Magical Mystery Tour June 2025 Part 2 - to the Isle of Man

We decided we would carry on with our trip, despite being in the tent, not Buzzbee. After all... why waste any opportunity to explore! So, we opted to visit 2 places that have been on our 'Must See' list for some time. (As you can imagine, it is a long list... every time we tick somewhere off, 2 more get added!)

So, a few hours research and some phone calls, and we were booked on the 3.30 ferry from Heysham to the Isle of Man, nestled in the Irish Sea, and not renowned for its great camping weather... but the forecast looked good! (Memo to self... after 65 years living in the UK, surely I should know by now how unreliable the weather predictions are!).

Our drive north to Heysham was smooth, we picked up some supplies in M&S in Lancaster and boarded a fairly empty, almost new, car ferry, the Manxman, to Douglas on the Isle of Man. All the ferries are operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet company, running since 1830!

It was a very hot day, and the views were hazy, but the often turbulent Irish Sea was flat calm. Phew! This was our view coming into Douglas, the capital.

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency with its own parliament, the Tynwald, which is over 1000 years old. The island is 33 miles long and 13 miles wide with a population of 84,000 people. It's symbol is the Triskellon, 3 armoured legs. Thought to have originated in Pagan sun symbols, it was modified by the Viking rulers about 1000 years ago. You see it everywhere. A tricky challenge! Can you spot the Triskellons?!

We disembarked at 7.50 pm. The drive to our campsite, tucked in a Glen in the village of Laxey, took just 20 minutes, and we had the tent pitched and set up by 9.15pm! We had chosen to base ourselves on one site for the whole 6 days of our visit, rather than move around as we would have done in Buzzbee. The toilet and shower facilities were good, and unlike most English campsites, they had a super camp kitchen, with a cooker, microwaves, toasters and kettles, plus an indoor seating area. A real boon for tent campers. We had first encountered these in Ireland, and think their prevalence is directly proportional to the likelihood of rain!

After a good first night, and M&S sticky Cinnamon buns for breakfast, we set off to explore the island.

The Isle of Man is probably best known for the World famous TT races.

The Tourist Trophy is for Motorbikes and was first raced in 1907. The present mountain route has been used since 1911, and the course is over 37 miles long... but is entirely on normal roads running through wild countryside, but also towns and villages, with 217 turns. It is in the laws of the Isle of Man that these roads are closed for 2 weeks for the event, and all speed restrictions lifted. Today, bikers come from all over the world to scream around each 37 mile lap in 17-20 minutes, doing average speeds of over 130 miles per hour! The main race is 6 laps long. This is a dangerous race, and they know it. 156 deaths to date, but still they come. In the words of Guy Martin who had 17 podium finishes, and nearly died in a spectacular crash...

In fact, it isnt really a race, it is a time trial. Each competitor starts individually, which should be safer than a mass start! Approximately 40,000 spectators come too, many with their own bikes. Outside of the towns, there are no speed limits here, so they too can whizz around the mountain roads and the course itself outside of practise and race sessions. The races were a few weeks ago, but there is still evidence everywhere - wobbly looking viewing stands, padding around lamp posts and walls, and footbridges and sponsorship signage everywhere! Would you want to risk using that Portaloo?

Our tour was more leisurely! The Isle is also famous for it's many types of unusual transport. From Laxey, we caught the electric mountain railway up to the Island's highest peak, Snaefell, at 2036 feet.

The engines and carriages date from 1895! The views were hazy, but on a clear day you can see Ireland, Scotland Wales and England from the summit. It is a beautiful ride, and crosses the TT course at 'The Bungalow'.

The route also passes the Laxey Wheel, which we visited next.

Called Lady Isabella, it is a beautifully restored water wheel built in 1854 to pump water out of the nearby lead mines. The wheel is huge at 72 feet 6 inches in diameter, and is still operational. The mechanism is virtually silent. As usual we are blown away by the beauty and skill of Victorian engineering.

Next we drove north to a tiny place I had spotted on a hidden gems list, Port Cornaa. It was delightful, and we enjoyed a very peaceful picnic here.

It also highlighted the way serendipity had taken a hand in our trip! While the main roads on the island are excellent, and there were lots of campervans here, we would never have got down the tiny lanes, even in Buzzbee, and would have missed some of the secret treasures of the island.

Next we went up the hill to one of the many ancient history sites. First the Celts, then Vikings left a legacy of traditions and treasures. This is Cashtal yn Ard, a New Stone Age burial site dating back to 1800 BCE. A very atmospheric spot.

Next we drove across to the North western coast and up to the Ayres lighthouse on the Northern tip. This coastal strip is a completely different landscape of sand dunes and flat, stony scrub, and home to nature and bird reserves. We spotted some lovely wild flowers on our walk here.

Back down the NE side to Ramsay for a very good fish dinner at the Square restaurant, and then we stopped at Laxey beach before returning to the campsite after an excellent day.