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Oh, Man!
Malcolm Rogers
 The
ancient Manx Sea God Manannan protects his fiefdom by bringing down a
mist on the island whenever danger threatens.
On days like that you’ll barely be able to see to the end of the
street. But whenever Manannan wakes up and sees that all is good and concludes
his protective powers are not required, then this little gem has views
to rival anything in these islands.
The Isle of Man is famed for the TT, tailess cats and low taxes, and of
course a craic rating which regularly — according to song —
touches 90. The great thing about the island is that it’s a friendly,
atmospheric place — it’s familiar, yet there’s enough
quirkiness about to make it an ideal weekend break.
That the Isle of Man has some similarities to Ireland would be obvious
to anyone who glances at a map — even if they didn’t know
it was formed when Finn MacChumhaill scooped up a bit of Ulster and in
a fit of temper hurled it into the ocean. The hole that was left, you
won’t need to be reminded, is now Lough Neagh.
The Isle of Man did well out of the deal, being left with more than 100
miles of coastal footpath, 17 scenic glens and 188 miles of way-marked
and signed rights-of-way — ideal for hiking. But aside from the
tightly hedged fields of hawthorn, gorse and fuchsia, the island boasts
many other delights.
Douglas displays all the best features of a Victorian town which has emerged
unscathed into the 21st century. The Manx Museum on the corner of Kingswood
Grove and Crellins Hill is probably as good a place as any to begin getting
to grips with Manx history and heritage. The people of the Isle are our
first cousins (ethnically and culturally speaking) so you’ll recognise
plenty of Celtic influences.
Nosing about museums and galleries is always rewarding, but really,
the glory of the Isle of Man is its scenery. The ancient harbour city
of Peel, guarded by the aforementioned castle built by the Third King
of Mann, William le Scrope, makes an excellent day’s outing. Meanwhile
in nearby Port St. Mary you can catch Bob Taylor’s catamaran, Gemini,
for a visit to the uninhabited Calf of Man, a bird sanctuary.
The outward trip through the treacherous currents of Calf Sound scrapes
past the bird cliffs of The Chasms, the Sugarloaf, and Black and Spanish
Heads, where a million screaming seabirds are vying for space —
guillemots, gulls, gannets, kittiwakes and the odd puffin. The island
itself is breathtaking — 600 acres of wilderness grazed by chocolate-brown
flocks of rare, multi-horned Manx sheep.
Six reasons for visiting the Isle of Man
1. It’s an outdoor-activity paradise
More than 100 miles of coastal and inland paths combine with sea kayaking,
abseiling, quad biking, assault courses, orienteering, sailing and surf
boarding — the island has over 100 miles of coastline and 26 beaches.
Oh, and there’s the 2,000 ft Snaefell to climb. Should you be a
bit iffy about climbing something that high, if you go in the summer months
the Snaefell Mountain Railway will take you to the summit in 30 minutes.
From here you’ll be able to see Ireland (notably the Kingdom of
Mourne), Scotland and England)
2. It offers an up-close-and-personal experience with basking sharks,
dolphins and killer whales. The island is right on one of the main ‘motorways’
of some of the largest animals in the world. Whale-watching trips take
place throughout the year.
3. In the north of the island, residential new age centre Brightlife
offers a range of mind-expanding courses ranging from yoga and creative
writing to relaxation therapies and massages.
4. Manx cuisine is renowned for its local produce — rich creamy
cheeses, luxury ice cream and tasty smoked kippers, while Manxl Lamb is
also well known for its succulent tender taste. And don’t forget
to try some Queenies — small sweet scallops — are unique to
the Isle of Man.
The past few years have seen a huge expansion of modern and traditional
restaurants — everything from local seafood cafes to top range restaurants.
5. … and to wash down your meal: The Isle of Man’s own alcoholic
drinks. Manx spirit, a clear form of whiskey compares favourable with
a Bushmills; the island’s breweries also produce a number of excellent
beers, including ones specially made for the annual TT Races.
6. … speaking of which, the annual TT Races — among the best-loved
events in the motorsport calendar — are held each May/June with
the island buzzing (literally and metaphorically) with competitors from
more than 30 countries, 12,000 motorcycles and 40,000 visitors.
www.visitisleofman.com |
