS TOMMY!

MI-CARÊME!!!! CHECK OUT THISINCREDIBLE TIME!!! SEE YOU NEXT WINTER???
03/24/2026

MI-CARÊME!!!! CHECK OUT THIS
INCREDIBLE TIME!!! SEE YOU NEXT WINTER???

OUR NEIGHBOURS IN THE BACKCOUNTRY AT South Ridge Wilderness Trails GIVING YOU SOME PRECIOUS INSIDER TRAIL INFO!!!!! THAN...
02/20/2026

OUR NEIGHBOURS IN THE BACKCOUNTRY AT South Ridge Wilderness Trails GIVING YOU SOME PRECIOUS INSIDER TRAIL INFO!!!!! THANKS TOMMY!!!

IF NOT THIS WEEKEND THEN WHEN!!!!?!?!?! BEST SNOW IN YEARS!!!

Looks like there's going to be a few folks backcountry skiing this weekend so I thought I'd share some info on the hills. There were some folks recently doing laps off the north side of Tele Hill, on the backside to the west, and they reported good conditions. At this point in the season, I usually don't ski Tele unless I'm doing a lap on the way to Sunset Hill. It's not that Tele isn't good, it's just that I think there's better options. If you're short on time, it's a good option, though. SE Ridge has a nice run if you're looking for steep with undulating terrain. Starts with a low angle run in, then drops. Bday Ridge isn't as steep, but has big tree spacing. So faster, lower angle runs. If you move further to the south of the hill, it is steeper, with lots of giant boulders, so I guess it's a choice between fast, big turns or steep, tight turns. There also would be more saplings to the south. That being said, we have a lot of snow so a lot of it is already buried. The Perch doesn't get skied much because it's the furthest out and a lot of work to get to, but I usually ski it at least once a season. It's a fun run and it basically puts you at the top of Sunset Hill. Sunset is sort of the middle ground between SE and Bday as far as the slope. Big, old growth forest, like most of the hills. Another thing to keep in mind, because the best runs on Tele and Sunset are off the north side, when the nw wind is up it could get wind packed. SE and Bday runs are off the south/southeast, so they never get wind packed. I didn't ski yesterday, but I did spend several hours packing trails (front side xc). I'd say all the hills currently have excellent conditions.

02/17/2026

Cape Breton Island BACKCOUNTRY!!! HIT THOSE POW LINES MINUTES AWAY FROM THE HIGHLANDS HOSTEL!!!! ADVENTURE WITH OUR FRIENDS AT South Ridge Wilderness Trails!!!!! GODS GIFT TO ATLANTIC CANADA!!!!

OH SKI AND SURF!!!! ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE ON THE FAMOUS CABOT TRAIL!!!BOOK YOUR STAY!!!Highlands Hostel
02/05/2026

OH SKI AND SURF!!!! ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE ON THE FAMOUS CABOT TRAIL!!!

BOOK YOUR STAY!!!
Highlands Hostel

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND WITH THE MOST WONDERFUL HUMANS!!! Cross Country Nova Scotia North Highlands Nordic
02/05/2026

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND WITH THE MOST WONDERFUL HUMANS!!! Cross Country Nova Scotia North Highlands Nordic

South Ridge Wilderness Trails 🚨POWDER ALERT!!!🚨
01/31/2026

South Ridge Wilderness Trails
🚨POWDER ALERT!!!🚨

Address

29295 CABOT Trail, CAPE NORTH , CAPE BRETON ISLAND , NOVA SCOTIA …. We’re NOT Located In Pei
Cape North, Nova Scotia
B0C1G0

Telephone

1 (902) 383-2371

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Highlands Hostel posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category