Hotels to stay at if you are an ‘Anne of Green Gables Fan’

Shining Waters Country Inn

7600 Cawnpore Lane, Hunter River, PE C0A 1N0

The Shining Waters Country Inn dates back to the 1850’s and was the original home of Pierce and Rachael MacNeill. Pierce was L.M. Montgomery’s grandfather’s cousin who lived with his wife Rachel directly across from the Green Gables property in Cavendish, and their lives provided inspiration for Montgomery for the writing of Anne of Green Gables.

Pierce and Rachel were a childless couple that had applied for 2 boys to help with Farm chores, butt instead found a 5 year old boy along with his 3 year old sister waiting at the train station. Like Matthew and Marilla, they also decided keep the orphans,and named the girl Ellen Macneil, which later inspired the book Ellen written by John Willoughby. It is also believed that the character Rachel Lynde was inspired by Rachel Macneil. 

The home was owned by several generations of the Macneil family. In 1942, it was moved by a team of horses and sleigh to its present location on Cawnpore Lane. It was converted to an Inn by Mrs. Leta Andrew, who was one of the first tourism operators of PEI. The original inn building was also added by Leta and later by owner Barry Clarke.The inn is now currently owned by the Wood family who  added the gatehouse in 2004.

The Inn features seven rooms and six luxury suites, and is 500 meters away from beautiful Cavendish beach and PEI National Park. It is just around the corner from the Green Gables Heritage Museum, and where many Anne fans and L.M. Montgomery scholars come to stay each year.

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