Neil Harbour Lighthouse

Neil's Harbour Lighthouse, also known as Neil Harbour Lighthouse, was established in 1899 by the Department of Marine to mark the harbour entrance. The light was built by P. McFarlane of Baddeck at a contract price of $725. The original structure is an enclosed wooden building square in plan with sloping sides, painted white, surmounted by an octagonal iron lantern painted red. The light rises 34 feet from its base to the ventilator on the lantern and stands on ground elevated 46 feet above high-water mark.

The first lightkeeper was Angus A. Buchanan, who served from 1899 to 1911 and was also an MLA for Nova Scotia. He was followed by George Sweet, Jr. (1911-1931) and Walter Bragg (1936-1956), whose job was eliminated upon electrification. In 1956, a 200-watt electric bulb replaced the oil lamp, and the light was automated with a time clock and 12-volt battery backup by 1964. The light continues to operate as an active aid to navigation.

The lighthouse is located on the Cabot Trail in Victoria County, Cape Breton Island, situated between Ingonish and Dingwall at the end of Lighthouse Road off New Haven Road. The grounds are open to the public, and the tower itself houses a seasonal ice cream shop operated by the Neil's Harbour-New Haven Community Development Association. In 2015, the lighthouse was declared a Heritage Lighthouse under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act and won $10,000 in the "This Lighthouse Matters" crowdfunding competition for renovations.