[from Brown's Popular Guide, c.1887]
Tis Mona the lone! where the silver mist gathers -
Pale shroud, whence our wizard-chief watches unseen -
O'er the breezy, the bright, the loved home of my fathers ;
Oh, Mannin, my graih, my chree! Mannin Veg Veen !
- Island Minstrelsy.
THE ISLE OF MAN, in its appearance and associations, is singularly attractive and interesting. Situated in the centre of the Irish Sea, midway between the two Britains, its geographical position has brought it from the earliest ages into the closest contact with its more powerful neighbours, and given to its history an interest and importance, and to its people a vigour of character which they would not have possessed under other circumstances. Its inhabitants, less than 60,000 in number, represent a distinct branch of one of the primitive races of Europe, and their fast-disappearing speech is one of the five representatives of a great primordial language which once spread over the western world. In relics of the Past, and in strange legendary lore, it is wonderfully rich, even for a Celtic country ; while its ancient manners and customs, in great part, indeed, obsolete, or nearly so, are very peculiar and full of value to the student of comparative mythology and of pre-historic times. Subject successively to the Gael and the Cambrian, to Northmen and Englishmen, it has maintained, practically intact and unaltered, its ancient free Constitution through all the changes of time and circumstance ; and to-day it exhibits the unique spectacle of a small nationality existing for a thousand years side by side with the greater nationalities around it as free, in theory, as their fathers the Norse Sea Kings, and possessing and enjoying the laws and the liberties which they bequeathed to them.
To the more superficial but more numerous class of holiday tourists, the Isle of Man has other and, to them, not less potent attractions in its varied and beautiful land and marine scenery. The mountains, though of no great elevation, are yet very lovely in their forms. A more striking prospect of the kind than the spacious glen of Laxey is rarely to be met with, or wooded hills more luxuriant than these which overhang the lovely glens of Ballure and Aldyn, near Ramsey ; while the mountain of Snaefell, from the summit of which the eye can range over the coasts of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, deserves to be what it is one of the most noted of the mountains of the historic land in which we dwell. The Tynwald Mount, gray with the memories of the Sea Kings, rising on its fair plain, girt on every side with mountains, would be singled out, even by a passing stranger, as a place which must needs have its story. In its Rushen Castle we have an example, marvellously perfect, of the mediaeval stronghold of the northern type, which has by some been compared to that of Elsinore. As for Peel Castle, with its ruined fortress, its churches scarcely yielding in interest to Iona, and haunted by the wildest of legends, every one who has seen it will admit that in " Peveril of the Peak" the vivid colouring of " the greatest of all painters who have used the instrument of words" (Sir Walter Scott) has not done more than justice to that hold of ragged stone, girdling the precipitous edge of the islet of Sodor Holme, with its frowning walls, and looking out over the waters of the Ocean, where the ever-living youth of Nature stands in so bright a contrast with monumental decay.
The Island contains an area of about 145,325 statute acres. The Calf of Man contains 800 acres. Its greatest length from the Point of Ayre to Spanish Head is 33 miles. Its breadth varies considerably, but in its widest part, between Clay Head and Contrary Head, is 13 miles.
The shortest distances between the Isle of Man and the surrounding countries are as follows :-
Point of Ayre to Burrow Head, Scotland ... 16 Miles.
Peel to Strangford Lough, Ireland ...27
Maughold Head to Whitehaven, England... 31
Calf of Man to Ardglass, Ireland ...31
Calf of Man to Holyhead, Wales ..45.
Various attempts have been made to explain the origin of the name of the Island - Man, some of them sufficiently far-fetched ; but the latest and most probable is that of Mr. J. M. Jeffcott, High-Bailiff of Castletown. He derives it from the name of its original settlers, The Mannangh, a tribe of Celtic race closely allied to the Irish.
The native name is Ellan Vannin - Isle of Man; or more commonly, Ellan Vannin Veg Veen - Dear little Isle of Man." The following is a list of the names given to it by the various writers who have referred to it : -
Ceesarand Tacitus... Mona.
