IOM2
Isle of Man- Day 2
FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST 2020:
After my exertions from yesterday I am thinking today a little easier, visiting Ramsey, in the North East of the island and then continuing along the RNF South towards Laxey, taking the opportunity to divert and visit a couple of Glens along the way
Unfortunately the weather is again dull and drizzly to start. I catch the 08:10 bus to Ramsey, a double decker, bagsying the front, top seat for the view…which is awful. As soon as the bus gains height leaving Douglas the cloud and rain envelop. It’s horrible! Arriving in Ramsey, it is clearing, again the conditions improving at sea level, phew
Ramsey centre is quiet and I move on to the huge beach and very long (but closed) pier. I leave Ramsey and have a spell of generally hugging the coastline, dipping down onto the odd beach now and again
After a while I start an upwards trend, heading into the expanse of Maughold Brooghs, towards the highest point of the day. Of course, that attracts the low cloud again, so I am back to walking in a bubble, so I instead focus on the up close flora. Reaching the shelter at the top I stop for a snack and as if by magic, it clears and I have panoramic views back to Ramsey and all around, then the cloud rolls in, literally eating the land as I watch, until it is all devoured and I return to my bubble. Good show though!
Downhill from here, past a very atmospheric Maughold Cemetery (where I read a number of the old gravestones, many from late 1800’s, leading me ponder the lives these of these people at that time) eventually all the way back down to a small, stony bay, before leading back inland
A mix of country and road walking takes me upwards again, but with clearing skies I have some good views, including looking back on my route. An area around Ballafayle Cairn, a Neolithic burial site, is a particularly fine spot and offers some interesting sights
I reach the first of my scheduled glens – Ballaglass Glen – a very pretty woodland of tall trees, with rushing streams and a network of paths leading to all sorts of mysterious places, all watched over by the wizard. A heaven for kids with imagination…or even the adults who want to be kids!
A few more miles, following the river which discharges into the sea at Port Cornaa, then back inland on the small lanes (on a long, steepish climb) until I reach my second glen – Dhoon Glen. This is different again, a steep sided valley, stepping down to the beach at Dhoon Bay, a mile or so up & down. It is most noticeable for an impressive waterfall “Big Girl”, at 130ft a decent fall. Again, lots of trees and paths winding around the streams make this very attractive and enjoyable, reinvigorating me despite the climbing
I meet an IOM couple on the beach, very experienced walkers (long-distance record holder!) and have a good chat
Dhoon Glen is my end target for the day, although I had wondered about continuing to Laxey, another 2-3 miles. However, I feel I have done enough and am happy to leave on a high at Dhoon Glen, so catch the bus back to Douglas from there
Arriving in Douglas by 5pm I have a wonderful meal at “Just Pizza & Pasta”, a risotto with a side of garlic bread (which is actually the size of a pizza!). I sit near the open kitchen so enjoy watching the chefs dance their way around and work their magic with dough & pasta – highly entertaining
Stuffed and satisfied I stroll back along the promenade in the now evening sunshine, stopping to read up about the Tower of Refuge, a small, “Disney” looking castle perched on a rock/reef in the bay, apparently a haven for shipwrecked sailors. This was constructed in 1832 by Sir William Hillary, an IOM resident, the founder of the RNLI
At 12 miles and 3000ft of ascent, this turned into a decent days walking. Tomorrow, something different…I head inland
