Cronk ny Arrey Laa is a hill in the south west of 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 ...

. It may be confused with a hill of a similar name in the parish of

Jurby Jurby ( on, djúra-bý – deer settlement - animal park) () is one of the seventeen parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the north-west of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) in the sheading of Michael. Local ...

, further north along the west coast of the island. At it is the second highest hill in this part of the island, after the

South Barrule The South Barrule ( gv, Baarool Jiass) is the highest hill in the south of the Isle of Man. It has the remains of a fort on its summit, which is traditionally the home of the Manx god of the sea Mannanan beg mac y Leir. The hill is largely surro ...

, 2 miles (3 km) to the east. It is in the parish of

Rushen Rushen ( ; gv, Rosien), formally Kirk Christ Rushen, is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of the same name. A ...

, although the boundary with the parish of Patrick is only about 200 metres to the north of its summit.

Name

Lag ny Keeilley, West slope of Cronk ny Arrey Laa - geograph

Its name means ''Hill of the Day Watch'' due to it having been used as a look out post for invaders during the time of the

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

invasions. The hill is also known locally as Cronk ny Irree-Laa, meaning ''hill of the rising day'' or ''dawn''. It was said that when the sun broke over this hill, it was a sign to the herring-fishers to shoot their nets.

Features

Its steep western slope rises directly out of the sea in a cliff. The area surrounding it has also been described by Trail Magazine as "some of the wildest terrain on any British coast path". and by Manx National Heritage as "amongst the most spectacular to be seen anywhere in the British Isles." However, the summit is only about 500 metres from the main road between Port Erin/Port St Mary and Peel, and may be climbed as part of an easy day walk between those places. The summit is on the long distance path, the

Raad ny Foillan ' ( en, The Way of the Gull) is a coastal long distance footpath in the Isle of Man. Because it is a closed loop around the coast, it can be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. Route and history The ' starts and finish ...

. The summit is one of the few places anywhere with views of what Manx people call "the six kingdoms" (Mann, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven), with some adding a seventh "kingdom", Neptune (the sea). The boggy slopes are home to unusual plant species such as the carnivorous

sundew ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginou ...

Pilgrimage site

This is an ancient place of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

. Two particular sites on the slopes of Cronk ny Arrey Laa were visited: the "Chibbyr ny Vashtey" (well of baptism) and the Manx ''Keil'' (chapel) at Lag ny Keeilley on the steep western face.

References

External links

Cronk ny Arrey Laa with sea mist

Cronk ny Arrey Laa, sea cliffs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronk Ny Arrey Laa Mountains and hills of the Isle of Man