Ptolemiya, Monaoida, Monarina, and Monanesos.
Pliny.. ... Monabia.
Orosius... ... Menavia.
Bede.. ... Menavia Secunda.
Gildas 8 ... Manau, and Eubonia.
Norwegians.. ... Maun.
Britons . ... Menow.
Manx ... Mannin, or Ellan Vannin.
English.. Man, or Mann.
It will be seen that they are all modifications of the native name - Man, or Mann.
30:
Feet.
North Barrule_... ... 1842 | Douglas Head... South Barrule ... . 1584] Greeba ... fee Pen-y-Phot ... ... 1772 | Garraghan... : Bradda ae me ... 1858 | Maughold Head . Calf of Man (highest point, Mount Murray ...
Bushel's House)... ... 472 | Mull Hills ... ise Corrin's Tower (on the Sartel is oe
Horsehill, near Peel) .... 675 | Slicuwhallin +4 Carran's Hill ID ... 984 | Slieu Chairn ee Cronk-na-lrey-Lhaa ... 1445 | Slieu Dhoo... Ba Banks's Howe ... ... 094 | Slieu-e-Carnane ... Dun Howe (Granite Boss, Snaefell ... ee
near Foxdale) ... .. 757 | Spanish Head... S'ieu Choar... ce ... 1809 | Santon Head a
There is an erroneous impression abroad that places lying three or four degrees further north than the south coast of England must have a cold ungenial climate, quite unsuited for invalids and especially those who are delicate in their lungs.
Statements to this effect do not, however, always arise from ignorance ; in too many cases they are made with the view of keeping up the prejudice against high latitudes, and of encouraging the belief in the superior efficacy of the south coast for consumptive cases, a belief founded upon the opinions of medical men of the earlier part of this century, before the geographical distribution of this disease in England and Wales was made known.
Both the Isle of Man and the east coast of Yorkshire, including the beautiful health resort, Scarborough, with its fine climate, have hitherto suffered from the erroneous impression and interested misrepresentations to which we have alluded. The Manx and the North Riding coasts lie within the same parallels of north latitude ; in fact, that of the summit of Snaefell, 54 deg., 15 min. 47 sec., runs through the Mere and Oliver's Mount, at Scarborough. Situated as the Isle of Man is, in the midst of the Irish sea, which, through St. George's Channel, is continuous with that part of the Atlantic in which the Gulf Stream flows, it enjoys the full benefit of this wonderful oceanic current, having its origin in the Gulf of Mexico, the tropical heat of which it conveys to the western and north-western shores of Great Britain and Europe. The small size of the Island - 145,325 acres, or 227 square miles 45 acres - and the great number of elevated masses within this limited area, conduce to the preservation throughout the year of the temperature the surrounding sea affords. The limited area forbids protracted frosts and intense cold, and the elevated masses, the moun- tains, store up the summer heat, giving it out during the winter months, thus postponing the rigour of this season: until the sun has regained some of its power. The northern mountains cover an area of 19,898 acres, and the southern 8,495, above the line of cultivation. The mean height of these two mountain groups is 1,545 feet in the northern, and in the southern 1,355 feet, facts in the physical geography of the Island having an important and beneficial influence on its climate.
The more insular in character a climate is the more generally suitable it is for the health seeker. These char- acters are as follows : - It must be remembered that large masses of water anywhere, and especially warm water, like the Gulf Stream, diminish the range of annual temperature. A place having a high mean annual temperature as wellasa small mean annual range of temperature is said to have an " insular climate" - i.e., itis not subject to extremes of heat and cold, so prejudicial to the weak and the invalid. Asa rule, the smaller the island, the more does it partakes of the climate of the surrounding sea, the range of the temperature of which is known to be exceedingly small.
