Decided to play tourist yesterday.

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'm off for 12 days now and not really plan on doing a whole lot and since it was a hot day we decided to visit the coast. Here in Nova Scotia you are never more than an hour away from the seashore in any direction so about an hour and a bit from home we were in what must be the most photographed place in the country,Peggy's Cove. Actually the lighthouse in Peggy's Cove claims to be the most photographed lighthouse in the world. I was also playing with my camera I bought last year and still trying to figure some things out so bear with me.

At the end of the last ice age the glaciers scraped the topsoil off this coastal area and left nothing but solid granite behind as you can see below. Talk about a barren yet beautiful wasteland.

From here beyond the horizon is Europe,just a mere couple thousand miles away.

There it is, the most recognizable lighthouse in the world. Hard to believe. It has stood on the granite shore since 1868 and is still operational.

Closer view using the zoom lens.

Looking across the little cove from the lighthouse. The whole area is devoid of topsoil and the granite boulders are from the size of a car to the size of a house and were just dropped there as the glaciers melted.

Every year the news covers someone's demise or rescue from these barren rocks overlooking the ocean. Rogue waves have been known to sweep people into the ocean even when it appears they are plenty far away. I guess they didn't read this at the entrance.

I pity all you folks that do not live anywhere near the coast. I wouldn't have it any other way for me. At least it provides a relief from the heat and makes for some great day trips as well.

 

[TonyV225]

That looks like a neat area and as I was looking at the pictures I could only imagine at night or durring a storm as the tide came in how it would hammer the hell out of or sail over those rocks!!

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The population of the community of Peggy's Cove is about 46. Yep forty six people. A single tour bus doubles the population. :laugh:


Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Highlander_821]

Beautiful. Someday I'm going to come up there and see Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

 

[mackmobile43]

Awesome view.

 

[jazzsinger]

Looks very similar too many coastal areas in scotland,which also suffered glacial erosion,i can see how it came to be named nova scotia (new scotland)

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Awesome view.

It's a lot better looking from the shore out to the ocean then from the ocean back to shore especially if you are one of those who failed to heed the warning on the bronze plaque.

 

[Sonwatcher]

Wow Garth ! Great picks ! It is beautiful there.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

That looks like a neat area and as I was looking at the pictures I could only imagine at night or durring a storm as the tide came in how it would hammer the hell out of or sail over those rocks!!

They actually had to close off the road leading into Peggy's Cove during Hurricane Juan back in 2003. It hit the area as a cat 2 with waves crashing well beyond where the lighthouse stands. Police had to turn idiot thrill seekers away and threatened arrest if they failed to heed warnings to leave. AS for the tides, along this coastline the tides average only a little over a meter in height which is hardley noticable. Along the Fundy shore and Minas Basin, which is where I live, the tides run about 12-14 meters which is about 40-45 feet. You have to be carefull walking along the shoreline and leave plenty of time to get back. The Atlantic coast is fairly level reaching to the water but along the Bay of Fundy and Minas Basin there are often steep vertical cliffs up to a couple hundred feet high that the water reaches to so you have to be real careful.

I'll try and get some low tide/ high tide pictures of the same spot in the coming days.I'll have to check the tide times calender to see what days will be best and of course if weather permits. Most "inlanders" are amazed at the difference and have no idea about the tidal action.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Looks very similar too many coastal areas in scotland,which also suffered glacial erosion,i can see how it came to be named nova scotia (new scotland)

I thought the same thing many years ago while flying over western Scotland and the Hebrides Islands inbound to Prestwick from Halifax via Reykjavik.

Actually the highlands of Cape Breton in the northern end of the province look much more like the highlands of Scotland with the plateaus covered in moss and heather with the fog rolling up the hillsides and down into the glens.