Dark, icy waters from a distant alpine lake cascade down a dramatically undulating, 65-foot rock face framed by the leaves of the surrounding forest - creating one of the most beautiful waterfalls I've ever seen! The leaves had just started to turn into autumn hues and I can only imagine how much more magnificent the view must be during peak fall splendor. You'll find this glorious waterfall in the Highlands - of Canada though and not Scotland lol! I had no idea Canada had a highland territory and their highlands are every bit as incredible as its Scottish counterpart. You'll even find an abundance of Gaelic used here - Beulach Ban is Gaelic for "White Gorge" for example. The falls are found along the northern stretch of the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park - and considering the remoteness, the falls are fairly easily accessible. The trail to the waterfall itself is very short - less than 1/10th of a mile - as long as your car can make it down the muddy, poorly maintained, pothole filled road lol! But during my visit, most cars had no issues making the drive, including mine. As long as you pay attention and go slowly you should be fine. It's narrow but there are opportunities to pull to the side to allow passing - all the drivers I encountered were courteous and patient. And if you don't want to risk it, there's plenty of parking in a paved lot at the start of the road and the trek down only adds 2km (1.25 miles) to your hike. At the trailhead you'll find a small parking lot that fills up fast, but there is also room to park along part of the road. To the right of the parking lot you'll find bathrooms and picnic tables, as well as the trailhead of the longer Aspy Trail. Like most national parks in North America, Cape Breton Highlands National Park charges a fee to enter and you just have your permit displayed in your window to park legally. The fee is nominal though at $9CAD daily - totally worth it and I highly recommend! read more

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