The Calf of Man with its many lighthousesis on the right. To the left is the southwestern tip of the Manx mainland, with the little hilltop settlement of Cregneash just visible above the arable at the very left.
The weather isn't always wonderful on Irish Sea crossings, nor are ship-to-shore photographs always easy to execute (many shots of bare sea and bare sky with a narrow ribbon of distant buildings blurred by the motion of the ship). So I was tickled to get such lovely conditions around the south-west corner of the Isle of Man on the Belfast to Birkenhead ferry on Tuesday. Lovely light from the ideal angle, interesting scenery, and an overhang of scuddy white clouds to give interest to the top space. I've never been on the Isle of Man before, but this made me want to visit!
The Calf of Man (Manx: Yn Cholloo) is a 20½ square kilometre (618-acre) island off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man, separated from it by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. It has only two seasonal inhabitants. The word 'calf' derives from the Old Norse word kalfr which means a small island lying near a larger one. It is possible to reach the Calf of Man by boat from both Port Erin and Port St Mary. It is now owned by Manx National Heritage. The island has been a bird observatory since 1959 and welcomes visits from volunteers and ornithologists. The Calf of Man and its offshore rocks have no fewer than four lighthouses: two lighthouses were built in 1818 by Robert Stevenson to warn mariners of the hazards of the Chicken Rocks off the south end of the Calf. These were replaced in 1875 by a lighthouse built on the Chicken Rocks themselves. In 1968, a third lighthouse was built on the Calf after a severe fire destroyed the Chicken Rocks light. The Chicken Rocks lighthouse was later rebuilt. There are two minor, unfenced roads on the island and two very short streams.
The Isle of Man (Manx: Ellan Vannin), is an island and self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. With a population of 83,000 spread over 572 square kilometres, it is not part of the United Kingdom nor, before Brexit, was it part of the European Union, although the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title “Lord of Mann”. The United Kingdom is, however, responsible for the isle's military defence.
The Manx language is similar to Irish and Scots Gaelic and the Manx are a Celtic Nation. Often considered a traditionalist and indeed rather reactionary place, nonetheless in 1881, the Manx Parliament, Tynwald, became the first national legislative body in the world to give women the right to vote in a general election. Online gambling is a significant contributor to the island’s economy, as are insurance, information and communications technology, and banking.
With gorgeous scenery and status as a UNESCO biosphere preserve, the island is popular with tourists especially from Northern England and both parts of Ireland, with which it has good transport links.
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