Isaacs Harbour Lighthouse
Isaacs Harbour Lighthouse is located in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. This lighthouse is roughly a 40 minute drive up Route 211 from the Port Bickerton Lighthouse site, however this includes a ferry crossing and the drive could take longer depending on when you arrive at Country Harbour or if the ferry is not running at all. If you’re coming to Issacs Harbour along Route 316, it’s about an hour’s drive from Antigonish and a little over an hour from Canso.
When you arrive at Isaacs Harbour North, you can choose to take Isaacs Harbour Road which follows along the harbour to its mouth. At this point you will find that pavement gives way to a dirt road which ends in a barrier. While you can walk in, there looks to be some development taking place, and the Lighthouse itself seems to be under private ownership. I would suggest proceeding with caution.
Alternatively, there are vantage points along Route 316 from the east side of the harbour.
With these photos I did some very minimal processing – raised the exposure some, played with highlights and shadows, and brought out a bit of the reds.
Quick Notes:
Location: The end of the peninsula at the mouth of Isaacs Harbour, Guysborough County.
Access: Access is by land. At the end of Isaacs Harbour Road is a dirt road and gate. It is about a 600 meter walk from the gate to the light. The light is reportedly on private property and the Government of Canada lists it as a Heritage Lighthouse.
Operation: This lighthouse is non-operational and was taken out of service in 2008.
Structure: The lighthouse is a two-story combined lighthouse and dwelling. A cupola, gallery and octagonal lantern sit atop a two-story house. This light was built in 1928 and lit in 1929.
Last Visit: October 8, 2022
Isaacs Harbour took its name from a Black Loyalist settler, Mr. Isaac Webb. He lived just across the harbour on the east side in Webbs Cove.
From 1840 to 1880 Shipbuilding flourished and Isaacs Harbour was a prosperous community. In fact, in the 1860’s gold was discovered on the east side of the harbour. This brought a rush of prospecting to Goldboro and while the main rush last only a few years mining continued until the 1940’s.
