6 Te Travel Guide 48 hours in the Isle of Man


Alone in the Irish Sea, the Celtic island promises plenty beyond the roar of its famous racing circuit, from wooded glens and rich birdlife to mysterious ruins alive with mythical tales. Words: Daniel Stables


Promotional Content • Saturday 28 January 2023


A lighthouse on a breakwater wall with a calm sea during sunrise PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK A


n atmosphere of otherness pervades the Isle of Man. A green jewel glittering in the Irish Sea, the island is often


shrouded in mist — a veil said to have been cast as a protective cloak by the sea god Manannán, according to Manx mythology. Lift the veil on this Celtic nation and you’ll find tales of legends run even deeper; green glens, crumbling castles and a dramatic coastline are the setting for a cast of characters, from demon dogs to hairy ogres. Even today, locals pause to greet the ‘Little People’ said to live beneath the Fairy Bridge between Port Erin and Douglas — and warn that you’d be wise to join in the superstition. Te ruins of once-mighty fortresses


feature at coastal settlements like Peel and Castletown, while inland


the island is a patchwork of emerald fields, wooded vales and time-warp villages. You’ll also find some of the darkest night skies in the British Isles, making the Isle of Man a spectacular place to stargaze. It all adds up to a scene of sylvan serenity — duly torn apart each May, of course, when the Isle of Man TT race rips through the island’s roads.


Day one: foraging & folklore Morning Immerse yourself in the Manx countryside by eating its precious bounty, straight from the hedgerows. Head to the picturesque coastal village of Port Erin to meet Pippa Lovell, chef behind the acclaimed restaurant Versa, and let her lead you on a foraging tour. Versa’s ethos is all about sustainability, and, where


possible, hand-foraged. Tis means the menu changes daily according to what’s available, which might include rock samphire, blackberries and rosehips. Learn how local ingredients can be used as substitutes for exotic flavours — hogweed seeds are a dead ringer for cardamom, while gorse flowers give a note of coconut. Head back to Versa for a brunch using the ingredients you’ve just foraged. restaurantversa.im


Afternoon After brunch, spend more time exploring the southwest corner of the island, beginning at Cregneash. At this living museum, indigenous Manx breeds such as four-horned Loaghtan sheep laze outside crofter’s cottages, reconstructed to show what life was like for the hardy souls who


eked out a living here in the 19th century. From here it’s a 50-minute drive to Glen Auldyn, a pretty wooded valley that echoes with fairy folklore. It’s said that an elfin prince fell in love with a human girl here, and as punishment was transformed into the hairy Fynoderee. Also worth a visit is the Cashtal yn Ard, a remarkably well preserved tomb dating back to 2000 BC with fine views across the water to Cumbria. manxnationalheritage.im


Evening Te legend of Glen Auldyn is kept alive at Te Fynoderee Distillery in the nearby town of Ramsey. Head here to try their superb range of gins, flavoured with botanicals from the Manx countryside — sloes, rosehips, rowanberries — while learning from owners Paul and Tiffany Kerruish about the island’s folklore. Teir spirits are inspired by the seasons; the winter gin is infused with juniper, once native to Glen Auldyn and now being reintroduced. Having savoured the produce of the countryside, turn your attention to the coast, with dinner at Ramsey’s Good Stuff. At this laid-back restaurant, pride


of place on the menu goes to the catch of the day, with bass, mullet and dogfish among the regular haul. fynoderee.com goodstuffiom.com


Day two: wheels & wine Morning Each spring, the atmosphere on the Isle of Man ratchets up to full throttle with the staging of the Isle of Man TT. Te ‘Tourist Trophy’ began life in 1907, and is the oldest motorcycle race in the world — and among the most dangerous, with fatalities, tragically, an all-too-common occurrence. Get a taste for the thrill of the race


Douglas Docks PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY


in a much safer setting, sitting on the back of a motorised trike as you whizz around the course at speeds much slower than those seen in the race itself, but still not exactly pedestrian. IOM Trike Tours’ drivers are fonts of knowledge about the race


and the island, will go as fast or slow as you want, and stop off for photos during the spectacular mountain sections. iomtriketours.com


Afternoon Back in Douglas, enjoy lunch at Little Fish Café, where the fruits of the Isle of Man coast — queen scallops, haddock, mackerel — are whipped up into tacos, chowders and curries. Ten, having recovered from the white-knuckle trike tour, enjoy a more sedate ride on the Manx Electric Railway, which has been ferrying passengers around the island since 1893. Ride in a vintage Victorian carriage, then jump off at the coastal village of Laxey, where the world’s largest waterwheel presides over the ruins of an old mine and the panorama of Glen Mooar Valley. Take an hour or two to explore, then board the tramway again, ascending to Snaefell, the Isle of Man’s highest peak. littlefishcafe.com manxelectricrailway.co.uk


Evening Board the train back to Douglas and steep yourself in the island’s history at the Manx Museum. See tools used by the hunter-gatherers who lived here in Mesolithic times, marvel at glittering hoards left by the Vikings, and learn about the Tynwald, the island’s parliament, one of the oldest in the world. Culturally sated, head to the Rovers Return, the oldest pub in Douglas, to sample ales from local brewery Bushy’s. Keep an eye out for the mural of Joey Dunlop, who won a record 26 races at the Isle of Man TT. Wine Down is the place for dinner, where excellent local produce is paired with an extensive wine list; the crab, lobster and prawn cocktail comes highly recommended, as does the steak pie. bushys.com winedown.im


First published in the Jan/Feb 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). Read the feature in full at nationalgeographictraveller.co.uk/travel


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