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My Isle of Man hiking adventure — Raad ny Foillan and more

Adventurer Nic

My Isle of Man hiking adventure — Raad ny Foillan and more

Hiking Collection by Adventurer Nic

10 Tours

53:12 h

236 km

5,410 m

On the back of a Tour Du Mont Blanc cancellation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I began to look for something closer to home and a new adventure idea was born. An island I’d admired from the Western Fells of the Lake District for many years, I decided I wanted to explore the Isle of Man. There are 11 peaks on the Isle of Man that are over 1,500 feet (450 m) and there’s also an established coastal path, the Raad ny Foillan, which journeys for 100 miles (160 km) around the entire island. So, I took to komoot to combine coast and fell into an epic long-distance hiking adventure.

In August 2021, I undertook the journey, which ended up being 146 miles (236 km) in length and entailed 17,750 feet (5,410 m) of ascent, all in under ten days. Accompanied by good friends, I walked the Raad ny Foillan — which is Manx Gaelic for 'the Way of the Gull' — coastal path and added hill walks taking in the following summits: Snaefell (the highest peak in the island at 2,037 feet (621 m), North Barrule, Clagh Ouyr, Beinn-y-Phott, Slieau Freoaghane, Colden, South Barrule, Slieau Ruy, Sartfell, Carraghan and Slieau Lhean.

We ate in some lovely local cafes and restaurants along the way and were made to feel so welcome by the Manx people. We stayed in a varied mix of accommodation and campsites and carried all our camping equipment for the duration, stopping to resupply food and water along the route. Read on for the full 10-day itinerary and its Highlights.

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Raad ny Foillan

159 km

2,470 m

2,480 m

Last updated: December 7, 2021

Tours & Highlights

  1. Isle Of Man Coast Path Day 1 Raad Ny Foillan

    05:35
    26.9 km
    4.8 km/h
    360 m
    360 m

    The first day of our Tour of the Isle of Man along the Raad ny Foillan with Becky, Jess, Adrian and Ben! What started as a bit of road walking out of Douglas harbour ended with some stunning cliff paths and awesome nature spots, with seals, porpoises and a peregrine falcon, just to name a few. We also

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  2. 05:15
    25.6 km
    4.9 km/h
    360 m
    360 m

    I didn't know it at the time but this would become my favourite day of the 10-day adventure. We followed an absolutely stunning route along the cliff path overlooking the dramatic sea stack of Sugarloaf Rock and an abundance of impressive chasms, caves and bays. This day involved lots of café stops and

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  4. 08:24
    33.8 km
    4.0 km/h
    1,350 m
    1,330 m

    The third day of Raad ny Foillan! A clear start in Port Erin and clear finish in Peel but it was misty in the middle as we gained higher ground. We left the coastal path for the first time and added in a trip to the hill South Barrule, bringing the total hike distance to 21 miles (34 km) today, our longest

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  5. 05:19
    25.0 km
    4.7 km/h
    170 m
    180 m

    Our fourth day started at a campsite in Peel and finished in Jurby. Today, the coastal path involved a lot of beach walking which made for a nice change and the rainy weather held off, which we were pleased about! Towards the end of the walk we came upon the remains of the shipwreck - Pasages - which

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  6. 05:20
    25.9 km
    4.8 km/h
    90 m
    110 m

    Day five! The time is flying! This section started in Jurby, finished in Ramsey and involved us walking along the most northerly tip of the island. We walked on sand and shingle beach for virtually the whole day, which was challenging but the seals popping above the waves just a few metres to our left

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  7. 04:28
    16.8 km
    3.8 km/h
    970 m
    450 m

    Today was the start of our extra hill bagging whilst on the Raad ny Foillan coastal path - you might want to call it a micro-adventure within the main adventure, as we hiked inland. We walked from Ramsey over North Barrule, Beinn Rein, Clagh Ouyr, Slieau Lhean and Snaefell and enjoyed views over North

