caravans are not permitted on the island without a permit. Self-propelled motor caravans are welcome, as are tenting campers.
By air there is a daily service to Ronaldsway from the following airports: Belfast, Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London City, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Newcastle. Note: there is no service into London Heathrow.
The coastal footpath is within a mile of the island’s airport (tel: 01624 821600; www.iomguide.com).
The Sea Cat arrives at Douglas harbour
The best time to walk
Everyone hopes for good weather, and you can increase your chances to some extent by looking at the past meteorological reports (see also ‘Climate’, below). May and June stand out as the months with a good sunshine average and little rainfall. The holiday season begins in June and is virtually over by mid-September, yet in the middle of the season I met very few people on the footpath, except around the Sound Cafe where tourists were taking the air within sight of the car park. Most walkers that I met were Manx and were pleased to see a ‘foreigner’ enjoying their coastline.
Spring brings flowers to the glens and migrant birds to the beaches. Late summer glows with the dwarf gorse in flower, heather in bloom and sunsets on the west coast that make an extra amble around in the twilight worthwhile.
If there is a time of year to avoid it is late May, early June and early September: the weeks of the motorcycle and car rallies. At these times the ferries, accommodation and campsites are fully booked. The closure of roads for these and other events does not inconvenience the Raad ny Foillan walker, but the Millennium Way and the Herring Way will be affected.
A provisional list of events for the year is published by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure (tel: 01624 686766; www.visitisleofman.com; IOM Met Office Weather Check: 0900 624 320).
Accommodation
Current lists of hotels, bed and breakfast, hostel accommodation and campsites are available from the Department of Tourism and Leisure. They have prepared a list of accommodation near Raad ny Foillan specially for the walker (see Appendix D: IOM Coastal Footpath accommodation list).
There are commercial walking companies that will arrange your accommodation and transfer luggage for a self-guided walking tour. Visit www.macsadventure.com; www.celtictrailswalkingholidays.co.uk or www.isleofmanwalkingholidays.co.uk.
Campervans and motorhomes are welcome all year round but caravans require a valid permit from the Department of Infrastructure. To obtain one submit an e-mail to [email protected] including dates of arrival and departure, purpose of visit and where the caravan will be sited. Permits are issued only for events, staying up to three weeks on an approved campsite.
Parking
If you have a vehicle obtain a free parking disc from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, or on the Steam Packet ferry. These are also available from Post Offices throughout the island.
Public transport
Tel: 01624 662525; www.visitisleofman.com; www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/. Journey planner and timetables tel: 01624 662525.
The Isle of Man is well served with public transport. Bus routes, an electric railway and a steam railway cover the island.
The Isle of Man Passenger Transport publishes a booklet of official timetables that is available from the Information Bureau at the Douglas Sea Terminal, at any bus terminal, and at local Tourist or Commissioners’ Information Offices. It is useful to obtain this timetable before planning your trip as, for example, the circular routes from Ramsey via Jurby, Bride, Smeale, Andreas and Jurby may influence your choice of accommodation.
The Manx Electric Railway is a familiar sight
Tickets described as ‘inter-available’ can be purchased for bus, train and tram travel. These can be bought from retail transport shops in Douglas, Peel, Port Erin and Ramsey, or you can pay on the bus in the usual manner. Explorer tickets may be purchased on the island or in advance for unlimited travel by bus or train for one, three, five or seven consecutive days.
The steam train runs from Douglas (Bank Hill Station is at the southern end of the harbour) to Port Erin. The whole line is within easy reach of Raad ny Foillan. Stations along the line are: Port Soderick, Santon (by request), Ballasalla, Ronaldsway (by request), Castletown, Port St Mary, Port Erin. Trains run from March until November.
The electric railway runs from Douglas (Derby Castle Terminus is at the northern end of the promenade) to Ramsey. There are numerous request halts along the way, the main ones being Groudle, Baldrine, South Cape, Laxey, Dhoon, Ballaglass, Ballajora and Ramsey. The electric railway runs from March to November.
From Laxey Station the Snaefell Mountain Railway makes the journey to the summit from March until November.
Bus services are more frequent in summer, May–September, when numerous routes criss-cross the island. All the towns and large villages are on a bus route, and special services run in the summer to Cregneash and The Sound from Port Erin.
There is another form of public transport which you may find irresistible if you have blisters on the last lap – the horse-drawn trams clip-clopping their way along Douglas promenade!
Horse-drawn tram on Douglas promenade
Climate
The climate of the Isle of Man can be summed up as being milder than that of its UK neighbours. The influence of the surrounding relatively warm sea is the major factor. In winter the temperatures seldom fall below freezing. The 42 degrees isotherm, after passing through the Isle of Wight, swings northward to capture the Isle of Man. In summer the sea exerts a cooling influence and the island enjoys the pleasant gap between the 58 degrees and 60 degrees isotherms. The annual amount of rainfall on the coastline is 30–40ins per year, most of this falling in the winter months. As can be expected, it is heavier on the mountains. The wind often lifts the clouds over the coastline, leaving it dry, while inland the hills are swathed in cloud. The prevailing wind is south-west. This is a consideration in planning your route. If you tackle the walk clockwise the length of the west coast will put any breeze at your back, then as you turn the Point of Ayre to come south the cliffs and mountains will provide shelter.
Another facet of the weather is the sea mist. The air over the sea can be saturated with water vapour. A drop of only one degree in temperature can result in the condensation of suspended vapour causing mist in the surrounding air. Thus mist can roll in from the sea with little warning. Douglas can be covered in mist while the rest of the island is bathed in sunshine.
The Isle of Man has an excellent
