HALIFAX -- The Nova Scotia Nature Trust says it has added three coastal properties in Cape Breton to its network of protected land.

The trust says the properties are located in the areas of North Harbour, the Bras d'Or Lakes and the Mabou Highlands and span more than 200 hectares.

The properties include beaches, wetlands, old-growth forests and cliffs.

Executive director Bonnie Sutherland says the trust will protect the habitats and species of the properties while ensuring the land is accessible to visitors.

The trust protects 55 sites across Nova Scotia, encompassing more than 2,800 hectares of wild land.