[3][4] It was named after the cutter Trial, which first anchored there in 1881,[5] and it was established by four Baltic sailors, Gustav Weber, and the three Karlson brothers, Karl, Peter and Steve, otherwise known as the Russian Finns.

[9] It had two hotels and other facilities in its early days[10] and currently it is the location of holiday homes.

It has been also a location on the west coast where whales have been sighted close to shore.

[11] Further north along the coast – a similarly dangerous and exposed location was Granville Harbour.

[12] Route C248 (Trial Harbour Road) enters from east and runs through to the west, where it ends.