The Mean Annual Temperature of the Isle of Man is 49\u20180 deg. Fahr., being the mean of observations taken at the following four stations : - The Point of Ayre Lighthouse, the Douglas Lighthouse, Ballasalla, and the Calf of Man Light- house, and ranging over a period of 23 years, 1857-1880 inclusive, at a mean level above the sea of 143 feet; the mean Lat. N. being 54 deg. 1o min., and the mean Long. W. 4 deg. 34 min.
If we compare this temperature (490 deg.) with that of the more southern counties of England, we shall be able to appreciate its true significance, for instance with the follow- ing mean annual temperatures : - Cheshire, 48'9 deg. ; Derby- shire, 48°4 deg. ; Leicestershire, 48°8 deg. ; Lincolnshire, 484 deg. ; and Norfolk, 48°9.
The Mean Annual Range of temperature, or the differ- ence between the mean temperatures of January and July, is in the Isle of Man, 17°8 deg. ; whilst at Holkham, Norfolk, it is 23°9 deg. ; at Great Malvern, Worcestershire, 238 deg. ; at Lampeter, 20'9 deg. ; and at Brighton, 23°5 deg. Asmall range of temperature, such as that of the Isle of Man, is the element in climate so conducive to the health of the weak and the convalescent.
The Winter Temperature in the Isle of Man is remark- able for its mildness, its mean amounting to 42'1o deg., which is higher than that of five out of the six south coast counties, viz. : - Kent, 39°3 deg. ; Sussex, 4o'o deg. ; Hants, 40°7 deg: Dorset, 4o'9 deg. ; and Devon, 42'0 deg. ; Cornwall, 44°8 deg., being the only county the mean temperature of which
6 Climate.
exceeds that of the Isle of Man. The méan temperature of
these six counties being 41°3 deg., or 1°7 deg. colder.
We will now compare the mean temperatures of the winter months (December, January, and February) with those experienced along the south coast. Eastbourne, Brighton, Worthing, Osborne, Ventnor, Bournemouth, Tor- quay, and Plymouth may be said to well represent the south coast of England. Now, if we take their mean wenfer temperature, we shall find that it is actually colder than that of the Isle of Man, for it is 41.4 deg., as compared to 42°1 deg. The January (41'5 deg.) is warmer in the Island than at Eastbourne, 40°1 deg.; Brighton, 394 deg. ; Worthing, 39°8 deg.; Osborne, 4o'0 deg. ; Bournemouth, 40°4 deca and Sidmouth, 41'0 deg. February, with its mean tempera- ture of 41°$8 deg., is warmer than Eastbourne, 41'1 deg. ; Brighton, 4o°0 deg. ; Worthing, 406 deg. ; Osborne, 41°4 deg. ; and Bournemouth, 41°7 deg. December has a mean temperature of 43'0 deg. ; andin this again we find exceed- ing the records in several places on the south coast, as at Eastbourne, 41°3 deg. ; Brighton, 40°6 deg. ; Worthing, 40°7 des ; Osborne, 411 deg. ; and Ventnor, 43'2 deg., hasa temperature only two-tenths of a degree above it. These figures are sufficient in themselves to show that, during the winter months atleast, the climate of the Isle of Man may be bracketed with that of the south coast, so far as « mildness" is concerned, although, as regards its tonic and bracing effect, its superiority is undoubtedly much greater.
In full confirmation of the above, we append some remarks published in Zhe Isle of Man Times, 22nd May, 1886 :- -
THE TEMPERATURE AT DouGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE SOUTH COAST DURING JANUARY, FRB- RUARY, AND MARcH, 1886.
Through the courtesy of Mr Thomas Keig, of Prospect-hill, Town Commissioner, Douglas, I am enabled to give the results of his work at the meteorological station, which he kindly under- took to establish at my suggestion on the Ist January last at his astronomical observatory ; and I think your readers will agree that the first fruits of that gentleman's work incontestably prove how opportune and important the establishment of this station is both to Douglas and the Isle of Man generally.
The remarkably severe weather that prevailed throughout the British Isles during the first three months of the present year
ee
Climate. 7
will be long remembered, and its record referred to by meteorologists in the far future with the greatest interest.
