Isle of Man, Beauty in Miniature

Scenery on an Intimate Scale, Set in the Middle of the Irish Sea

Oct 4, 2008 Anthony Toole

On a clear day, the Isle of Man is visible from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

It appears to hover, blue, detached, like a magic mountain above the horizon. It could be an afterthought, a pile of earth left from the formation of the British Isles, dropped into the sea to fill a gap, or complete the picture.

Government

The air of not seeming to belong is reinforced by the knowledge that it does not belong, but is its own little independent political unit. Its Parliament, Tynwald, tracing its origins to the eighth century Viking period, is claimed to be the oldest continuous government in the world. It makes its own laws and sets its own taxes, without reference to any other government, merely receiving Royal Assent from The British Crown.

Currency

The currency also is individual, even idiosyncratic, only superficially resembling that of Britain. British money circulates freely, but mixes with coins depicting early Christian heritage, the TT motorcycle races, Harry Potter and Paddington Bear.

Britain in Miniature

The first impression, on flying into Ronaldsway Airport, is that the island is bigger than those views on the horizon suggest. This is quickly replaced by the realisation that it is much smaller. Measuring 32 miles by 13, it can be driven around in a day, or half that if one takes advantage of the absence of a speed limit.

The scenery is a summary of the British Isles, lacking only the higher mountains. The hills are those of the Pennines and Wicklow. The coast is that of Cornwall and the West of Ireland. Everywhere there are ancient monastic relics, Celtic crosses and dolmens.

Hills

The hills maintain the character of the miniature. Six summits rise above the 500-metre contour, and only one, Snaefell, exceeds 600 metres. The pier that juts into the sea from Ramsey is longer than Snaefell is tall. Many of the roads run high, so the summits can often be reached by a relatively short, grassy walk, of low gradient. Two walking festivals each year, in June and October, provide excellent introductions to the delightful hill and coastal scenery.

Glens

The seventeen glens, scattered around the island, are very beautiful, and individual in their attractiveness. Laxey Glen is famous for its giant water wheel and industrial archaeology. Glen Mooar contains remains of a ninth century chapel and hermit’s cell. Glenmaye and Dhoon Glen follow deep, wooded gorges past waterfalls to cliff-bound coves on the west and east coasts. The narrow glen that runs into Niarbyl Bay opens out onto a view of coastal, cliff-bound hills running south to Port Erin. The tracks through many of these glens are quite steep, and provide good walking for a short day, or when the weather is poor. Often, on arriving at the coast, one might see the huge bulk of a basking shark circling in the inshore waters.

Birds

Birds that are regularly seen include choughs and hen harriers, which are fairly common here but rare in Britain. At Point of Ayre, the northern tip of the island, is a nesting population of terns. The Calf of Man, a tiny island off the southern tip, is an internationally important nature reserve, and home to gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, puffins, oystercatchers and the Manx shearwaters that take their name from the Isle of Man.

The quiet attractions of the Isle of Man have not been lost on film and TV producers. Since 1995, no fewer than 80 films have been, at least in part, shot here, including Miss Potter, Waking Ned, The Dark, and Sons and Lovers.

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