Slieau Freoghane and the Millennium Way

Wednesday 8th April 2026

The forecast for this day was for a significant easing of the strong, cold winds that had afflicted me so far, this Easter, on the Isle of Man, so I was keen to take advantage by staying up high in the hills for as long as possible. Therefore, I decided to follow part of the Millennium Way, which was created to celebrate the one thousandth anniversary of the Isle of Man parliament in 1979. On the previous day I had walked along the first couple of miles of the trail through Silverdale Glen, before leaving it to its tedious course along the minor B35 road. I now picked it up again in the small village of Crosby as it began to climb towards the hills in the northern half of the Manx island. However, when the Millennium Way began to descend into the valley of West Baldwin I kept climbing following a track that took me into the hills across the eastern slopes of Slieau Ruy. There hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when I got up in the city of Douglas but tragically it had now clouded over, though the winds were gentle, as promised. I still enjoyed the walk, despite the poor views, rejoicing in the light winds, and relished the climb even when I missed a turning and had to cross the heather-covered, pathless slopes to get back on the clear path. I walked briskly, devouring the miles, passing the slight rise of Lhargee Ruy on the northern ridge of Slieau Ruy, past two cairns and across the western slopes of Colden.

At the col with Slieau Maggle I came onto a clear track that helped me up my pace even more until I reached a minor road where a rocky path climbed beside a plantation before the gradient eased and I finally branched off the track to reach the summit of Slieau Freoghane, which is the highest point in this range of hills, but the most surprising feature of this hill is that the summit is adorned with a trig point, a cairn and a bell, erected on a short pole. I gave this a gentle ring and took a few pictures before setting off along the ridge to rejoin the track where I actually turned right to head back the way I’d come, before turning sharp right to turn north again and continue along the eastern side of the ridge passing Slieau Dhoo. The grey, overcast skies now began to clear revealing blue skies and the sun, which was most unexpected, but welcome, while a dark cloud lingered over Snaefell with Sulby Reservoir in the valley between. In the sunshine, this was fabulous walking, so I was enjoying myself immensely until eventually I reached a road where I soon turned right onto a track with views ahead of me towards Snaefell while I descended, increasingly steeply, into a conifer plantation, which was painful, not just in my knees, but also in the knowledge that I would have to climb back up again.

When I reached the bottom of Sulby Glen I discovered that the path I wanted to take up Tholt-y-Will Glen was closed, which was really frustrating as I had deliberately come all this way instead of sticking to the Millennium Way just so I could take this walk through the wooded valley. I considered climbing over the locked gate, but prudently turned around and walked up the road past Sulby Reservoir. It was distressing for me to see dozens of discarded cans and bottles beside the road, as I can’t imagine how anyone could be so thoughtless as to toss these things from their cars. The sunshine had proved to be short-lived with Snaefell, ahead of me, now hiding within the clouds as I slowly climbed up the road until I reached the Millennium Way, which, while I had been elsewhere, had climbed out of West Baldwin and crossed between the hills of Carraghan and Beinn-y-Phott. Looking south I could not see any sign of the path but a clear track headed north, though it wasn’t long before it branched off to cross the slopes of Snaefell, as the skies brightened again, on a vague, often muddy path. I was disappointed by the lack of investment in maintaining the footpath of the Millennium Way, which indicates that it doesn’t get many people walking on it, and at least then it would be clearer.

The ground became increasingly wet with the path difficult to follow as I descended into a valley and was even more so as I climbed back out. When I reached the top of a broad saddle I lost all trace of a path and I realised that I had strayed from the correct route, so I had to cross the boggy col to reach the clear path. Soon after that the path joined a green lane, becoming a gravel track which helped me pick up my pace again as the sun came out and the temperatures rose. This was an enjoyable, relaxing descent, the path later becoming lined with gorse and then, while passing through Sky Hill Plantation, it was lined with the gorgeous white flowers of wood sorrel, and pre-flowering bluebells. Eventually I came down to the bottom of the path where I was confronted with the harsh reality of the main road which I had to walk along to take me into the town of Ramsey where I was able to catch a tram back to Douglas. This was a very enjoyable walk with some great moments striding across the hills with little or no wind to impede my progress, while the negatives were the closed footpath and a painful knee which got worse as the walk progressed.

