Raad ny Foillan

Raad ny Foillan sign

Raad ny Foillan is a coastal long distance footpath 102 miles long on the Isle of Man. Because it is a closed loop around the coast, it can be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. The route was named in the Manx language; Raad ny Foillan means 'Way of the Gull'.

Route and history

The Raad ny Foillan starts and finishes at the Millennium Bridge over Douglas Harbour. The path forms a complete loop around the Manx coast, waymarked with signs showing a gull on a blue background.

The walk was created in 1986 to mark the Island's "Heritage Year" celebrations. It generally follows the coast, passing through terrain varying from shingle beaches at the Ayres to hills and cliffs climbing to over 1,400 feet.

The route

The route may be divided for convenience into sections:

Douglas to Castletown	19.75 miles	includes the Langness peninsula
Castletown to Port St Mary	6 miles
Port St Mary to Port Erin	7 miles
Port Erin to Peel	15 miles	can be shortened by leaving out Bradda Head and the Niarbyl)
Peel to Kirk Michael	7.5 miles
Kirk Michael to Jurby	7 miles
Jurby to Point of Ayre	8.5 miles
Point of Ayre to Ramsey	7.5 miles
Ramsey to Maughold	5 miles
Maughold to Laxey	8 miles
Laxey to Douglas	10 miles

Flora and fauna

The coastal sections may provide sightings of seabirds such as kittiwakes, Manx shearwaters, puffins, guillemots and sea gulls together with grey seals, and at points inland the rare Manx Loaghtan sheep on areas protected by Manx National Heritage.

See also

• The Millennium Way: a 28 mile walk between Castletown and Ramsey
• The Bayr ny Skeddan ('Herring Road'): a 14 mile walk between Castletown and Peel
• The IOM Heritage Trail - a 10½ mile walk along disused Isle of Man Railway lines from Douglas to Peel.

Outside links

• Manx Notebook: footpaths
• Raad ny Foillan - 'Visit the Isle of Man'
• Manx Footpath Conservation Group