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Music in Northern Cape Breton

Local Bag Piper, one of many fine musicians to be found in Northern Cape Breton | Stephanie Fitzgerald
The Top of the Island’s love of Celtic music began as the first settlers arrived in "New Scotland", today’s Nova Scotia. Today highland music and festivals are an integral part of  life in many communities throughout northern  Cape Breton Island. Opportunities to experience various types of music present themselves in many ways at the Top of the Island.

Weekly Scottish performances are a feature at the Octagon Arts Center http://www.marklandresort.com/octagon.cgi. The Center nicely balances the traditional Scottish with weekly afternoon classical recitals. Both evernts run weekly throughout the summer and early fall.

Entertainers gathering at Hideaway Campground (campingcapebreton.com) | Bert Gildart As well, local venues such as the Northern Victoria Community Center, the Bay St. Lawrence Community Center and the Cape North and Neil’s Harbour fire departments all host pubs and concerts as occasional fund raisers. Such events are a great way for visitors to rub shoulders with local residents, making new friends while enjoying a variety of musical styles.

Finally, impromtu ceildhs occasionally occur at Bed and Breakfasts and campgrounds. The tradition made popular by Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald and other renowned Cape Breton musicians is alive and well here at the Top of the Island. Visitors fortunate enough to “stumble onto” one of these gatherings will remember the evening as one of the highlights of their trip.

The fiddle became the instrument of choice for many who wished to learn and pursue traditional Scottish Highland Music. The tiny village of White Point, on beautiful Aspy Bay, at the top of Cape Breton Island, produced one of the most well known celtic musicians, Winston "Scotty " Fitzgerald. His ability to seek out the older musicians and capture the traditional style of Scottish music at the early age of ten years became admired by those who loved the music. He was in high demand through out his life to perform at weddings, dances, short tours and the traditional house party. He was one of the first to have a radio program in the early fifties and later a television program. He also produced 78 rpm and LP records. Some of his music has been re-recorded on tape and CD's.