Haut-Saint-François

The Eaton Corner heritage site is a must-see for history buffs. Established in the 19th century, this area is home to a former Congregationalist church (1840-1841) and academy (1864), both classified as heritage buildings, as well as residences dating from the 1820s to 1860s. These wood-and-brick buildings reflect the typical architecture of the period, with their gable roofs. Located in the village of Eaton Corner, Cookshire-Eaton, this site offers an immersion in the history and architecture of the region, while retaining its picturesque charm. An ideal stopover for heritage enthusiasts!

The Town of Cookshire-Eaton was established following the 2002 merger of the Town of Cookshire with the Municipality of Eaton. Scenic roads cross through its 567 km2 taking travelers through rural communities to discover many interesting sites. Among them is Cookshire, founded by Loyalists, on a route long traveled by the Abenaki who had maintained seasonal camps in the area.

Cookshire was named for Captain John Cook, who, in 1795, was the first settler to acquire land. Today, agriculture and forestry predominate. Several buildings have been designated historic monuments.

The Municipality of Bury is home to a number of houses that reflect a former era and another culture, that of the families who immigrated to the Township of Bury in 1836, prior to founding the municipality of the same name in 1855. Of modest means, the ancestors of Bury residents came from the rural regions of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent in England. After 1837, a few Gaelic families from the Isle of Lewis and Lochbroom settled in the area. They made their living from farming and forestry, as do their descendants today.

Dudswell was founded as a township by John Bishop’s family in about 1865 and established as a municipality in 1895. It encompasses Bishopton (1912) and Marbleton (1895), the latter chosen in 2001 to be part of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec network. Both are nestled in the valley of a vast, mountainous area. The rapid evolution of the limestone industry led to development in the Township of Dudswell, attracting French Canadians.

After the Maison de la culture was demolished in June 2020, the municipality decided to make this new public space all about nature, taking steps to naturalize and revegetate the shorelines. Now, it’s the perfect place to relax and soak up the scenery or even take in a spot of fishing. The panoramic sheds circuit uses architectural features to celebrate the landscapes of the Haut-Saint-François region, and one of its highlights is the Dudswell shed, which offers a stunning vista of Lac Adolphe and the hill on the horizon. The walls are hung with interpretation panels and artwork that pay tribute to legendary artist Éva Tanguay.

Éva Tanguay was born in Dudswell in 1878. Her parents emigrated to the United States when she was just four years old. She emerged on the scene as a singer and a theatre actor, and by 1904, had become a household name in the United States and a star attraction in major European cities. At the height of her career, no other artist in the world was more widely imitated—or higher paid.

The Bury heritage tour consists of about twenty stops at memorial sites or in front of buildings chosen for their architectural appeal.

Season 2025: June 20 to September 7

The Eaton Corner Museum, a seasonal Museum, is located in the historic village of Eaton Corner. Come explore our permanent exhibit "A Tale of the Townships" in the Church building and our reserve collections in the Academy depicting life and work on the homestead, in the village, and in school, in the late 1800's to early 1900's. Many Eastern Townships family genealogy records are available for research.

Limestone exploitation has been practiced for a very long time in Dudswell.  
Although the Lime Interpretation Center had to close in 2018, the Miner's Gardens around the Lime Ridge house still remain in place and provide an opportunity to learn more about the history of lime in Dudswell.

The Louis-Émile-Beauregard collection includes 64 miniature works carved in wood. Born in Dudswell, Quebec, Louis-Émile Beauregard began his model collection at the age of 55, depicting scenes of rural life from the 1920s to the 1940s. The artist spends between 40 and 500 hours designing each one.

Visitors can discover these works from June to Labor Day, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on public holidays.

The Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery offers, from April to December, a program of exhibitions of works by contemporary, mid-career or established artists working in the field of visual arts, mainly in painting, sculpture and photography, on a heritage and cultural site in the Eastern Townships.

Circuit: BaladoDécouverte accessible via app or website
Language: Explanations mostly in French.
Accessibility: year-round
Suggested transportation: by car
Route: 150 km
Points of interest: 11
Target audience: for all ages

The Haut-Saint-François region, home to some of Québec's most breathtaking panoramic views and an exceptional natural heritage, also holds a richly layered history — all of which unfolds through the Panoramic Sheds Circuit.