In this paper I have only time to give a bare outline of the main facts, reserving details for a future and early communication.
From a report, by Mr James Glaisher, F.R.S., of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, just received, I extract the following facts : -
" The mean temperature of the air for January was 36°1, being 0°4, and 2°4 below the averages of 115 years, and 45 years respec- tively ; it was 0°5, 7°8, and 5°1 lower than in 1885, 1884, and 1883 respectively.
\u2018The mean temperature of the air for February was 33°7, being 5°0, and 6°0 below the averages of 115 years and 45 years respectively.
" Back to 1772 there have been but seven instances of so cold a February, viz. : -
In 1784 when it was 31°9 | In 1785 when it was 30°4 Boe i/aeree 59 Oh | SUC OSI os » 029 lols op Call | pars OOe aes OOO) 33 1800), », 29°4 |
" The mean temperature of the air for Afarch was 39°6, being 1°5, and 271 below the averages of 115 and 45 years respectively ; it was 07 and 49 lower than 1885 and 1884 respectively, and 3°5 higher than in 1883.
" Back to 1741 there have been but nine instances of so cold a March, viz. : - -
In 1845 when it was 35°2 | In 1867 when it was 37°7
808, 55 POO) | on tA) og pee Ole) op USES 5 Be Oiled) ! a SOnes ss > 096 SSO nme eon | pplScome es pen Ooms " 1865 " o 56°6 |
" The mean temperature of the quarter was 36°5, being 2°3 and 3°5 below the averages of 115 and 45 years respectively."
The mean temperature between 54° and 55° Lat. N., within which the Isle of Man lies, was 35°9.
The mean temperature of Liverpool .........
39 33 eo » Llandudno .
», Lowestoft .. : op L@INEIORog Senco0e0s0000
33 oe) 39 Themeantemperature
of the Isle of Man +Jan. Feb. Mar.
1857-1880 (Buchan) ) 41°5 41°8 4a 41°8
8 Climate
The mean temperature of the following places for each of the above three months being the 1st quarter of 1886 : -
Feb. Mar. Mean. SDOUMCIUAGs le Oa Mieceersssatcace 38°8 .39°2 - 39°0 WMEDURO). cogeeo ie 59°S 4272 40°6 Plymouth 37°8 age 39°4 Torquay 876 = 4074 39°0 Ventnor 30°9 39°6 387 Eastbourne . 35°3 39°5 879 Osborne 35°4 39°0 Se Southbourne $5°5 38°8 374
Brighton .
Mean - South Coast ...........0.. 38°5 36°4 39°9 38°3
These figures speak for themselves, and prove how well Douglas holds its own when the southern health resorts are arrayed against it, even during such an exceptional winter as has been just experienced.
The first quarter of the year embraces two winter months, January (the coldest month in the year) and February; and one spring month, March.
Tt wil! be seen by the above figures that Douglas stands 4th on the list of January temperatures, having Truro, Ventnor, and Torquay above it ; whilst it was warmer than Plymouth, Hast- pourne, Osborne, Southbourne, and Brighton. On the February list it takes the 2nd place, having all the other places, except Truro, below it.
Tf we now take the mean of the South of England tempera- tures, as represented by these eight health resorts, we shall find that Douglas was 00% warmer than the south coast in January, and 2°3 warmer in February, so that the latest experience, under most exceptional circumstances, fully corroborates what I stated of the winter climate of the Isle of Man in my lecture at the Masonic Hall, 13th June, 1883, on " * The Essential Requisites of a Sea-side Health Resort" (Messrs Brown & Sen, Douglas, Isle of Man), p. 69, viz.: - \u2018\u2018These figures are sufficient in themselves to show that, during the winter months at least, the climate of the Isle of Man may be bracketed with that of the south coast, so far as mildness is concerned, although, as regards its tonic and bracing effects, its superiority is undoubtedly much greater."
