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
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. The summit is crowned by a railway station, cafe and several communications masts.
Views
It is a well-known saying in the Isle of Man that on a clear day six
kingdoms
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
can be seen from the top: the
Isle of Man,
England,
Ireland,
Scotland,
Wales and
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
. Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that of
Manannán (or the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
).
The plaque at the summit indicates the directions of five points from Snaefell as well as their distances:
* to the
Mull of Galloway (Scotland)
* to
Scafell (England)
* to the
Mountains of Mourne
The Mourne Mountains ( ; ga, Beanna Boirche), also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne, are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountains in Northern Ireland, the high ...
(Northern Ireland)
* to
Liverpool (England)
* to
Dublin (Republic of Ireland)
(For some reason, Wales is absent from the plaque).
While highly dependent on weather conditions and visibility, all of the four countries of the United Kingdom can be seen from the summit of Snaefell. This includes much of the southern coast of
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...
in
Scotland, the
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
in England, the northern coast of
Anglesey in Wales, and the
Mountains of Mourne
The Mourne Mountains ( ; ga, Beanna Boirche), also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne, are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountains in Northern Ireland, the high ...
in
Northern Ireland. Points in the
Republic of Ireland in
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
can also be seen.
Climbing Snaefell
The
Snaefell Mountain Railway
The Snaefell Mountain Railway ( gv, Raad Yiarn Sniaull) is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects wit ...
has a seasonal electric tram service, typically from April to October, which climbs the from
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 ...
to the summit.
The
A18 Snaefell Mountain Road passes over the slopes of Snaefell, and is the highest section of the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
over which the
Isle of Man TT Races are held. Walkers often use the car park on this road near the
Bungalow railway station
Bungalow Station ( Manx: ''Stashoon Yn Thie Injil'') (more commonly ''The Bungalow'') is the only intermediate station on the Isle of Man's Snaefell Mountain Railway and is located where the main mountain road intersects the line.
Origins
The ...
(last railway stop before the summit) from which there is a rough path to the peak. The trail has sections of gravel, slate stones, grass and rock. While the angle of ascent steepens significantly closer to the summit, special
climbing equipment is not required. However, caution is required in steep areas as the grass, earth and rocks are often slippery. Average climb time on foot on a dry footpath is about 45 minutes.
A
geodetic marker
The term Marker may refer to:
Common uses
* Marker (linguistics), a morpheme that indicates some grammatical function
* Marker (telecommunications), a special-purpose computer
* Boundary marker, an object that identifies a land boundary
* Marke ...
embedded in the small, concrete
obelisk indicates the true mountain summit. The rock
cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
standing nearby has an information plaque on top.
Weather
In 1970, the automated weather station at the Snaefell summit recorded a gust of which was one of the highest wind speeds ever recorded in the British Isles. During hurricane storm-force winds, the
Civil Aviation Authority
A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register.
Role
Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...
radio mast at the Snaefell summit was damaged and blown down on 2 December 1966.
[''Birmingham Daily Post'' page 27 Saturday 3 December 1966]
Gallery
Image:Snaefell Mountain Walking Trail - Isle of Man - kingsley - 24-JUN-09.jpg, Footpath entry near Bungalow railway station typically used to climb Snaefell
Image:Snaefell with Snaefell Mountain Railway.jpg, The Snaefell Mountain Railway
The Snaefell Mountain Railway ( gv, Raad Yiarn Sniaull) is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects wit ...
on the ascent of Snaefell
Image:Summit Hotel - Snaefell Mountain - kingsley - 24-APR-09.jpg, Defunct hotel (now cafe) near the summit
Image:Snaefell Mountain Summit - Isle of Man - kingsley - 24-APR-09.jpg, Top of Snaefell with geodetic marker and nearby cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
with plaque
Image:Plaque atop Snaefell Mountain - Isle of Man - kingsley - 24-JUN-09.jpg, Plaque pointing out the directions of landmarks and their distances from the summit
References
External links
* Computer generated summit panorama
NorthSouth
Snaefell Mountain Railway
Snaefell Fell Race
{{Authority control
Marilyns of the Isle of Man
Mountains and hills of the Isle of Man