The Point of
Ayre
Ayre ( ; gv, Inver Ayre) is one of the six sheadings of the Isle of Man.
It is located in the north of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) and consists of the three historic parishes of Andreas, Bride and (Kirk Christ ...
( gv, Kione ny Hayrey)
[''Place Names of The Isle of Man – Da Ny Manninee Dooie Volume Three. Sheading of Ayre: (Kirk Andreas, Kirk Bride and Kirk Christ Lezayre)'' page 258 ''Kirk Bride'' by George Broderick – Turbingen ; Niemeyer NE:HST (1997) Manx Place- Name Survey, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tubingen (Gesamtwerk) 3-484-40131-1 (Band 1) Druck und Eiband: Weihert-Druck GmbH Darmstadt.] is the northernmost point of the
Isle of Man. It lies at the northern end of
Ramsey Bay
Ramsey Bay ( gv, Baie Rhumsaa) is a large bay and Marine Nature Reserve covering some 94 square kilometres off the northeastern coast of the Isle of Man. It runs for 18 kilometres from the Point of Ayre at the island's northern tip to Maughold He ...
north of the town of
Ramsey. The point can be accessed by the
A16 road
This is a list of roads designated A16. Roads entries are sorted in the countries alphabetical order.
* A16 highway (Australia), a road connecting Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills
* A16 motorway (Belgium), a road connecting Mons and Tournai ...
from
Bride
A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, bri ...
.
Point of Ayre lighthouse, the oldest
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mark ...
on the Isle of Man, is located here.
It is the closest point on the Isle of Man to
Great Britain, being south of
Burrow Head
Burrow Head is the southernmost tip of the Machars peninsula in south-west Scotland.
It is located approximately two miles south-west of Isle of Whithorn, Wigtownshire and is the second southernmost point of Scotland (after the Mull of Gallowa ...
in
Scotland.
The name Ayre comes from the Norse word ''Eyrr'' meaning gravel bank. Strong currents offshore cause an ever-changing build-up of shingle, so that the beach changes shape with each tide.
A
tidal range at the Point of Ayre provides excellent fishing from the beach. Visitors are attracted by the gorse and heather which surrounds the lighthouse and merges with sand dunes stretching to the south-west, providing cover for rare wild flowers and forming part of a
Manx National Heritage Nature Reserve. A variety of land and sea birds visit the area throughout the year, as do a number of grey seals.
See also
*
Whitestone Bank
The Whitestone Bank is a sand bank approximately east of The Point of Ayre, Isle of Man. The Whitestone Channel separates the island from the bank.
Description
The bank is denoted on maritime chart AC 2094 Kirkcudbright to the Mull of Gallow ...
*
Strunakill Bank
The Stunakill Bank is a shoal approximately west of The Point of Ayre, Isle of Man.
The bank is denoted on maritime chart AC 2094 (at position ) Kirkcudbright to the Mull of Galloway & Isle of Man; AC 1826 Irish Sea Eastern Part; AC 2696 Ramse ...
*
Ballacash Bank
The Ballacash Bank is a sand bank Northeast of the Point of Ayre, Isle of Man.
The currents around the Point of Ayre have, over the millennia formed a series banks stretching out to the east which, it is advised, should be avoided especially in h ...
*
King William Banks
Notes
External links
The Ayre name in Scotland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Point Of Ayre
Headlands of the Isle of Man