The Mi’kmaq had originally named this area “Wologumk” which means “deep gully or hole in the river.” During the visit of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons in 1604 it was renamed Port Mouton after a sheep was lost overboard. Dugua and his crew settled here and made this area his party’s base for exploration of the coast. Scottish settlers, sent out by Sir William Alexander in 1623, renamed the area St. Luke’s Bay. Over 150 years later, land was granted to Donald McPherson and 102 others, mostly disbanded soldiers who had served under Sir Guy Carleton during the Revolutionary War. They formed a new township and named it Guysborough in Carleton’s honour. In its second year, a fire swept through the township and burned down all but two houses. Instead of rebuilding, the settlers chose to pack up what little they had left and moved to Cape Canso.

The wharf located in Southwest Port Mouton overlooks the bay and its many islands. The largest island, Port Mouton Island, was granted to John Doggett in 1763.

Port Mouton is on Highway 103, about 15 minutes west of Liverpool.

GPS (approx): 43.927634, -64.848433