 Ingonish was one of the first areas settled on Cape Breton Island, and is home to the "Keltic Lodge" resort, downhill skiing at Cape Smokey, and a public golf course, the Highlands Links.The origin of the name is uncertain; it may originate from Portuguese fishermen who wintered in the area as early as 1521, or it may be Mi'kmaq.French explorer Nicolas Denys was among the first Europeans to explore the area of present-day Ingonish in the 1600s, and he made note of the area's potential as a base of operations for French fishing fleets.