From Coast to Summit, Through My Eyes.

 After visiting the Point of Ayre, the most northerly point of the island, 

 it seemed only right that we should also visit the most southerly point.

The Sound, as it is simply known, looks out across to the Calf of Man, with Chicken Rock standing proudly between the two. 

The tides race through this narrow stretch of water, known as the Sound of Man, making it a spectacular place to stop and watch the sea. It was a wild and windy day when we visited, but then most days are windy on the island!

There were seals hauled out on the rocks, quite content to let the waves crash around them.

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Incidentally, I realised I forgot to mention something while talking about the Point lights in a previous post. All of the lighthouses on the Isle of Man, including those on the Calf, were built and are maintained by the Northern Lighthouse Board.

That means they come from the same organisation responsible for many of the great lighthouses around Scotland and its surrounding waters. One of the early engineers connected with the Board was Thomas Stevenson, and his family are very well known in lighthouse history. His son was Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped, who grew up surrounded by stories of beacons, rocky coastlines and the sea.

It’s quite a thought that the same family thread runs through both the practical business of keeping ships safe and some of the most enduring adventure stories ever written.

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To reach the Sound, we passed through Cregneash, 

a living museum where many of the tiny cottages are still lived in, while others have been preserved to show traditional Manx homes and crafts. 

We didn't go inside the open cottages this time, but we did enjoy wandering through the village.

I was delighted to see wild honeysuckle growing through the remains of an old tholtan. 

 The fuchsias were just as lovely. I often tell people here in New Zealand that fuchsias grow wild in the hedgerows on the Isle of Man. I'm not entirely convinced they believe me! 

We also stopped to admire the Manx Loaghtan sheep kept in the village. The Loaghtan is a hardy native breed, well suited to the island's often wild weather, and is known for its distinctive coarse wool. There were only ewes in the village when we visited, but I managed to find a photograph of one of the impressive rams with its magnificent curling horns. 

We spent a while simply wandering around the village. Although the wind had been roaring across the Sound, here it was little more than a gentle breeze, and for a while the sun even managed to warm us.

Sadly, many of the old cottages have become tholtans, slowly surrendering to time and the Manx weather.

 Others, though, are clearly being given a new lease of life. It was lovely to see careful restoration work taking place, preserving a little piece of the island's history for future generations.

Also nearby is the famous "flying saucer". 

I'm fairly sure it has something to do with the nearby airport, but it's much more fun to tell visitors, especially children, that it came from outer space!

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There is, of course, much more to see and do in the south of the island, but we had a lunch date to keep, so reluctantly left the Sound behind and headed for Port Erin and the Station Café.

While I was thinking about lunch, Tony was much more interested in the steam train waiting patiently at the station. 

The Isle of Man Steam Railway has been carrying passengers between Douglas and Port Erin since the 1870s and is one of the island's best-loved attractions. The original network once stretched much further, linking many of the island's towns, but today the southern line is all that remains. It is a wonderfully nostalgic journey through the Manx countryside, complete with the smell of coal smoke, the hiss of steam and the gentle clickety-clack of the rails.

Port Erin has one of the island's loveliest sandy beaches and is always worth a visit. Nearby is Castletown, once the island's capital, with its impressive castle, parts of which are still used for administrative purposes, while the rest is open to visitors.

Not far away is Silverdale Glen, home to a charming water-powered carousel. 

 I remember riding it as a child, then watching my own children enjoy it years later. These days it's my grandchildren's turn, and I can't help but smile knowing that so far, three generations of our family have enjoyed the very same ride.

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Another favourite place to visit is the summit of Snaefell, the island's only mountain. Yes, it really is a mountain...at 2,037 feet it only just qualifies, but it qualifies!

The name Snaefell was given by the Vikings and translates as "Snow Mountain". Legend says that on a clear day you can see seven kingdoms from the summit: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Mann, the sea and the heavens. Sadly, it wasn't one of those clear days when we visited. 

Though I have been lucky enough to stand up there and truly see all seven.

We travelled up the mountain from Laxey on the electric tram. The Manx Electric Railway has been carrying passengers along the island's east coast since the 1890s, linking Douglas with Laxey and Ramsey. 

Unlike the steam railway, some of the electric trams are open sided, making it a wonderfully scenic journey with ever-changing views of the coastline, glens and countryside. It can also be surprisingly chilly, even in the middle of summer, so a warm jacket is never a bad idea! 

Travelling at a leisurely pace, it is a chance to slow down, watch the island roll by and enjoy a glimpse of the Isle of Man as generations of visitors have done before us.

Going up and down Snaefell we passed by Lady Isabella the great Laxey Wheel, the world's largest working waterwheel. It was built to pump water from the lead and zinc mines hidden in the valley behind it. 

We also passed the long-abandoned Snaefell Mine. Mining on the island was never an easy life, and this particular mine closed after a tragic gas explosion claimed the lives of thirty miners in a single night.

Down in Laxey the day had been calm and still, but by the time we reached the summit the wind was doing its best to blow me back down the mountain! I was more than happy to escape into the café for a hot chocolate.

As a younger woman I climbed to Snaefell summit from sea level more than once. These days I'm quite content to let the tram do the hard work! Friends of ours have their own New Year's Day tradition of walking from the mountain road to the summit before returning on foot. 

They've done it in glorious sunshine, deep snow and pouring rain. Whatever the weather, they wouldn't miss it.

Back down in the village I was keen to revisit the old washing floors below the Laxey Wheel. 

This was where the ore from deep inside the mine was brought to be crushed, washed and sorted before being shipped away. 

Many visitors head straight for the famous Lady Isabella, but there is a second waterwheel on the washing floors that is well worth a look. Known as the Lady Evelyn, it was built to power machinery used to crush and process the ore after it came up from the mine. While Lady Isabella worked tirelessly to pump water from deep underground, Lady Evelyn helped prepare the valuable minerals for their journey to market. It may not be as large or as well known as its famous neighbour, but together the two wheels played an important part in the success of the Laxey mines.

In its heyday the site would have been a hive of activity, with hundreds of men, women and even children working to separate the valuable lead and zinc from the surrounding rock. Today it is peaceful a nice spot for a gentle stroll making it hard to imagine just how busy it once was.

We were also delighted to see the tiny steam locomotives, Ant and Bee. The originals arrived in 1877, replacing the pit ponies that had hauled the ore wagons through the mine tunnels. 

Sadly, the original engines were scrapped after the mine closed, but the little locomotives running today are faithful replicas, giving visitors a glimpse of what life must once have been like. They really are remarkably small, built to squeeze through the narrow mine tunnels, and somehow that only adds to their charm.

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So there you have it… a few of the places that have always been part of my Isle of Man. It’s only a small selection, really. The island is full of corners like this for me — familiar, changing, and always worth returning to. I'll be back with more soon.