Raad ny Foillan (Isle of Man Coastal Path)

Isle of Man

The Raad ny Foillan or Way of the Gull is a footpath around the Manx coast created to mark the Island's "Heritage Year" celebrations in 1986. It follows the coast wherever it can and traverses terrain which varies from shingle beaches at the Ayres in the north, hills of over 600ft and cliffs above the Sloc (Stacks) in the west, and the coastal sward at Scarlett near Castletown. There are spectacular clifftop views with much birdlife and contrasting sections on resort promenades. Using public roads only when necessary, it can easily be walked in sections between towns and villages using public transport.

Three other significant walking trails provide traverses of the island. The Millennium Way - Isle of Man - celebrates the Manx Millennium in 1979, the 1000th anniversary of the establishment of Tynwald, the Island's Parliament. This 28-mile walk (waymarked and on OS mapping) uses an ancient ridgeway route, "Via Regia" or the Royal Way, on which the former Kings of Man travelled to its former capital, Castletown. From near Ramsey it goes south over the island, climbing to open heather moorland on the western slopes of Snaefell to reach the Way's highest point at 1,500ft, descending to Crosby and following paths, roads and the banks of the Silverburn river through Ballasalla to the medieval castle of Rushen. The 10-mile waymarked Herring Road ('Bayr ny Skeddan' in Manx, an old fishermens' route) goes north from the coast at Castletown via South Barrule and Glen Maye to Peel, rising to 1000ft at the Round Table. The Heritage Trail (10 miles, waymarked and on OS mapping but no publication) follows the old Douglas to Peel railway line across island from east to west parallel to the TT course as far as St John's, with a branch to Sulby (15 miles). The Cicerone book by Terry Marsh is a general guide to walking on the island.

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	White gull on blue sign with name
Attributes:	Challenging Coastal Heritage
Start and Finish:	SC384754 - Douglas, Isle of Man
Open Date:	1986
Web Sites:	Visit Isle of Man - Raad Ny Foillan Coastal Footpath Manx Notebook - Raad ny Foillan Long Distance Path Pete's Trip Reports - Isle of Man Coast Path (Raad ny Foillan / Way of the Gull) [blog] Raad ny Foillan - Wild Ginger Running [YouTube video] Raad ny Follian - Javier Vagabond [YouTube video] Isle of Man Guide : footpaths map Isle of Man Guide : Road of the Gull

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	Walking the Isle of Man Coastal Path : Raad Ny Foillan : the Way of the Gull ; the Millennium and Herring ways  (Cicerone Press  - 2018 )
Guidebook	Isle of Man Coastal Path Raad ny Foillan Way of the Gull  (Lily Publications  - 2016 )

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