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.

North Barrule 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.

Tarn Crag and Blea Rigg

Friday 2nd January 2026

I had nothing planned for the time I spent in the Lake District over the New Year and even more so for my penultimate day because I didn’t have the forced structure imposed by having to walk to another youth hostel since on this day I was staying at the Grasmere Youth Hostel for two days, so I would be going back to where I had started the walk. The evening before I finally had to come up with something and it came into my mind to walk up the Wythburn Valley and to get there from Grasmere I had to go over the pass of Dunmail Raise, which I’d never done before, is the lowest point between the north and south of the Lakes and carries the main road. I kept to the quiet country lanes north of Grasmere for as long as possible to delay joining the main road, and when I eventually did I kept to the grassy verge that eventually brought me to the top of the pass where a cyclepath begins down the other side. I previously came down this track in 2016 when there was no traffic on the road due to a landslip and that was the only time I had previously been in the Wythburn Valley, which is notoriously boggy. I was hopeful that the bogs would now be frozen solid so I could better appreciate a valley that Wainwright said has many geological and geographical features of unusual interest. At Steel End I turned left and soon entered a conifer plantation where I lost all trace of the path as it disappeared into a swamp. Eventually I retraced my steps and found a broken gate that I had ignored which brought me to the Wyth Burn.

With the ground under my feet mostly frozen hard I had an enjoyable walk beside the stream with views ahead of me towards the shadowed Rake Crags and Black Crag while behind me the western slopes of Helvellyn were picking up the morning sunshine that I was sheltered from. The path took me past a scenically delightful stretch of valley with the burn tumbling steeply through a narrow wooded ravine until eventually I emerged to a levelling of the terrain around ‘The Bog’. Fortunately the path skirted the edge of the Bog and so I was able to keep my feet dry before rising again to Wythburn Head where I emerged into the sunshine and turned south heading into bitterly cold winds. It was difficult to stay warm in these conditions unless I kept moving so I did what I could with extra layers and pressed on, briefly joining the Coast to Coast path until I reached Far Easedale Head where I turned right to follow an unreliable line of old fence posts up the hillside. I came up this way just a year earlier but this is such a great, quiet route I was more than happy to take it again before branching left to cross the slopes. There was a lot of ice on the ground which had to be avoided, making the walking tricky, but soon I was on the ridge that gradually descends from High Raise with stunning views before me towards Grasmere until I reached the end of the ridge at the top of Tarn Crag where the views were even more impressive.

Turning around, I headed back up the ridge, branching left to descend onto the shelf that contains Codale Tarn, where I was blessedly sheltered from the cold winds. After passing the partially frozen lake I joined the clear path from Easedale Tarn which was very rocky and icy underfoot, so great care was needed until I reached the top where I turned left, ignoring the Langdale Pikes, to head towards Blea Rigg. The 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey map indicates that I was on Blea Rigg, a ridge that comes south east down from High Raise, past Sergeant Man and terminating above Blea Crag. However, in practice Blea Rigg is understood to be the peak above Blea Crag, so that is where I was now headed, gradually descending with fantastic views down the complex, undulating ridge with Windermere in the distance. I have had many enjoyable walks down this ridge and despite the familiarity I thoroughly enjoyed the descent again. Eventually I descended to the top of Blea Crag, i.e. Blea Rigg, with higher ground behind me a short distance back up the ridge. A steep descent from the top was necessary before I could continue the traverse of the ridge and, as is my usual practice, I diverted off the clear path many times to visit the summit of the many minor tops along the way. 

Great Castle How was followed by Little Castle How before another steep descent brought me away the outcrop-rich part of the ridge into an area that was predominately grassy, sometimes boggy, and less interesting. Before reaching Lang How I branched left to descend across the northern slopes of the ridge, but with no trace of a path I had to follow the route that the O.S. Maps app claimed was the route down, keeping constant careful attention on my location. Eventually I reached a clearer path amongst juniper so from there I was more confidently able to descend into Grasmere. This walk was at its best when I was sheltered from the strong cold winds and it was enjoyable ascending the Wythburn Valley through stunning scenery. It is remarkable that both Wainwright tops that I visited on this walk were descended to down ridges where the tops are at the end of the ridge and so only look like a top when seen from the other direction. The following day I walked from Grasmere to the railway station at Windermere with no attempt to create a notable walk out of it, except near the end when I stopped off at the crowded summit of Orrest Head where I had good views back to the fells of the Lake District before saying goodbye to them until next time.