| Beneath Manannan's Cloak |
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| Written by Catherine Dell, 2006 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Getting aroundFor dedicated walkers, there is an inviting network of paths that includes various long-distance routes. The longest of these, the 95-mile Raad ny Foillan (Road of the Gull) follows the coast with its restless shingle, rugged cliffs, ancient lava flows and sweeping sands. Castletown, the former capital. Pic credit: Catherine Dell Another long-distance route, the Millennium Way, keeps to the island’s interior. Opened in 1979 to coincide with the 1,000 years of Tynwald (Parliament), the 28-mile trail retraces the ancient highway used by the Norse kings to travel from their landing place near Ramsey to their royal fortress at Castletown. The first half of the route, across moorland and mountain, offers spectacular views. The southern section, along by-roads, is less dramatic but passes points of interest such as the 12th-century church of St Runius, St Patrick’s Chair where the saint first preached on the island, and the ruins of Rushen Abbey. A lazier way of exploring the island is by public transport. A good bus service links the main centres and, driving through high-hedged, high-walled country roads, passengers see much more from an upper deck than from a car. Transport options in summer also include horse-drawn trams in Douglas and trains along the east coast. The Isle of Man Railway, the longest narrow gauge steam railway in the British Isles, runs from Douglas south to Port Erin (with a request stop at Ronaldsway). The journey north, from Douglas to Ramsey via Laxey, is by the Manx Electric Railway, in operation since 1893. Another electric railway starts at Laxey and climbs 1-in-12 gradients to reach Snaefell. From the summit, tradition says you can see seven kingdoms, Manannan permitting: those of Mann, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, Heaven and Neptune. The trams and trains, all dating from the late 19th century, were introduced to cater for Victorian holidaymakers, Mann’s first tourists. Over a century later, the island remains a popular holiday destination because of its packed events calendar, with the TT festival and Manx Grand Prix as annual highlights. There is also the charm of an environment that is familiar, yet different. The island has its own money, conveniently equivalent to UK currency, and its own stamps. But because the postal service has only been independent since 1973, most letterboxes are British vintage, often from the reigns of Victoria or Edward VII. Stamps are labelled “Ellan Vannin” in the island’s Manx Gaelic, a language now being revived. The national symbol, the Three Legs of Man, probably has Celtic links, too: it is thought to derive from a pagan motif representing the wheel of the sun. But the symbol’s inscription refers emphatically to Manx independence and translates as “Whichever way you throw me, I stand.” Guardian of that independence is Tynwald, the world’s oldest continuous parliament. Once a year, on 5 July (Old Midsummer Day) it holds an open-air assembly on Tynwald Hill to announce, in both Manx Gaelic and English, all laws passed during the year. Tynwald was founded in 1079 by King Godred Crovan, one of Mann’s most significant Norse rulers. More generally known as King Orry, he acquired hero status and features widely in folklore – even the Milky Way is locally called “King Orry’s road”. It was while I was driving to King Orry’s grave, down long lanes golden with gorse and daffodils, that I realised the fuel gauge was showing empty. I turned on to a bigger road and kept going, one eye looking for a service station, the other watching the gauge needle sink down past the red zone. Suddenly, around a corner and over a crest, I spied a roadside petrol pump. Some weeks later, checking through my credit card statement, I came across “Fairy Cottage Filling Station”. Clearly Themselves had been looking after me. Further informationThe Isle of Man Tourist Information Centre, Sea Terminal Buildings, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2RG, tel: 01624 686766 or visit www.visitisleofman.com |
