North Ballure and Snaefell

Monday 6th April 2026

After the strong winds of the day before, I was hopeful that on this day the winds would have eased and the weather forecast indicated that this would be the case and when I left my accommodation in the city of Douglas the sun was shining. Unfortunately, that didn’t last very long and when I got off the bus beside Ballure Bridge, near Ramsey on the Isle of Man, it was overcast. I was following a walk on the visit Isle of Man website described as North East Summits Five Peaks Challenge and started with a steep climb up a rocky path beside the conifers in Ballure Plantation and it didn’t take me long to discover that it was still very windy. At the top of the path I joined a road to an isolated house where I turned right to cross an exceptionally boggy area and head towards the imposing hill of North Barrule. It is said, “Bad things come in threes”, and that seemed to the case on this walk. Firstly, the poor weather, which would get worse, secondly, I had forgotten to bring any water, though that was easily solved by a stream and a filter, and the third was my walking poles. The wet ground prompted me to get my poles out for the first time on this holiday and I immediately discovered that one of the poles wouldn’t lock, so eventually I had to put it away again and resort to just one pole, though the ground was so boggy I really needed both. After leaping over the worst of the bogs the ground didn’t get much better and continued to be saturated throughout the ascent as I slowly climbed the eastern ridge of North Barrule. 

I had to be very careful with my footing as ground that is this wet gives little grip and I was just glad that I was not coming down since then it would have been almost impossible to keep a grip. The views behind me developed over Ramsey and out to sea, but under the grey overcast skies were not great. This ascent seemed to go on for a long time and never improved and worse was to come as I neared the top and the wind increased to gale force. A narrow ridge lay before me, which in better weather would have been delightful to walk along, but all I could think about was how to get off the ridge and out of this wind. A wall at the col provided me with some shelter while I considered my options, but eventually I realised that my only option was to keep going and battle through the wind. This traverse felt like hell and it brought to mind another quote, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” I couldn’t easily get down off the ridge so I had to go through hell by passing over a minor top above Park Lewellyn and another top, unmarked on maps, but the Isle of Man website calls it Beinn Rein, before crossing a broad saddle adorned with a wooden boardwalk across the wettest parts. On the rise towards Clagh Ouyr I stopped for lunch and while looking back along the ridge I realised that the skies had been brightening and suddenly the clouds parted to reveal blue sky behind the ridge.

Looking back, North Barrule was revealed as having a striking, steep-sided peak, which I hadn’t appreciated while I was at the summit in those windy conditions, but now that the sun had come out and I was sheltered from the wind, I could look back on what I had endured. After a rest and something to eat I climbed up to the top of Clagh Ouyr where the highest point on the Isle of Man, Snaefell, was revealed to me, which is the fifth and final peak on this walk, but with no sign of the winds easing yet I decided to turn left when I reached the bottom of the col and descend to the old mine workings at the head of Laxey Glen. I was fed up with the wind, so I was no mood to climb Snaefell again, which I had visited a year ago. On that occasion I had ascended through Laxey Glen, past the mine and now I descended that way, which provided me with a very relaxing walk along a stony track under warm, blue skies. After passing through hell I felt I was now in paradise. I lingered beside the giant water wheel, taking in the peaceful surroundings, until eventually I reached the railway station where a tram was just about to set off up the mountain railway to the top of Snaefell, so I jumped on board to complete the five peaks challenge, kind of.

The views were sensational, but most notably along the ridge to North Barrule that I had just walked along that morning. It was still very windy so after taking a few pictures I got straight back onto the tram which took me back down. I had originally planned to descend from Snaefell into Glen Roy, so I thought I’d tag that onto the end of this walk by heading into the wooded valley when I returned to Laxey. After getting a bit lost on the many paths in Laxey Glen Garden I headed up the valley admiring the abundant displays of wood anemones lining the stream and absorbing the tranquil scenery, which completed the job of helping me recover from the frightful winds on North Barrule. This day was a stark contrast between the hellish winds in the morning and the relaxing walking through Laxey Glen in the afternoon. I was disappointed with the strong winds on this day which ruined what could have been a fabulous day’s walk over the highest hills on the Isle of Man.

