INTRODUCING...
...The Isle of Man
The Island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. It began to be influenced by Gaelic culture in the 5th century AD, and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, gradually emerged. In the 9th century, the Norse began to settle there. A Norse-Gaelic culture arose and the Island came under Norse control. In 1266, the Island became part of Scotland. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the Island came under the feudal overlordship of the English Crown in 1399. The lordship revested into the British Crown in 1764 but the Island never became part of Great Britain or its successor the United Kingdom and retained its status as an internally self-governing Crown dependency.
The Isle of Man is located in the middle of the northern Irish Sea, approximately equidistant from the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The closest land is southern Scotland. It is 52 kilometres (32 mi) long and, at its widest point, 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide. It has an area of around 572 square kilometres (221 sq mi). Besides the Island of Mann itself, the political unit of the Isle of Man includes some nearby small islands: the seasonally inhabited Calf of Man, Chicken Rock on which stands an unmanned lighthouse, St Patrick's Isle and St Michael's Isle. Both of the latter are connected to the mainland by permanent roads/causeways.
Hills in the north and south are separated by a central valley. The extreme north is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits from glacial advances from western Scotland during colder times. There are more recently deposited shingle beaches at the Point of Ayre. The Island has one mountain higher than 600 metres (2,000 ft), Snaefell, with a height of 620 metres (2,034 ft). According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms: those of the Mann, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven. Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that of Northern Ireland, the Sea, or Neptune.
Manx food is very good and continues to evolve. Some great restaurants and bistros can be found. Fish and chips are also popular. Superb crab baps are available from a kiosk on Peel Quay; there are several excellent varieties of Manx cheese; and boxes of the famous Manx kippers can be ordered for delivery by post.
A local everyday speciality worth trying is chips, cheese and gravy, similar to the Canadian dish poutine. Another favourite available as a takeaway is a baked potato with a topping such as chili. Also try the "Peel flapjack" from Michael Street Bakers in Peel.
The Isle of Man has two breweries, Okells and Bushy's. And there is a beer purity law that permits no ingredients in beer other than water, yeast, hops and malt. Accordingly, a well-kept pint of Manx beer is worth seeking out. Wine is quite reasonably priced and readily available in food stores.