During the summer the climate of the Island is pro- portionately much cooler than that of the south coast and the inland portion of England. For instance, the mean temperature of its hottest month, July, is only 583 deg., whilst that of the six counties selected on the south coast equals 61°3 deg., or a difference of 2°7 deg. in favour of the northern resort. The mild winter and cool summer are both due to the " insular" character of the climate and the Island's shores being washed by the waters of the Gulf Stream, The mean temperature of the months are as follows :-_January, 45 deg.; February, 41°8 deg.; March, 421 deg.; April, 45°8 deg. ; May, 50°2 deg. ; June, 551 deg. ; July, 58°3 deg. ; August, 58°7 deg. ; September, 55°7 deg. ; October, 51°2 deg.; November, 45°2 deg.; and December, 43:0 deg. Mean, 49'0 deg.
I have given the data for the wind and rain, furnished by the two lighthouse stations at the Calf of Man and Point of Ayre, for the reason that they extend over the greatest number of years, and the stations are so situated that it is possible, by a careful study of them, to estimate the amount of moisture and heat that 1s brought by the winds from each point of the compass.
The Winds. - A careful summary of the 17 years' observations at the two extremes of the Isiand - viz., the Calf of Man and the Point of Ayre lighthouses - shows the great preponderance of the westerly winds, and especially of the south-westerly.* These winds, the warm sea, and the
*TABLE SHOWING THE MEAN NUMBER OF DAYS EACH WIND BLEW AT THE Por,Ts NAMED DURING THE 17 YEARS 1831 47.
| N. | See E. | S.E. | s | SW. | Ww. |N.W. | Calmis. -
| 65 | 157) 88 [47-9 | 135) 12-7 | 2-0 10°9 | 12°5 ais | 14:0 | 11°3 | 12:9 | 26 6.6 sah 97 | 190) 146 | 160, 17 6.8 | 13°3 | 99 18:3 14°6 13°5 14 | 308 | 49-9 | 364 | 60-2 | 54-0 | 551 | 7:7 Westerly Winds .. a Se ac 5s .. 2144 Days, Easteriy Winds .. ae 0 Ee = pean LO eee Calms & eC od as 90 Ee Re leas 365°0,,
Excess of Westerly over Easterly Winds, 71-5 Days.
storage of heat in the elevated masses combine to form the exceptional winter climate of the Island. The wind charts show at a glance the relative prevalence of the winds from each of the eight points of the compass for each season. The easterly winds are shaded darker than the westerly. In adding the numbers together, the " calm" days would be represented by the number of days wanting to make up the go days in the winter quarter, the 92 days in spring and summer, and the 91 in the autumn.
10 Climate.
The Rainfall - The mean rainfall at the Calf of Man and Point of Ayre for the two periods 1831-47 and 1877-81 - twenty-two years - amounted in inches as follows : - January, 2:06 ; February, 2°12 ; March, 1°75 ; April, 1775; May, 1°43; June, 1°98; July, 2°43; August, 2°83 ; September, 2°13; October, 2°66; November, 2°78 ; December, 2°25. Total, 26°17-inches.
With regard to the rainfall of the more inland parts of the Island, I find in the weather summary of " The Manx Note Book" for April, 1885, p. 70, edited by Mr A. W. Moore, M.A., M.H.K., Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, who has for many years been a careful observer of meteoro- logical facts in the Island, the following monthly means of rainfall, as observed at Douglas, Cronkbourne, the Clypse, Castletown, St. Marks, Andreas, Peel, Port Erin, and Snaefell :- -
Jan. ... 5:010 inches. May .. IED, 22. CUD 5 June... 2°587 MV iletrs pees Ac lel a July ... $:064 ,, Novy. PA FeIGON rey | Aloe Ono Te Dec. Year oi ... 43°113 inches.
Sunshine- - The Island is also indebted to Mr. A. W. Moore for his interesting sunshine observations, as they show that the Isle of Man stands high in the possession of that weather element so essential to both health and pleasure- seekers when compared with other parts of the British Isles, in illustration of which I append the following facts, taken from " The Manx Note-Book," 1885 and 1886 (April Nos.):
DURATION OF SUNSHINE IN HOURS IN THE IsLE OF MAN.