Langness Peninsula and Colby Glen

Sunday 5th April 2026

The weather during the first three months of this year was very wet, which didn’t encourage me to go out for walks, so by Easter I had hardly done any walking for more than an hour or two since the new year, and I was eager to get my walking boots back on. When trying to decide where to walk at Easter I couldn’t think of anywhere better than where I’d been at Easter in 2025: the Isle of Man. That was the first time I’d been there and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the island and the abundance of excellent walking opportunities, from the highest hills to the many wooded glens rich in wild flowers. There was so much that I hadn’t been able to see last year I had no hesitation in rebooking this year, however, when I got to the capital city of Douglas, Storm Dave was making itself felt with strong winds and a threat of rain, so I didn’t go far. The following morning the skies had cleared, but it was still very windy, which is especially frustrating when the weather is otherwise sunny and good. Since those winds were westerly I thought my best plan would be to walk on the east coast, sheltered by the hills, but I was reluctant to return to places I’d already visited last year. Another option was for me to walk around part of the coastal footpath, Raad ny Foillan, the Way of the Gull, and a part that I missed out last year near Castletown, and this was more appealing for me.

Therefore I caught a bus to Castletown, setting off along the road around Castletown Bay with the peninsula of Langness before me and the strong winds behind, which I was most definitely not sheltered from. Soon, I branched off the road to take a path between the pebbly beach and grasslands that inevitably contain a golf course, crossing the isthmus to bring me to the Langness Peninsula. This long promontory is shaped a bit like an anvil and my route was taking me towards the pointy end, past an increasingly rocky coastline, which was roped off with signs warning of ground nesting birds, so I was more than happy to stick to the path even after it joined a rough road. When I eventually reached the car park at the end of the road I took the footpath that led me towards a lighthouse, and branched off to head towards Langness Point. This was fun walk, that sometimes had me scrambling across rocks, but eventually I reached a point where steep cliffs meant I could go no further. My map indicates that the path stops at this point so I was more than happy to turn around and rejoin the coastal footpath to reach Langness Lighthouse at Dreswick Point. I was not in a hurry on this walk so I was enjoying the freedom to explore the area whenever I felt like it.

With a bit of shelter from the wind I had an enjoyable walk beside a craggy coastline but to my left was the golf course, which can be the bane of walkers because they are potentially dangerous places. Fortunately on this occasion it was too windy for golfing. When I reached the blunt end of the Langness Peninsula I was confronted by the strong winds again, which prompted me to put my hood up, despite the sunshine. A causeway led me onto St Michael’s Island where I passed the ruins of the twelfth-century chapel of St Michael to reach the much better preserved Derby Fort, built in the seventeenth-century to protect the then busy port of Derbyhaven, and still boasts cannons. I had good views across the bay and up the coast, which prompted me to take loads of pictures, but the strong winds soon prompted me to turn around and head back into the wind, around the bay. When I reached the small community of Derbyhaven I found some shelter from the wind where I could have my lunch before setting off along the road back into Castletown. On the western side of Castletown Bay I was sheltered from the winds and enjoyed the respite, but it wasn’t long before I rounded Scarlett point and I was facing the strong winds again. This was a good coastline with plenty of rock and the waves crashing against them were producing a spectacular display to keep me entertained as I continued along the path with stunning views across Bay ny Carrickey, despite a bit of cloud cover at this point. 

I had planned to do this walk in the other direction so the winds would be predominately behind me, but then I forgot and got off the bus in the wrong place, where I had intended on finishing the walk, so instead I was once again walking into the wind. Eventually the path brought me to a farm and from there I reached the main road where a footpath finally took me away from the coast, and the winds, across farmer’s fields towards the village of Colby. The contrast between the strong winds beside the coast and the much more pleasant walking inland made me regret having decided to walk along the coast this day, but it was too late for that. When I reached the village of Colby, initially passing the railway station, I headed up Colby Glen Road, which was initially very frustrating because houses were blocking my access to the stream. When the houses eventually stopped a path gave me access to the stream where a fabulous walk followed through a gorgeous wooded valley filled with many wild plants, though very few were in flower, mostly celandines and one or two bluebells or wild garlic. It was still an awesome walk albeit tragically short and soon I reached a bowl where the river turns first east and then all the way around to west enclosing a meadow filled with many woodland flowers and daffodils. 

After a long wander around I followed the path up the western bank towards the small village of Ballakilpheric, leaving the sounds of the stream behind and working up a sweat from the effort of the climb and the lack of a cold wind. On the outskirts I turned right to take another path that brought me back down into the valley, but only briefly and immediately I was climbing back out again to return to the road above Colby. The sunshine was great on this walk so it was a pity about the strong winds. I enjoyed walking beside a stunning coastline and the short walk up Colby Glen was a delightful extra treat which I was sure the Isle of Man would provide me with many more.