Douglas Head (Manx: ''Kione Ghoolish'') is a rocky point on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include

Snaefell Snaefell ( on, snjœ-fjall/snjó-fall – snow mountain) – ( gv, Sniaull) is the highest mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man, at above sea level. The summit is crowned by a railway station, cafe and several communic ...

Mountain and

Laxey Laxey ( gv, Laksaa) is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse ''Laxa'' meaning 'Salmon River'. Its key distinguishing features are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwhee ...

General

Until 1870, the headland was owned by The Nunnery Estate when Sir John Goldie-Taubman gave part of it to 'the people of Douglas' by donating it to Douglas Town Council. The headland was a popular area during the Victorian

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

period with access available via South Quay or by using the three steam ferries o
Douglas Harbour Ferry
Service.

Current facilities

* Douglas Head Lighthouse *

Manx Radio Manx Radio (legally Radio Manx Ltd.) ( gv, Radio Vannin) is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of ...

Historic facilities

Douglas Head Amphitheatre Douglas Head Amphitheatre is a structure on the promontory of Douglas Head in the Isle of Man. At the turn of the 20th century the Isle of Man was a hugely popular holiday destination with the working class factory workers from the northerly part ...

Douglas Head Hotel
* Grand Union Camera Obscura * The Black Mast * Warwick Tower * Douglas Head Funicular Railway * Douglas Head Marine Drive Railway
Port Skillicon Pool
* Douglas Head Restaurant

Memorials

Douglas Head is home to three memorials: * A statue of

RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...

founder and

resident Sir

William Hillary Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was a British militia officer, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder, in 1824, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.. Life Hillary's background was Q ...

who was the man behind the building of the

Tower of Refuge The Tower of Refuge is a stone-built castellated structure which was erected on St Mary's Isle (also known as the Conister Rock) in Douglas Bay, Isle of Man, in order to afford shelter to mariners wrecked on the rock. The tower was construct ...

on Conister Rock * A large stone anchor is dedicated to the contribution and sacrifice made by Manx people during the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

and was placed on the headland marking the bi-centenary of that event * A granite bollard and plinth from the harbourside in the

Isle of Whithorn Isle of Whithorn (''Port Rosnait'' in Gaelic) is one of the most southerly villages and seaports in Scotland, lying on the coast north east of Burrow Head, about three miles from Whithorn and about thirteen miles south of Wigtown in Dumfries and G ...

, giving thanks from the families and friends of those lost their lives in the Solway Harvester whose bodies were recovered by the Manx Government contrary to previous maritime tradition

Trivia

* During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Douglas Head was the location of a major

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

station called

HMS Valkyrie The name HMS ''Valkyrie'' was borne by a ship and a training establishment of the Royal Navy: * (F05) was a First World War V class flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1918 she was sold to be scrapped in 1936. * was a stone frigate t ...

* Extensive radar research, development and training of systems and operators took place here *

, broadcasting from the head, was the first licensed independent station in the British Isles * Marine Drive was a toll road, and the impressive arched gateway was the toll gate * Evidence of the tramway exists in the landside arch where the overhead cable was attached to the stonework * The road runs the full length of Marine Drive however is closed to through traffic due to rock instability * Sections of the 1999 film

Waking Ned ''Waking Ned'' (titled ''Waking Ned Devine'' in North America) is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Kirk Jones and starring Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan. Kelly was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his r ...

were filmed on Marine Drive

External links

Manx Notebook
{{Coord, 54, 08, 35, N, 4, 28, 00, W, display=title, region:IM_type:landmark Headlands of the Isle of Man Douglas, Isle of Man Tourist attractions in the Isle of Man