Explore
Discover the locations of the sheds scattered throughout this magnificent region, each one framing its natural surroundings to full effect. Your exploration will be enriched by excellent audio clips delivered directly through your device, created to complement the experience.

On site
The sheds are accessible at all times and can be visited freely. Each shed is situated near a stunning landscape and features interpretive panels that tell the story of the surrounding area.

Make the most of your visit
Use the BaladoDécouverte app along with its circuit map to guide you through the Haut-Saint-François and get the most out of your adventure!

The Maison de la culture John-Henry-Pope is located in the former Anglican presbytery, in the heart of the village of Cookshire-Eaton. During the summer period, it houses the tourist information office. The Maison de la culture offers a visit to the John-Henry-Pope exhibition in the St-Peters Anglican Church.

Timothy, the old wanderer who hears the voices of the past, invites you to discover the beginnings of Cookshire-Eaton and the buildings that are found along the route. All he asks of you is a little piece of your ear to put his stories in!

Throughout your ride, the interactive map of the locations offers you, on your cell phone, historical multimedia information in addition to indicating your position by GPS throughout the course.

BaladoDécouverte Circuit: accessible via mobile app or website
Language: French
Accessibility: Year-round
Suggested transportation: by car
Distance: 84.08 km
Points of interest: 20
Target audience: All audiences

In the 19th century, a small bucolic trail linked the municipalities of a territory populated mainly by descendants of Scottish immigrants, giving rise to the name Sentier des Écossais (Scottish Trail). Winding through forests and rivers, the area was home to a remarkably close-knit community. It was here, from Milan to Scotstown via Stornoway and Lingwick, that a bounty was placed on the head of Donald Morrison.

EXPLORE
Discover the story of Donald Morrison, the most wanted man in the history of the Eastern Townships, and follow in the footsteps of this legendary outlaw. His tumultuous journey is told through 20 audio narratives available on BaladoDécouverte, each linked to a specific site or remnant from the time of Morrison’s escape. The interactive map provides on-demand information for every point of interest associated with the famous fugitive.

ON SITE
Travel by car along the routes once covered on foot and horseback by Morrison in the 19th century. Discover iconic locations along the Sentier des Écossais, where he hid during the 11 months of his flight, and enjoy a unique experience that takes you off the beaten path.

The circuit suggests an itinerary crossing four municipalities. You can also be guided on site by voice assistance to the points of interest of your choice using the Driving Directions feature of the BaladoDécouverte app.

OPTIMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Using the BaladoDécouverte mobile app is recommended rather than the website. The app allows you to preload circuits in advance, so you can access content without relying on mobile data during your visit.

Additional information is also available on the Sentier des Écossais website.

BaladoDécouverte Circuit: accessible via mobile app or website
Language: French
Accessibility: Year-round
Suggested transportation: Walking and by car
Route: Urban circuits (4 self-guided routes)
Points of interest: Multiple (across 4 circuits)
Target audience: All audiences

Founded in the late 19th century, Scotstown is a town deeply shaped by the heritage of settlers from the islands of Lewis and Harris, in northern Scotland. Many buildings in the village core still reflect the architectural character typical of the Eastern Townships during that period. Once an industrial and railway hub, Scotstown has preserved significant traces of its Scottish and bourgeois past.

EXPLORE
Discover Scotstown through four self-guided circuits offered via BaladoDécouverte. Each point of interest provides historical information enhanced by original audio capsules. These dynamic recordings take the form of fictional yet plausible conversations between residents of another era, bringing the village’s past vividly to life.

▸ Remnants of Scotstown's industrial heartland past
▸ The economic heart of the Scotstown of yesteryear
▸ La Côte-du-Rond, the town hall and heart of the elite of yesteryear
▸ Historic tour of the bourgeois heart of Scotstown

ON SITE
Explore Scotstown’s history on foot with four GPS-guided walking routes. These immersive experiences take you beyond surface-level anecdotes, revealing the town’s former industrial heart, historic economic centre, bourgeois neighbourhoods and places associated with the local elite. Notably, four church steeples still stand, evoking Scotstown’s rich religious heritage.

HELPFUL TIP
Once a circuit map is open, the See Around option allows you to view and access the points of interest from all four Scotstown circuits on a single map. This feature makes it easy to move freely between themes and tailor your visit.

OPTIMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Using the BaladoDécouverte mobile app is recommended. It allows you to access interactive maps and audio content, and to follow your location on site without requiring an Internet connection.