Hertiage Trail & National Folk Museum
Duration: 3 hours
Tour Code: dgs-001
This delightful island in the middle of the Irish Sea boasts a wonderful mixture of picturesque villages, plunging cliffs, sandy beaches, rugged glens and wild moors. Rich in Celtic and Viking heritage, you are sure to be captivated by this fairy-obsessed land of charming folk traditions, many of which are revealed at the National Folk Museum.
From the pier, your coach will head southwest into the spectacular countryside, an ancient landscape lovingly shaped by man and the elements over the centuries. Before long, you will cross the Fairy Bridge, where you are encouraged to greet the invisible woodland fairies to ensure a safe, pleasant journey. Perhaps you will even catch a glimpse along the way of one of the island's distinctive tailless 'Manx' cats.
Arriving in Cregneash, near the southern tip of the island, you will tour the National Folk Museum, a collection of thatched cottages and farm buildings that opened in 1938 to resemble a 19th-century Manx upland community. It's like stepping into the past, which well suits Cregneash's rather isolated location. Watch demonstrations of traditional farming and craft techniques. See how the joiner and blacksmith ply their trades. Visit Harry Kelly's cottage, where flat, oat griddlecakes known as bonnag are usually cooking over an open fire. In the 300-acre, largely open-air museum, livestock roam free and the farms are maintained with power from horses, not mechanical horsepower.
Following your museum visit, you will re-board your coach and head back to the pier, traveling through the aptly named Plains of Heaven, where you will find some of the island's most idyllic countryside.
Please note: This tour includes approximately 1-hour of moderate walking; however, there is uneven ground and natural surfaces to negotiate. The tour is not available to wheelchair guests and those with mobility concerns are cautioned to evaluate their personal level of stamina and ability. Warm, weather-proof clothing and sturdy, flat walking shoes are recommended.