Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
May 2008 : Isle of Man
I've been aware of the
Isle of Man's existence, its independent political status and its
tourism potential since childhood. All the more surprising, then,
given its relative proximity, that it has taken me all this time to
get round to making my first visit. I was on the island for a total
of just 32 hours and managed to have an excellent weekend break,
packing in a good number of sights. Even so, I never made it north
of a line joining Peel, Snaefell and Laxey! Ah well, it's good to
leave something for next time
Calf Sound & Port Erin
My favourite spot on the island was the southern tip, looking across the Sound to the smaller Calf of Man island. The nearby town of Port Erin has an attractive bay and is the southern terminus of the Steam Railway.
Peel
This west-coast town has an interesting little harbour and castle (situated on St Patrick's Isle) and is home to the excellent House of Mannanan museum.
Douglas
The island's capital lies along a sweeping bay and has much of the appearance of a British seaside resort - bigger and less abandoned than the traditional Scottish resorts; quieter and less garish than many of the English ones.
Laxey & Snaefell
On Sunday morning, in bright but bracing conditions, I made a trip to Laxey (famous for its Great Wheel - the largest working water wheel in Europe) and up the mountain railway to the summit of Snaefell.
Castletown
Castletown, near the airport, is the ancient capital of the island.
The Isle of Man has its fair share of preserved transport evoking a bygone age, including the quaintly but accurately named Steam Railway and Electric Railway, the Snaefell mountain railway and the horse-drawn trams on Douglas Promenade.
Based at : Hilton Douglas
Linked reports from the same trip :-