Niarbyl

Niarbyl means the tail, for the reef of rock that runs out from the shore into the sea, and the bay below it has a group of thatched fishermen's cottages that appeared in the film Waking Ned. The geological interest is greater than the view suggests: on the shore below, two rock formations meet across the line of the Iapetus suture, where an ocean closed and two continents joined, and the contact can be seen and touched.

Background

Niarbyl is a rocky headland on the island's southwest coast, between Port Erin and Peel, and its Manx name Yn Arbyl refers to the way it reaches out into the Irish Sea. From the point the Calf of Man is in view, and in clear weather the mountains of Ireland as well. Manx National Heritage oversees the care of the bay along with the Niarbyl Cafe & Visitor Centre. The cottage that served as Ned Devine's home in the 1998 film Waking Ned had already appeared on screen in 1968, in Nigel Kneale's television version of The Year of the Sex Olympics, based on his own book. The Niarbyl Fault lies just down the slope from the cafe.

Source: Wikipedia, "Niarbyl, Isle of Man"

What's there

• The reef - the tail of rock running out from the shore that names the bay.
• The thatched cottages - the fishermen's group on the shore below the café.
• The fault contact - the rocks of two former continents meeting on the beach.
• The coast view - the western cliffs running south towards the Calf.

When to go

April to October for the café and the best conditions. The shore below is reached at lower tides. Winter storms make the path down unsafe.

Before you go

The path down to the shore is steep and slippery. The geological contact is unmarked and needs knowing what to look for. The café operates seasonally.

Nearby

Glen Maye is north, and Peel is beyond it.