Five minutes from beautiful Mabou, Cape Breton
The Glendyer Bed & Breakfast
Ten years ago, while cycling the Mabou Rivers Trail toward Inverness, we spied the charming big yellow house through the trees and immediately fell in love with it. Eventually, in 2021, we booked a stay at The Inn at Glendyer for our anniversary. From the moment we walked through the door, we never wanted to leave. The proprietors, Esther and Alan Finlay, were such lovely hosts and were touched by our deep affection for the house and property. During our next visit the following summer, they baked us an unforgettable anniversary cake! We are forever grateful for the Finlay’s trust in us to be diligent caretakers of this wonderful place, and we endeavour to live up to their beloved hospitality.
Ten years ago, while cycling the Mabou Rivers Trail toward Inverness, we spied the charming big yellow house through the trees and immediately fell in love with it. Eventually, in 2021, we booked a stay at The Inn at Glendyer for our anniversary. From the moment we walked through the door, we never wanted to leave.
The proprietors, Esther and Alan Finlay, were such lovely hosts and were touched by our deep affection for the house and property. During our next visit the following summer, they baked us an unforgettable anniversary cake! We are forever grateful for the Finlay’s trust in us to be diligent caretakers of this wonderful place, and we endeavour to live up to their beloved hospitality.
The Historic Glendyer Property
Our Ambassadog
Meet Biscuit
Our young Golden Retriever, Biscuit, will greet you with a briskly wagging tail (and the nearest stick or shoe). True to her original Scottish breed, Biscuit loves to retrieve and swim in the brook pools. She is very friendly, but is not permitted in guests’ rooms, the dining room, or the kitchen. As such, we cannot accommodate guest pets.
The Main House
MacDonald House
The main house was built in 1860 by Donald MacLean MacDonald when he settled here with his wife, Nancy. The MacDonalds built the first “fulling” mill in Cape Breton to prepare and dye local wool for textile production. Donald was nicknamed “Dan the Dyer” and the area “The Dyer’s Glen” (which became Glendyer). In later years, the Glendyer Mills included grist and sawmills as well as a woolen textile factory. The monument near the driveway features the original stone mill wheel and recognizes the immense contribution the MacDonalds made to the community. The house is a well-preserved and maintained example of Greek Revival architecture with cut stone foundation, wide-plank floors, plaster walls and ceiling medallions throughout. In 1989, MacDonald House was registered as a municipal heritage property.
The main house was built in 1860 by Donald MacLean MacDonald when he settled here with his wife, Nancy. The MacDonalds built the first “fulling” mill in Cape Breton to prepare and dye local wool for textile production. Donald was nicknamed “Dan the Dyer” and the area “The Dyer’s Glen” (which became Glendyer). In later years, the Glendyer Mills included grist and sawmills as well as a woolen textile factory.
The monument near the driveway features the original stone mill wheel and recognizes the immense contribution the MacDonalds made to the community. The house is a well-preserved and maintained example of Greek Revival architecture with cut stone foundation, wide-plank floors, plaster walls and ceiling medallions throughout. In 1989, MacDonald House was registered as a municipal heritage property.
Your Hosts
Kim & Scott
We are living our dream of coming home in retirement, Scott from 35 years of policing and Kim from academia. We are both Cape Bretoners who love to hike, bike, camp, garden, travel and immerse ourselves in different cultures. In 2017, we walked the 800-km Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. The following year, we volunteered at the grand Arisaig House inn in the Western Highlands of Scotland for five weeks, test-running our fantasy of one day operating an inn, as well as paying homage to Scott’s ancestors who emigrated to Canada from Eigg and Druimindarroch, near Arisaig. Our two lifetimes of foreign residency, international travel, and stays in every imaginable accommodation drive us to provide the best possible experience for our guests.
We are living our dream of coming home in retirement, Scott from 35 years of policing and Kim from academia. We are both Cape Bretoners who love to hike, bike, camp, garden, travel and immerse ourselves in different cultures. In 2017, we walked the 800-km Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.
The following year, we volunteered at the grand Arisaig House inn in the Western Highlands of Scotland for five weeks, test-running our fantasy of one day operating an inn, as well as paying homage to Scott’s ancestors who emigrated to Canada from Eigg and Druimindarroch, near Arisaig. Our two lifetimes of foreign residency, international travel, and stays in every imaginable accommodation drive us to provide the best possible experience for our guests.