A tax haven with the world’s oldest parliament, the Tynwald, and its own language, Manx, a derivative of Gaelic, Isle of Man certainly plots its own course.
A Crown Dependency, like the Channel Islands, Mann is not part of the United Kingdom and was not part of the EU even when Britain was a member.
Once a popular Victorian resort, now tourism like agriculture and fishing, the other historical mainstays of the economy, play decidedly second fiddle to insurance and online gambling as well as recent high-tech industries, especially in aerospace.
The island is well-known for its annual TT motorbike races in May and June, its tail-less Manx cats and a rare breed of sheep, the long-horned Manx Loaghtan sheep.
Peel Castle on St Patrick’s Isle in Peel Harbour was originally built by the Vikings
The island has been inhabited since the Neolithic Period and its strategic position means it has been fought over by the Vikings, the Scots and the English.
From the 6th century The Isle of Man was settled by migrants from Ireland who brought the beginnings of the Manx language.
Then for a time the island was ruled by the Norse Kings of Mann and the Isles along with The Hebrides in Scotland. They introduced the Tynwald and built several fortresses. Mann was later surrendered to the Scots under the Treaty of Perth in 1266.
The English arrived in 1290 before none other than the Scottish hero Robert the Bruce took it back in 1313. The island changed hands several times before the English finally prevailed and appointed a Lord of Mann, who has been the British monarch since the mid-18th century.
The scenery is the big attraction on the Isle of Man and it draws walkers from across the UK and from overseas.
The beauty of the landscape and its use means that the Isle of Man is classified as one of seven Biosphere Reserves in the UK.
The others are Brighton and Lewes Downs, Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, Aberystwyth and the Dyfi Valley, North Devon, the Isle of Wight and Wester Ross including the Kyle of Lochalsh in Scotland.
There are four major walking paths on the island. The 95-mile Raad ny Foillan (Way of the Gull) is a circuit of the whole island and would take about 5 days to walk.
Shorter walks are the 26-mile Millennium Way from Sky Hill to Castle Rushen along the length of the island, the 26 mile Heritage Trail along the former Douglas to Peel railway line on the coast and the 14-mile Bayr ny Skedden (Herring Road), a fisher’s path from Castletown to Peel.
Evocative Peel Castle on St Patrick’s Isle was first built by the Vikings in the 11th century over a Celtic monastery and church. The castle buildings now lie in ruins, however the impressive outer walls still stand.
Castle Rushen in Castletown on the south coast is in better shape. It dates originally from the 10th century Kings of Mann and the Isles period. What we can see today, however, was constructed between the 13th-16th centuries. The castle clock was presented by Elizabeth I in 1597.
Inside mannequin displays show how its walls were built and defended. In the 19th century the structure served as a prison and execution ground and is believed to be haunted. The ramparts have views over the Old House of Keys.
Peel Cathedral is the island’s CofE cathedral, a former 19th century parish church dedicated as a cathedral in 1980.
Curraghs Wildlife Park is a mix of wetland nature reserve and a wildlife park aimed at young families with children. Among the animals that can be seen are beavers, emus, otters, red pandas, red wallabies (some of which escaped to start a feral population), spider monkeys, various birds and snakes. The wetland reserve includes a butterfly trail and walks through peat bogs, woodlands and meadows.
There are a variety of fun museums to enjoy on the Isle of Man.
Top of the list is the Manx Museum & National Art Gallery in Douglas. The museum has exhibits on Manx history including the Vikings and the Tynwald which gave women householders and 16-year-olds the vote in 1881 and 2006 respectively. Both are firsts in Britain.
There are also exhibits on the island’s internment camps for POWs in World War II and the TT. The National Gallery has paintings by local artists such as painter John Miller Nicholson (1840-1913) and designer Archibald Knox (1864-1933), known for his designs for Liberty’s department store in London.
Near Ramsey is the Grove Museum of Victorian Life set in the former 19th century summer house of Liverpool shipping magnate Duncan Gibb and his descendants.
The small Nautical Museum in Castletown displays a selection of local boats, uniforms, pistols and nautical instruments plus information on Captain George Quayle, the builder and owner of the schooner Peggy.
In Peel, the House of Manannan has reconstructions of a Celtic roundhouse and a Viking longship, Odin’s Raven, as it explores the 10,000 years of human history on the island. The museum is named for the island’s mythological sea god, Manannan. It is housed in the former Peel railway station.
The 22-meter diameter Great Laxey Wheel was raised in 1854 to pump water from a lead and copper mine. It is the largest of its type in the world and made mostly of wood with iron parts.
The Railway Museum at the station in Port Erin has exhibits on the history of the Isle of Man Railway from 1873 to the present day with historic steam trains, carriages, posters and memorabilia on display. The royal carriage that carried Queen Elizabeth II in 1972 is here, too, along with a railway simulator which is a hit with the kids. The railway was once much more extensive and had lines to Peel, Foxdale and Ramsey.
Manx National Heritage administers the museums and the historical sites on Mann.
Located in the middle of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man can be reached by air to Ronaldsway Airport (IOM), south of Douglas, and also by ferry from Liverpool (year round) and from Belfast and Dublin (in the summer months).
Ronaldsway Airport has flights to Belfast, Bristol Airport, Gatwick, Heathrow, Liverpool Airport, and Manchester Airport.
The island has a good system of local buses but the railway no longer exists. Timetables can be found in the main Tourist Office in the Sea Terminal Building in Douglas.
There are few or no speed limits on the island’s roads which can easily be explored by hire car or rental bike.
A more traditional means of travel is the Isle of Man Railway using original 19th century steam trains and carriages and the Manx Electric Railway.
There are three historic lines on Mann. They are the Douglas-Castletown-Port Erin Steam Train, the Douglas-Laxey-Ramsey Electric Tramway and the Laxey-Summit Snaefell Mountain Railway that goes up to the island’s highest point, Snaefell at 620.9 meters and connects with the Electric Tramway in Laxey.
The Isle of Man has a wide selection of places to stay around the island with the main concentration in Douglas, the capital.
Some recommended places include the Comis Hotel & Golf Resort near Douglas, the Mannin Hotel also in Douglas and the seaside Shore Hotel in Port St. Mary with open fire, restaurant, and free WiFi.
In Ramsey, the second largest town on the island after Douglas try the Ramsey Park Hotel or the budget, 2-star The Ginger Hall Hotel with full English breakfast.
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