The Isle of Man

Reasons to visit the Isle of Man

Everyone has heard of the Isle of Man TT, and some people may just see a motorcycle race around public roads as a bit of a distraction. It's something spectacular and unique however, and even a non-motorcycle-enthusiast should see the race at least once in their lifetime.

Of course there are other more sedate ways to travel about this little island: horse-drawn trams will take you along the Douglas promenade, while a narrow-gauge steam railway chugs it's way through rolling farmland from Douglas to Port Erin, and oddest of all is the Manx Electric Railway which climbs to the summit of Snaefell from where you can look out and see every country in the British Isles. For those who eschew any external means of propulsion, the Isle of Man is a great place for walking and cycling too. You could take inspiration from those railway routes, or follow the coast (as spectacular and beautiful as any other in Britain), or follow the Millenium Way as it picks it's way along a series of ancient hill tracks along the centre of the island.

Anyone following the coast paths should watch out carefully on the water. Each year, there are hundreds of sightings of basking sharks (the second largest fish in the world). Other frequent visitors are minke, killer and humpback whales, as well as bottlenosed dolphins, while colonies of grey seals breed on the inshore rocks.

The other famous landmark of the Island is the Laxey Wheel. Both a masterpiece of Victorian engineering and a beacon of an industrial and mining heritage, it is justifiably popular.