Raad ny Foillan
Raad ny Foillan is a coastal long distance footpath 102 miles long on the Isle of Man.[1] 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.[2]
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
References
- ↑ Isle of Man guide
- ↑ Smith, Rory (15 June 2002). "Leg Man". Guardian Media Group. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/jun/15/unitedkingdom.walkingholidays.guardiansaturdaytravelsection. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
