The Village of Orangedale

The small village of Orangedale may have gained much fame with Celtic music lovers who are familiar with the song The Orangedale Whistle by the Rankin Family but not many people know where it is located or that it is even located in Nova Scotia.  Well, it is in fact located in Nova Scotia almost right in the center of Cape Breton Island.

The roads leading to Orangedale are distinctly rural; mostly gravel roads through thick forest with the odd stream or field thrown in the mix.  In “Downtown” Orangedale, old buildings line the main street and this is where the main attraction of the village is; The Orangedale Railway Museum.  The train tracks that once allowed the famous train to pass through still remain although no train passes through the area anymore.  An homage to this now ghost train can be heard certain times of the day and it comes in the sound of a train whistle, the same whistle that once let locals know when the train was approaching.  The museum itself houses both indoor and outdoor displays that outline the history of the province’s oldest railway station and the town and there is a gift shop as well.

Because Orangedale is located on the lake, there is a beach and picnic area close to the center of town.
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Andrea MacEachern is a freelance travel writer and amateur photographer living in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. anotherdayforgrace.blogspot.ca