Snaefell

Snaefell, rising to 621 metres at the heart of the Isle of Man, is the island's only summit to top two thousand feet and its grandest natural viewpoint. Its name, from the Norse for snow mountain, recalls the island's Viking past, and its rounded green heights are famously reached by the Snaefell Mountain Railway, a delightful vintage electric tramway that has trundled to the top since 1895. From the summit, on a clear day, unfolds the celebrated view of the six kingdoms: the Isle of Man itself, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Heaven, with the sea, the kingdom of Manannán, added as a seventh in some versions. Whether ridden up by tram or hiked, Snaefell offers panoramic views and a breath of the island's wild upland heart.

History

A railway to the top was first planned in 1888, when Tynwald approved a steam line surveyed by George Noble Fell, son of the inventor of the Fell centre-rail system; it was never built. In 1895 the Snaefell Mountain Railway Association took up the same route, and because the line ran entirely on leased land it needed no act of parliament - it was built very quickly and opened on 20 August 1895, and the wooden electric cars built that year still carry passengers. The summit is a harsh place: on 2 December 1966 storm winds brought down the 120-foot aviation radio mast, and in 1970 the summit weather station recorded a gust of 150 mph, one of the highest wind speeds ever measured in the British Isles (Wikipedia, Snaefell Mountain Railway; Wikipedia, Snaefell).

What you'll find

• The mountain railway - the vintage electric tram to the summit.
• The six kingdoms view - the famous panorama on a clear day.
• The summit - the island's highest point and viewpoint.
• The upland moors - the wild green heart of the island.

When to go

May to September brings the mildest weather, the clearest chances of the famous seven-kingdoms view and the full running of the mountain railway; the summit is often cloud-wrapped and windy, so a clear day is a real prize. The upland moors are greenest and most inviting in summer.

Good to know

Snaefell's celebrated view depends entirely on clear weather, and its summit is frequently shrouded in cloud and wind, so the panorama is never guaranteed; the railway also runs seasonally. As the island's only true mountain, reached by a charming vintage tramway and offering, on a clear day, the view the island calls six kingdoms, though, Snaefell is a genuinely rewarding and characterful highlight.

Nearby

The village of Laxey, its great wheel and the TT mountain road lie nearby.

Key facts