Cape Breton Island is a beautiful destination with a lot to offer. You can make the loop around the Cabot Trail either way but give yourself lots of time. For a day trip it would be around 5 to 6 hours. Best if you take a couple of days to visit. Check the below links for more information on Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail.
Starting from Isle Madame, which is located on the southern coast of Cape Breton. Caper Cottages is around 110 Km(1r 20min drive) to Baddeck which can be the starting point of the Cabot Trail.