_ 2094 inches.| Sept.... 3°804 inches a3 Oct. ... 4827 ,, oe «4334,
iss. 1885. | ie ie January ... coo 8 0p SAIL | ANSE os Peel ow lara ; eRe any .. 546 ... 63°6 | September . 152°6 ... 146°1 March . 81:2 ... 126°7 | October ... 98°2 117°0 April ee . 1L69°1 169°0 | November 60°8 52°2 May 5 .. 205°3 ... 197°1 | December 35°7 ... | 35°4 June \u2018 =, 212:2 = 216%5 | - July Sole 22059 Year ...1466°0 1559°9
From the above figures, I find that the Isle of Man ranks ¢hird on the list of the 13 districts into which the British Isles are divided for meteorological purposes. For instance, in 1884, its 1466 hours of sunshine recorded for that year, were only exceeded by the Channel Islands, where 1849 hours, and the East of England in which 1494 hourswere recorded, and far exceeding the South-West of England, where only 1254 hours were enjoyed. In 1885, the Island still kept its position, the 1559 hours of sunshine which it received during that year being only exceeded by the Channel Islands, 1883 hours, and the South-West of England 1562 hours, thus leaving behind all other parts of Great Britain and Ireland. These are facts well worthy the attention of visitors.
Conclusion. - The above are the principal features of the climate of this Island. They afford sufficient evidence in themselves of its suitability as a health resort, and incon- testably prove its exceptional character, when compared with other climates in the British Isles and the continent of Europe lying within the same parallels of latitude.
Favourable, however, as the general climate is of this beautiful Isle of mountains and gleas, a more careful study of its physical geography has revealed numerous sites where physical features and the atmospheric conditions combine to produce local climates calculated to meet the requirements of a large number of variously affected health and repose seekers.
In fine, the climatal resources of the Isle of Man, like many other gifts with which Nature has endowed it, require to be better known before they can be as fully and widely realized as they so well deserve to be.
ALFRED HAVILAND.
Thanks to steamers and railways, the Isle of Man isnow within easy distance of almost any part of the United King- dom ; and it is quite a common thing now-a-days to have an early breakfast in London and an early tea in the Isle of Man, or wice versa. There are at the present time nine established lines of steamers to the Isle of Man - viz., from Liverpool, from Barrow, from Fleetwood, from Whitehaven, from Glasgow, from Silloth, from Dublin, from Belfast, and from Sreenore.
The Liverpool Route. - Owing to the enterprise and perseverance of the Isle of Man Steampacket Company this is unquestionably the most popular route to the Island, and there is no doubt that it will continue to be so. Established in 1830, the company has kept adding to the number and improving the character of its vessels, unlilit has at last achieved the proud distinction of possessing the finest fleet of channel steamers sailing out of that greatest of great ports, Liverpool. The steamers belonging to the Isle of Man Steampacket Company depart from the Great Landing stage, Liverpool, every afternoon, at one o'clock, during the summer months (except on Sundays), arriving at Douglas about six, the passage in fine weather seldom exceeding five hours, while it is occasionally done, under exceptionally favourable circumstances as to wind and tide, in a few minutes over four hours. The steamers are easily recognized by the Manx arms (the Three Legs) being on the paddle boxes, and by the fact that all their names have some refer- ence to the Island. The names of the steamers at present forming the fleet are " Mona's Queen," " Ben-my-Chree," " King Orry," " Snaefell," " Tynwald," " Douglas," " Mona's Isle," " Fenella," " Peveril," and " Ellan Vannin." During the summer season the fares are reasonable, and return tickets areissued. Some ofthe Railway Companies are adopting the plan of forwarding passengers luggage direct to the Island, without troubling the passengers. This will be a great convenience to visitors. There is daily communication all the year round. Distance from Liverpool to Douglas : 75 miles.