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  8. 05:49
    23.2 km
    4.0 km/h
    930 m
    940 m

    On the seventh day of our adventure, we continued our hill bagging over the highest of the island’s central and western hills. This took us to Beinn y Phott, Carraghan, Colden, Slieau Ruy, Sartfell and finally Slieau Freoaghane. We encountered swarms of flying ants — which were harmless but a bit annoying

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  9. 04:31
    18.5 km
    4.1 km/h
    290 m
    770 m

    Today, we finished the peak bagging section of the trip and descended into Ramsey, back to the coast. We passed through varied terrain including woodland, lush green glens, moorland and walked along the Millenium Way for a while before re-entering the town we'd left three days earlier. The weather was

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  10. 04:51
    23.4 km
    4.8 km/h
    600 m
    570 m

    We were back on the coastal path from Ramsey to Laxey on the penultimate section of our Raad ny Foillan adventure. Port e Vullen was a definite highlight and we stopped by the cutest coves along the way, including Gob ny Portmooar, which was one of my favourite places along the route. We also took a

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  11. 03:40
    16.8 km
    4.6 km/h
    280 m
    310 m

    This was our final day on the trail and we walked from the campsite at Laxey to Douglas, completing the Raad ny Foillan (Way of the Gull) around the island. We've had an amazing ten days of hiking and camping and the weather was wonderful in the main. We even saw the Lake District fells across the sea

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  12. The Raad ny Foillan, the Isle of Man’s long-distance coast path, is a circular hike so in fairness you could start it wherever you like along the route! But we started it here, on the Millennium Bridge in Douglas, which seemed like a popular start place according to our guidebook and other's experiences that we'd read online. Raad ny Foillan translates to the Way of the Gull.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  13. Herring Tower

    Hiking Highlight

    In the south of the Isle of Man, in the centre of the Langness Peninsula, lies the Herring Tower, built in 1823. You can enter the tower and find a narrow stone spiral staircase that snakes its way up the inside three quarters of the way up its height. The tower makes the peninsula easily visible for miles around.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  14. Castle Rushen

    Hiking Highlight

    A marvellous medieval castle in the centre of Castletown on the Isle of Man. Construction is believed to have started as early as the 10th century. It provides a great backdrop to Market Square. The castle is now a museum.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  15. View of Chapel Bay

    Hiking Highlight

    Rounding Chapel Bay along the Victorian Promenade into Port St Mary along the Raad ny Foillan, I was struck by how much I loved entering the small towns along the coast of the Isle of Man on foot. Walking a long-distance coastal path means you see a lot more of the towns than you do by car.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  16. The Sugarloaf

    Hiking Highlight

    Seeing this 165-foot (50-m) sea stack near the Chasms on the southwest coast of the Isle of Man has to be one of my biggest Highlights of the Raad ny Foillan hike along the coastal path of this stunning island. The Sugarloaf was first climbed in 1933 by Dr AW Kelly, one of the island’s pioneering rock climbers — a feat I won't be attempting anytime soon! Many breeds of seabird nest on the cliffs around here. It's a really awesome place.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  17. The Chasms

    Hiking Highlight

    A shelter, once a cafe, overlooks the Chasms of the Isle of Man. These are remarkable deep gashes in the earth, some wider than others. In summer they are surrounded by rich purple heather.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  18. There are four obelisks along the Raad ny Foillan, the Isle of Man’s coastal path. This one at Port Erin is the most southerly of the four. It was the first obelisk that I encountered along the coastal path when I hiked it in August 2021.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  19. Milner's Tower

    Hiking Highlight

    Milner's Tower is on Bradda Hill just outside Port Erin on the Isle of Man. It was built to honour William Milner - a resident of Port Erin who invested much of his time and money into the town in the mid-1800s.

    Tip by Adventurer Nic

  20. More Tours & Highlights

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Collection Stats

  • Tours
    10
  • Highlights
    39
  • Distance
    236 km
  • Duration
    53:12 h
  • Elevation
    5,410 m

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