Nestled in the heart of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man can be reached by ferry or plane in as little as 30 minutes from the UK and Ireland. As the only entire nation in the world to be recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere, you will experience awe-inspiring nature, an ancient and compelling 10,000 year history, a vibrant culture and an outdoor natural playground of unrivalled beauty which combines exhilarating coastal adventures and some of the best walking in the British Isles.
The route starts in the capital of Douglas, home to the Manx Museum bursting with artefacts and treasures unique to the Isle of Man. Highlights include some of the finest Viking treasures in the British Isles and spectacular galleries including a new TT gallery. Douglas was also the birthplace of the three Gibb brothers - better known as The Bee Gees.

Heading out of the capital in a south-westerly direction you'll soon arrive at Castletown the former capital of the Isle of Man until 1869. The town has narrow streets and small fishing cottages. Castle Rushen in the centre of the town was originally built in 1265 for a Norse king, then fortified and added to by successive rulers between the 13th and 16th centuries.
You can see the Langness Lighthouse and Herring Tower across the other side of the natural harbour. Commissioned in 1811, the tower displayed a fire during the herring fishing season to guide vessels home.
From here you'll go around Carrick Bay, named after the large rock know as The Carrick in the middle of the bay and onto the living museum village of Cregneash.
It was one of the last places to hear a native Manx Speaker. Eager to preserve the Manx traditions the small village was acquired over time by the Manx National Heritage to be made into an living museum. The first acquisition was Harry Kelly's cottage which opened to the public in 1938. Since then many more sites within the village and surrounding area have been added to the museum.
A short ride from here takes you to the SW tip of the island where you can enjoy a coffee and stunning view out over the Sound and the Calf of Man, a tiny island acting as a Nature Reserve and Bird Observatory. The Calf of Man is located on one of Britain's major migration routes and is the perfect place to study many aspects of bird life and habitat.

After your coffee the route takes you north and you'll pass a little monument on your left for Thomas Shimmin also known as Tom the Dipper. He appears to have been a local character, famous for his tall tales, smuggling, preaching and poetry. He built a stone cottage here on the hillside overlooking Balakilpheric and Colby, arguably one of the finest views of the island.
Still travelling north on high ground you pass hillsides covered in heather. If you happen to be passing in late summer you'll be treated to a spectacular display of purple flowers and its scent is noticeable throughout the island. The blooming heather ablaze on the coastline of Isle of Man is an iconic image.
The seaside town of Peel is next.
Peel is situated on the Island's west coast. It has a golden, gently sloping, sandy beach set in a beautiful bay, bounded by Peel Castle and the Peel Harbour on one side and red sandstone cliffs on the other. Peel Castle stands on St Patrick's Isle which is connected to the town by a causeway. The first defences are thought to date from the late 11th century when Magnus Barefoot, Norse King of Man, built a timber royal residence. The stone gatehouse and curtain wall were added in 14th century and then in the late 15th century the First Earl of Derby encircled the whole of St Patrick's Isle with a slate curtain wall and internal towers which forms the major component of the present Peel Castle.
Known as Manx town of the Island, Peel, offers many local shops and restaurants. There is an old style feel to the place with many narrow streets and small houses near the coast.
Kirk Michael is a quiet village just north of Peel. Home to many local shops the village also holds the parish church with its many stone crosses and Bishop graves. it isn't so quiet when the TT is in town as the riders race through the villages at speeds of 160mph, this route will also travel through the village but hopefully at a lesser speed!
At Jurby, you can visit the Isle of Man Motor Museum. Opened in May 2015, it has become a petrolhead’s paradise with over 500 vehicles on show. Entrance fee is £16.50.
In the far north of the island you can turn left at the small hamlet of Bride to visit the most northerly point where you'll find two lighthouses and a giant foghorn. The Point of Ayre is the Island’s most northerly tip and when you stand here you are closer to Scotland (14 miles) than you are to Douglas.
The huge amount of stones at the Point have been dragged up over centuries from the beaches on the west coast. Coastal erosion and prevailing winds and tides mean that the stones work their way up to the point and are deposited here, whilst the sand carries on out to sea and forms huge banks just under the surface. These are marked by buoys which you can see from the beach. The remarkable thing about the Point is that it is moving. When the Lighthouse was constructed in 1818 it was much nearer to the sea than it is now. Some 70 years later it was found necessary to build an additional small light tower some 250 yards seaward from the main tower. Due to continuous gravel build-up, this tower was moved a further 250ft seaward in 1951 and now stands out on the gravel bank. This small light is known as The Winkie.

Now the route heads south and into Ramsey, capital of the north and the second largest town after Douglas and famed by the popular TT spectator spot at Parliament Square.
The Queen's Pier is a very prominent feature jutting out into the Irish Sea some 683 metres. It was opened in 1886 originally intended as a landing stage to allow Steam Packet ships to pick up or discharge passengers at low tide. The pier was finally closed in June 1990 after a massive fall in numbers of people using the pier and increasing maintenance costs. The Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust was set up to restore this magnificent Victorian landmark and the restoration work has begun.

One of the joys of a visit to the Isle of Man is the sheer diversity of the localities packed into its 227 square miles. High among the favourites of many locals and visitors is the picturesque village of Laxey where you'll visit next.
One of the iconic emblems of the Island is the world-renowned Laxey Wheel, built in 1854 to pump water from the mines, and still turning today. The impressive 22m (72.5 feet) diameter structure found immediate popularity and has remained one of the Island’s most dramatic tourist attractions for over 150 years.
A short ride from Laxey will take you to my suggested lunch stop, another icon of the island, the Creg-ny-baa Inn.
The Famous Creg-ny-baa is steeped in history as one of the most spectacular landmarks on the World famous Mountain Course. It enjoys fantastic views of the course and plays host to thousands of spectators every year during the TT and Manx Grand Prix races.
After lunch you'll ride a short section of the TT mountain course in the opposite direction passing: Kate's Cottage, Keppel Gate and Windy Corner before leaving the course at Hailwood's Height to continue the mountain road on the north side of Beinn y Phott to the lonely and isolated Brandywell Cottage, just about the closet you can get to the geographical centre of the island.
Here you'll double back on yourself over two cattle-grids to ride back over the mountain in superb open scenery. The ride back off of the mountain is quite steep on a narrow lane but this only adds another thrilling section to an already great ride. The road levels out as you approach the West Baldwin Reservoir and before you know it you'll arrive back in Douglas and return to the start point.
Enjoy.