The Herring Road

Tuesday 7th April 2026

The weather forecast for the Isle of Man was very good for this day so I was keen to take the maximum benefit from it, especially as the forecast was not so great for the end of the week. I decided that on this day I would do the trail Bayr ny Skeddan, ‘The Herring Road’, which starts from Castletown, so I caught a bus and got off at the railway station. I joined the path beside the Silver Burn as it passes underneath the railway line and past Poulsom Park, also following the route of the Millennium Way, which was created to celebrate the one thousandth anniversary of the Manx Parliament, the Tynwald, while the Herring Road was the route once taken by Manx fisherman as they journeyed between the two ports of Castletown and Peel. Initially I was walking through a stunning landscape with tall, pale green plants that lined the river, but once the park was left behind then the vegetation became more mundane with bramble and gorse now dominating. On the edge of Ballasalla I passed the ruins of Rushen Abbey and entered an amazing valley dominated by wild flowers including ramson (wild garlic) and wood anemones, though only the latter was flowering. Last year I was on the Isle of Man three weeks later and then the white flowers of wild garlic could be seen everywhere, but this year I was a little too early. 

I wasn’t able for me to get good views early on because of the private residences on the other side of the river, but after passing a road I entered the officially protected Silverdale Glen where nature has been allowed to take over in all directions producing a sensational effect that had me in awe. Even though very little was actually in flower, the abundance of greenery was mesmerising. The presence of artificial water channels alongside the river revealed that there had previously been mills in the area, but thankfully it has long since been set aside for nature. All too soon I reached a road bridge where the continuation of the river beyond was clearly less interesting so I was not disappointed to discover that the two trails turn right at this point to head up the busy road. Eventually I turned left onto a farmer’s track, finally leaving the Millennium Way to head towards the prominent hill of South Barrule. This track unfortunately became a horrible quagmire with deep mud that was very difficult for me to pass and even once I was eventually through I soon got lost, losing the path in two water-logged fields that I should never have entered. After going all the way around both fields I eventually returned to the path where I found the stile that I surely could not have been missed. Soon, I reached another access lane which brought me onto a road and then a forestry track through a conifer plantation to the foot of the path up South Barrule.

After lunch I decided that it would remiss of me if I didn’t take this opportunity to bag South Barrule while I was there, so I ascended the path, through heather, as it became increasingly rocky and very windy at the summit, which showed that the strong winds of the last couple of days were still present at the top of the highest hills. Despite the windy conditions, this was a much better hill than North Barrule, in the north of the island, which I had climbed the day before finding it to be saturated underfoot, while rocky South Barrule was well drained. While returning back down the path the nearby hill of Cronk ny Arrey Laa was ahead of me, so once I was back on the road I diverted off the Herring Road again to also bag that hill. However, the strong winds were seemingly even worse on this smaller hill so I didn’t stay at the top very long and soon made my way back down again. I had previously climbed this hill last year in weather that was slightly worse, but maybe not as windy, and now I followed that path, the route of the coastal footpath down the northern slopes for a seemingly long way until I reached a junction where I turned right past the isolated house of Eary Cushlin to return to a road and back onto the Herring Road while a heavy shower passed overhead. Fortunately this was short-lived, though heavy enough to prompt me to get waterproofs out, just as it began to stop. 

A track gradually took me into Glen Rushen while the weather transformed into gorgeous sunshine, which made for a relaxing walk that soon dried me off as I slowly descended and once I was in Glen Mooar I joined a road that eventually brought me through gorgeous surroundings into the village of Glen Maye. I had passed through here last year on a diversion from the coastal path to take in the deep gorge of Glen Maye and, although the Herring Road also doesn’t enter the glen, I once again took the path that descends steeply down to the waterfall and ravine. Even though most of the wild flowers were not yet in bloom, I couldn’t help thinking that the surroundings of this narrow wooded valley were simply beautiful, which is not a word I use lightly as it implies a lot of emotion, but that is just how I felt. Wild flower rich valleys such as Glen Maye are my ultimate happy place, my idea of heaven, and I deliberately walked very slowly so I could let the landscape work its magic on my mind until I reached a road where I merrily returned to the Herring Road and onto a path that climbs the side of the valley past early flowering bluebells and onto the coastal footpath following a precipitous route high above the sea heading towards Corrins Tower on the hill beside the port of Peel. This was an exciting path and a fitting end to an enjoyable, exhilarating walk through a variety of terrain with some highs and lows. The lowest point was the horrendous path through the farmland between Silverdale Glen and South Barrule, while the highs were undoubtedly the wooded valleys of Silverdale Glen and Glen Maye.