Motorcycle Emptiness

The Isle of Man

It’s been a while since we had an entirely lighthouse focused trip away, so with a weekend to spare we decided to visit the Isle of Man with the sole intention of bagging the twenty three lighthouses of the Manx Island. So a spoiler alert, there will be lots of great lighthouses.

Maughold Lighthouse, Isle of Man

On an sunny Friday evening we drove to the new Steam Packet Ferry terminal on the Liverpool dock front. Boarding the Manannan ferry with your car is a breeze and the ship is big enough to host several different lounges, a bar and café. You’ll easily find something to suit your required ambiance for the three hour trip to Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man.

Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man

As we approached Douglas we were treated to the first of the lights, the grand Douglas Lighthouse shining in the evening haze over the town harbour and ferry port. After disembarking we discovered they do like a drink on the Isle of Man, so despite docking at 10pm you’ll find a decent choice of hostelries should you require a nightcap.

 1. Douglas Lighthouse, Isle of Man

The plan for day one was to take a close up look at the two Douglas lighthouses and then focus on the north of the island. So an early start and a very nice stroll in the mist and morning drizzle to the Douglas Harbour viewpoint, which is only a twenty minute walk from the centre of town. From there you'll get great views of the harbour, the main lighthouse and the harbour wall light. There is also the very quaint Camera Obscura in the pretty park area that sits above the town.

Douglas Camera Obscura, Isle of Man

Descending back into town be sure to check out the nearby Noa Market Hall which is a great modern eating establishment on the picturesque harbour front. It does superb Manx and Veggie breakfasts that will set you up for a day of sightseeing.

2. Douglas Battery Pier lighthouse, Isle of Man

Heading north, the weather forecast predicted conditions would deteriorate throughout the morning so we decided to visit the big hitters earlier whilst the rain held off. First up on this list was Maughold Lighthouse. 

Maughold Cemetery, Isle of Man

Parking in the beautiful village (with free carpark and excellent facilities) it is a fifteen minute walk past a lovely cemetery and through fields with sweeping views of the coastline to the lighthouse. The light itself is dramatically perched on the cliffside and is a fantastic sight.

3. Maughold Lighthouse, Isle of Man

With the rain just about holding off  we continued on to the most northern point of the island at the Point of Ayre. The area was very reminiscent of Dungeness with a couple of lighthouses, an imposing foghorn and a shingle beach. It is a remote haven of calm and tranquillity with the sound of birds, seals and the sea to accompany your thoughts. A wonderful refuge.

4. Point of Ayre Lighthouse High, Isle of Man

Coastal erosion is having a reverse effect on the Point of Ayre, with shingle actually being deposited in the area to such an extent that a smaller lighthouse known as the Winkie was built 250 yards closer to the sea than the original, taller light to compensate for the growing landmass.

5. Point of Ayre Lighthouse Low, The Winkie

Parts of the beach were restricted, protecting nesting birds. "If they attack you, you are too close!" noted a friendly warning sign, and a colony of seals that could easily be seen lounging on the edge of the beach and frolicking in the Irish Sea.

Point of Ayre Lighthouse and foghorn, Isle of Man

There is a makeshift café in the lighthouse grounds but we didn't partake. Again there were great facilities which was a continuing and welcome theme of our exploration of the Isle of Man coastline.

Point of Ayre pebble beach, Isle of Man

Returning south along the east coast road our next port of call was the small town of Ramsey. It was eerily quiet as we parked on the south promenade, and as we started to walk to the harbour lights the rain began in earnest. We decided to shelter from the weather and grab a coffee and a cake in the leisure centre café at The Northern Swimming Pool on the front. When we opened the doors we were shocked to discover the whole town was in there grabbing a brew or some lunch, so that's where everyone was hiding!

6. Ramsey Lighthouse South Pier, Isle of Man

Braving the winds and rain we had the seafront to ourselves and at the harbour breakwater took a few photos of the lighthouses from under our umbrellas.

7. Ramsey Lighthouse North Pier, Isle of Man

Our final stop of our day in the north of the Isle of Man was the fishing village of Laxey. A very pretty harbour with two lights guarding the entrance.

8. Inner Harbour Lighthouses at Laxey, Isle of Man

Despite the later onset of the inclement weather we managed to visit our planned nine lighthouses today, and did all the grander ones before the rain kicked in. A few things worth highlighting were the roads, as they were fantastic. As you would expect for an island hosting the TT bike races, but they were also relatively traffic-free. And the amenities such as parking and toilets etc. were always open wherever we stopped, and more importantly, they were all free!

9. Laxey Breakwater Lighthouse, Isle of Man

So now it was now time to recharge our batteries and take advantage of the hospitality of Douglas before we restarting our lighthouse trail on day two, this time to the south of the island.

Point of Ayre Lighthouse, Isle of Man