The Barrow Route. - This route to the Island has been established only a few years, but it is gradually increasing in popularity. It has this (to some) advantage over the Liverpool route - viz., that the voyage takes about an hour shorter time, inasmuch as it rarely occupies four hours; and with the sufferers from mal de mer this is undoubtedly a consideration. To our thinking, however, the principal advantage of the Barrow route is that the tourist has, by this route, an opportunity of visiting Furness Abbey and the Lake district of the North of England. During a portion of the season there is communication twice daily between Barrow and Douglas. Distance from Barrow to Douglas: 40 miles.
The Fleetwood Route. - By this route the Island is easily reached from the northern districts of Lancashire and the whole of Yorkshire. The steamer runs daily during the entire summer, commencing about the Ist of July and ending the 30th of September. This port possesses the same convenience as Barrow in one respect - viz., that of trains running close up to the steamer; so that the expense of cabs, &c., inevitable at Liverpool, is saved. Distance from Fleetwood to Douglas: 40 miles.
The Whitehaven Route. - There is a fortnightly service between Douglas and Whitehaven, and by this route the Island can be reached from Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham, &c. The voyage occupies only three hourse Distance from Whitehaven to Ramsey : 37 miles.
The Glasgow Route. - By this route the Island can be reached from all parts of Scotland, or tourists from England can combine a run through the Island with a trip to the Scotch Highlands, &c. Distance from Glasgow to Douglas: 140 miles.
The Silloth Rouwte. - This route will be found to be the most available and direct for visitors from all parts of Scotland and the North of England. Monthly return tickets are issued at all the principal stations on the North British Railway, and passengers are allowed to break the journey at various stations, either in coming or returning. During the summer months a first class passenger steamer leaves Silloth for Douglas twice weekly - on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and the passage is generally made in little more than five hours. This route is coming into much favour, and it also affords an excellent opportunity to tourists already on the Island for visiting Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Scotch lakes and scenery. Excursion tickets for the round are available by the Waverley route to Edinburgh, and passengers are allowed the option of going vd Callander and returning by Loch Lomond, or reversing the route; but viaCallander is preferable. Many other excursions are open to the tourist, and programmes (free of charge) are to be obtained from the agent. Distance from Silloth to Douglas : 66 miles.
The Dublin Route. - A first-class passenger steamer sails twice weekly each way during the season, and monthly tickets can be had. Cheap excursion tickets, available for ten days in either direction, are also issued, thus affording them an opportunity of seeing all the sights in the Irish capital, in addition to " doing" the Isle of Man. This is also the direct route from Dublin to Scotland vd Silloth ; it affords the Irish tourist visiting Scotland, and also the Scotch tourist visiting Ireland, an excellent opportunity of seeing all the various places in the Island, as passengers are allowed to break the journey at Douglas eitherin going or returning. To the tourist already on the Island it affords an excellent opportunity of visiting the Western Highlands of Ireland, Connemara, &c., for which circular tour tickets are issued at low rates. Programmes for tours in Ireland may also be obtained (free of charge) from the agent. Distance from Dublin to Douglas: 94 miles.
The Greenore Route- - This is a weekly communication from Greenore on Carlingford Lough, near Newry, Ireland, to Douglas, during the months of June, July, and August, enabling the residents of Armagh, Newry, the Mourne district, Drogheda, &c., to visit the Island, or to make the circular route in connection with Norton and Shaw's services. Distance from Greenore to Douglas : About 50 miles.
The Belfast Route. - By this route parties in the northern parts of Ireland have easy and direct access to the Island, a first-class passenger steamer sailing weekly each way between. Douglas and Belfast; and to the excursionist already on the Island it affords a good opportunity of visiting Belfast and neighbourhood, also, Carrickfergus, Antrim, Lough Neagh, Coleraine, Portrush, Giant's Causeway, and the famous city of Londonderry ; besides which they have the option of returning to Douglas via Dublin, by one of the same Company's steamers, thus affording them the opportunity of visiting the several places of interest between Belfast and Dublin. Distance: 80 miles.
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor |