The Isle of Man is famous for its TT motorcycle races and every year in May the island is invaded by thousands of
motorcyclists keen on watching this spectacular street racing and taking advantage of the island's lenient attitude
to speed racers and bikers who want to put their machines through their paces on the mountain roads and twisting lanes
which are ideal for motorbikes. Whatever your views on this, the sight of so many impressive bikes from the UK and Europe
is certainly spectacular.
The capital of the
Isle of Man is Douglas which is the main commercial centre and tourist
destination. It is also the most heavily populated town on the island.
Along the seafront promenade with its hotels and shops visitors will
notice the horse trams and electric railway departure point. The
electric railway is very extensive and passes through some spectacular
scenery and idyllic towns and villages. Places to visit in Douglas
include the Manx Museum which is dedicated to the Manx National
Heritage and Noble's Park which is a great vantage point for anyone
wanting to view the T.T. Motorcycle races.
The Isle of Man has
its own currency, is self governing ( though aligned to the UK ) and
has its own flag and traditions.
Whilst in many ways similar to the UK mainland it does have its unique
characteristics. The first thing that a visitor will notice is the
different car registrations and prominence of the Isle of Man flag. The
island has a very varied natural terrain and its own mountain range.
The countryside is beautiful and panoramic views can be experienced
best by a drive around the island along the coast road. Whilst there
are many small villages en route there are only really 4 towns outside
of Douglas that are
of any significant size and some of these could be almost be mistaken
for villages if they were on the UK mainland. Ramsey is the second
biggest town and surrounded by fine buildings and pleasant countryside.
It also boasts a beautiful park and harbour. Moving on from Ramsey and
travelling along the coastal road you reach Peel. Famous for its Viking
history, sandy beach, castle and harbour, this is a pleasant place to
stop and take a break. There are plenty of fishing boats and this is
the centre of what is left of the island's fishing industry ( much
depleted due to EEC fishing quotas ). If you like kippers then be sure
to try out the famous Manx Kippers. As
you move away from Peel and continue south along the coast the
countryside changes dramatically and becomes more hilly with clifftop
views of the coastline as you travel on towards Port Erin, Port St.
Mary and Castletown. The castle at Castletown is certainly worth
visiting and Port St Mary which used to be a fishing port is now home
to many yachts and is a favourite destination for tourists along with
the nearby Port Erin. There is a cliff top walk that takes you to The
Calf of Man, a small island off the main island which is now a bird
sanctuary.
The Isle of Man has
the oldest parliament in the world and a National Tynwald Fair Day on
the 5th July each year celebrates this and highlights the islands
independence with the issuing of new laws on this date. Taxation on the
island is low. Unemployment is virtually non existant and prices are
pretty much the same as those on the UK mainland. Property prices are
high though and residency is a privelage rather than a right. The crime
rate is low and whilst offshore banking used to attract large numbers
of investors from the UK this has very much diminished as a result of
new regulations and EEC laws which mean that account holders details
are now passed on to the relevant authorities of the EEC state of the
individual investor. The population of the Isle of Man is around 80,000
citizens.
For more
information on the Isle of Man click on the links section or visit the
Isle of Man Tourist Information website which can be found at:
www.gov.im/tourism
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